Cleanliness, Low Original Gravity and other Q's

[zcacogp]

Chaps,

I've just done my fourth brew. Previous brews have been - to put it mildly - not a roaring success. The first was undrinkable. The second suffered from a leaky keg and ended up down the drain. Number three is being drunk at the moment, but I don't get much pleasure from drinking it (it doesn't taste that good, to be brutally honest). Which brings me swiftly on to the fourth, now about an hour old!

I have to say, with such a dismal brewing history I can't help think I am doing something wrong. I assumed it was cleanliness, and for that reason bought some VWP for this brew (having used thin bleach before.) I put a large tablespoon in the FV with some boiling water, put the various bits of apparatus in with it and filled it up with cold water, right to the top, and left it to clean for two days. I then carefully syphoned the stuff out (into the keg, where it is now), rinsed everything at least three times under a cold water tap and kept all the apparatus on the upturned lid of the FV. I am sincerely hoping that this is enough; I can't think there is anything else I could do but didn't in order to keep everything clean.

Having said that I did (stupidly) forget to soak the tin opener in VWP before using it. It was clean but hadn't been sterilised. How important is this? (I guess that's the subsiduary question; how clean do things have to be? Surgically sterile? I'm guessing not as this is impossible. I handled everything with my own hands without gloves, which I assume is what everyone else does. Is this a problem? If it is, what can be done about it?

Another question I have is about the gravity; when I measured the gravity of the wort before putting the yeast in, I got a reading of 1.015. This seems quite low - is it right? I struggled to read the gauge on the side of the hydrometer as there was a lot of froth around, but I don't think I am that far out.

Another question is about the cleanliness of the hydrometer (and thermometer) when testing the brew in the FV. I can see that a number of people use a testing jar, which I don't have one of, so I will be floating the hydrometer in the brew to test the gravity. This clearly requires a clean hydrometer, and I'm keeping it in an old plastic bottle with some VWP solution and the thermometer, like this:

Is this likely to work, or is this a bad idea? Has anyone else done this and able to offer comment?

Thanks for your input and suggestions. I'm kinda hoping that this one will work, and produce some beer which I actually want to drink; the elusive grail which has eluded me to date ...


Oli.

 

[PD]

Everything that the beer touches should be clean and sterilised. If theres then a delay before using its best to give a squirt or two of a no rinse sanitiser.

Floating your hydrometer in the brew is ok but not recommended ( trial jar better )

Is it a kit beer you are making ? If so without taking any readings or adding anything extra your beer will be of a decent strength.
Your hydrometer reading must be wrong.
Kits usually make up to ( depending on the style of beer ) 1.040 and when fermented out will be around 4%abv
Perhaps you didn't mix it well, was the temperature too high or low ?

If you have made it as instructed on the can, keep it sterile and don't worry carry on till ferment has finished.

 

[Good Ed]

Regarding your SG; firstly, as PD says, get a trial jar; and also you need to stir your wort to get everything dissolved, even with liquid malt extract you have to stir thoroughly with boiled water to get it disolved, and dried malt extract is best dissolved with cold water. Also stiring vigorously introduces oxygen into the wort, which is essential for good yeast growth.

 

[zcacogp]

Chaps,

Thanks for your replies. A trial jar would seem to be the obvious solution, and a bit of reading on here suggests that any tall, thin vessel will work as one quite well. Thanks for the suggestion, I'll probably see if I can apporpriate a vase from the missis and see how I get on with that. Clearly a ladle will be necessary to scoop some beer out of the FV, and that will need to be sterile; does leaving it in some boiling water for a few minutes sterilise it enough?

As far as the SG reading of the batch I did earlier in the evening is concerned, I am wondering whether I didn't stir it as well as I should have done. I think I'll try re-sterilising the paddle I have and giving the FV a good stir, just to make sure. Thanks for the suggestion PD. Yes, it was a kit beer (Tooheys Special Draught) and the temperature was about 26degC when the yeast was put in. I think the hydrometer is right (it reads 1.000 in water), so this must be the only explanation.

Thanks for your input chaps.


Oli.

 

[PD]

get a turkey baster from the supermarket (£3) to take the samples from the brew and don't forget to sterilise it every time ( even inside the bulb )

 

[puravida]

You can't make it surgically sterile but you can put a process in place to get everything as sanitary as possible.
Everyone has their own was of doing this. I used to get off flavours in my beer before I really addressed the sanitisation properly.

My own way is to clean all visible muck off the kit with a wet cloth and rinse with hot water. I then fill a FV about half full with very hot water and add 2-3 scoops of oxi-clean (the stuff that is made for the washing machine!). mix well, add other kit, fit the lid and swirl around inside so eveything gets a good coating. Swirl every 5-10 mins until everything has soaked for half an hour.

Pour the oxi-clean out (you can re-use a few times) and then give everything a rinse about 3-4 times with more hot water.

Then I mix up a jug of Star San, pour some in the FV, fit the lid and give everything another swirl around. This is a 'no rinse' contact sanitiser so all you need to do is pour out and excess before you tip in your beer.

I also keep a spritz bottle full of star-sand handy to give anything a quick blitz.

The reason I like this process is it involves the least amount of hard work and rinsing, it's easy but very effective.

 

[Madferret]

The only thing I can see is maybe your tap water is contaminated? Do you use pure water?

I've never had a serious contamination, and I'm not half as careful as you. :) also I live close to the countryside in a damp climate.

Also are you letting it clear out after brewing? And letting the flavours develop?

 

[wezil]

Hi did the hydrometer come with a long plastic tube? mine did and this is what I tend to use (wastes less beer as well)!! PS do you use dme or sugar as this can alter the taste

 

[ScottM]

I had VERY similar experiences as yourself when I first started off. I only started having success when I started adopting certain methods, they have stood me well ever since. Hopefully some of this may help yourself.


The first thing I did was put everything I currently had in the loft as I didn't see it as being suitable (a keg for primary, a wine fermenter etc) and I bought new stuff consisting of the following...

2 30L FVs with graduated markings
1 25L bucket for bottling
2m syphoning hose
1 bottle filler
1 good sized funnel (more for DJs etc)
1 Large plastic paddle
Airlocks
Bungs
1 tub of VWP
1 bottle tree
1 bottle rinser
1 bottle of starsan no rinse steriliser
1 hydrometer
A couple of thermometer strip things (LCD thermometer strips).

I go through a very similar process to yourself with regards to the VWP. The only difference is that I now have starsan, which I would highly recommend. My cleaning process is as follows...

Fill one of the FVs with warm water and 3tsp of VWP
Put all equipment into the FV.
Put the lid on and give it a good slosh around to contact all surfaces and allow everything to soak for a couple of hours.
Pour the solution into the other FV and allow all the equipment to go in as well.
Stick the lid on and give it a slosh again.
Turn the initial FV upside down and allow to dry.
After a couple of hours soaking pour the solution into the bottling bucket and allow the equipment to follow. Put the lid on, give it a slosh.
Turn the second FV upside down and allow to dry.
Pour away the VWP solution, turn the bucket upside down and allow everything to dry as best you can.
Put the equipment you are going to use into the first FV and rinse everything thoroughly with cold water. I've noticed that VWP clings so no matter how many times you rinse it when it's wet it won't go away. Allowing it to dry and THEN rinsing it gets rid of it almost instantly.
Turn the bucket upside down and allow everything to dry.


That's the initial clean over with, now onto brewing day....

Ingredients:

Beer/Ale/Lager kit
500g brewing sugar
500g DME of choice
20L bottled water (Asda 16p for 2. Keep a few bottles in the fridge to aid cooling)

Instructions:

Boil 3L of water
Add the contents of the can, slosh out with some boiled water from the kettle
Add brewing sugar and DME
Stir everything in and allow it to come back to the boil.
Take off the boil and allow to cool for a few minutes
While allowing to cool pour 1ml of starsan into the FV along with a litre or so of water.
Put the stirring paddle in and give everything a good slosh around to be sure all surfaces are contacted
Get your hydrometer and thermometer (if you have one) a good soak in the same solution but do so seperately from the sloshing as they break easily.
Rinse everything off pouring the solution over the lid and any airlock/bung that you are using, take out the paddle/hydrometer/thermometer and turn FV upside down to allow to drip.
After a few minutes turn the FV back over (starsan is no rinse so don't worry about any residue)
Pour a couple of bottles of water into the FV
Pour the wort into the FV
Top up to approx 23L
Give a GOOD stir with the paddle and make sure lots of air gets in (foamy) a couple of minutes at this makes all the difference.
Drop the hydrometer into the wort and check the OG. Take a note of it and also the temperature either from the LCD strip or a thermometer.
If the temp is between 18 and 25 degrees pitch the yeast, if now allow it to get to room temp(ish) before pitching.
Put the lid on, put the bung and airlock in and top the airlock up.


Transferring into secondary:

The FV is already clean etc thanks to the VWP so all that's needed is a quick squirt with starsan.
I use a spray bottle but you can easily make up a solution in the bucket and slosh it around.
As usual have all your equipment in (hydrometer, thermometer, etc)
Make sure the syphon has been sterilised also, I just spray my bottle into it until it comes out the other end and saturate the outside.
Once everything has been sterilised rinse the lot off. I use a second bung/airlock for the secondary so this needs to be given a quick skoosh too.
Open up the primary at the side, no need to take the lid all the way off, just enough to get the syphon in.
Suck as cleanly as possible on the other end and drop it into your secondary
Place the lid over the top and put something on top of the lid to keep it in place
Keep an eye on the primary and adjust the angle of the bucket towards the end in order to get the most in one clean sweep.
Check your gravity to make sure everything is as it should be. Take note of the FG and the temperature.
Remove the syphon, put the lid onto the secondary and fit the new airlock/bung.
Put into elevated final resting spot prior to bottling.


Bottling:

Same as before, either slosh some starsan or skoosh all the equipment required. Remember to do the lids and the bottles etc.
I make sure my bottles are clean as soon as I empty them. I then use a bottle rinser with starsan in it immediately prior to bottling, hanging them on the bottle tree to drip out.
Dissolve however much sugar you want to add in a cup of boiling water. I generally go for between 150 and 180g for lagers, ales would obviously be a lot less.
Pour into the bottling bucket.
Syphon your finished brew into the bottling bucket using previous method (lid on top etc)
Keep an eye on the level so that you can adjust the angle to get the most out of it etc.
Once transferred give a good stir with a paddle but try not to splash as you don't want oxygen in the mix
Elevate the bottling bucket and attach bottling wand to the syphon
Start the syphon process again, this time into each bottle via the wand.
I do them 10 bottles at a time and then hang the wand up so that it doesn't drip
I have the caps in the bottle rinser with the starsan take them out and shake them immediately before capping.

2 weeks room temp, 2 weeks cold.. job done.


I always clean things immediately after use. I don't bother with sanitising things as I will be doing that immediately before use. Any stubborn stains or anything get the initial VWP treatment but other than that I just rinse things out with my hand and make sure everything is spotless. The important thing is to do it right away. If you allow any crud to dry it will be a nightmare to get off, being quick to remove anything is the key.

Hope that helps a bit. If you follow the above you honestly can't go wrong, I've not gone wrong once since adopting the above techniques.

 

[pittsy]

Another thing to mention is , well kit beers aren't gonna be as good as pub beers (mostly) however there is a big difference in quality between a single can maybe costing £12 and a 2 can kit maybe costing around £22 or even the beer packs with dme and tea bag hops etc are even better . The cheap cans require sugar etc and imo are **** but the other types can produce not too bad a beer .
For this reason i swiftly moved onto extract brewing at the time and i was very pleased with the results .