Coopers Real Ale: first brew ever

[emmever]

Hello everyone,
As per title, I am brewing a Coppers Real Ale kit and this is the first time I brew. I am following a super basic process to try and understand the various steps.
I am opening this thread to collect feedback and suggestions from more experienced brewers.

I started last sunday and initial gravity was 1.044. Today (day 6) I tested gravity in a sample and it is 1.026, so I guess it will need few more days in the fermenter.

It seemed to me it took about 2/3 days to see any sign of fermentation (bubbles and foam above the wort).
Fermenter is stored at 19 - 20°C.
Is the fermentation so slow to begin something to expect or maybe it is due to an old yeast? I got the kit in a local store, I have no idea how long it stayed on the shelf there.

 

[marshbrewer]

I wouldn't unduly worry. Things can take a couple of days to really get going. A really basic rule of thumb is to give it two weeks in the fv to finish fermenting and for the yeast to clean up after itself. Then, assuming it's hit target gravity or thereabouts and has been been steady for a couple of days then prime, bottle / keg it and leave it for 2 weeks to carb up. Then 2 to 4 weeks to condition / clear, then crack one open to see how it's getting on.

 

[clib]

In an ideal world a 1044 beer woukd be lower than 1026 after 6 days. That's not healthy yeast. But we get away with a lot in brewing. See how it is in a few days time.

 

[emmever]

Thanks.
Smell of the sample I took was fine (at least to my understanding). I will take another gravity reading in a couple of days and let you know

 

[Rwilts]

Initial assessment seems fine...

 

[emmever]

Update. Today (day 8) density dropped to 1.020, getting closer to target...

Side question, here is a picture of the sample I took. Does anyone have experience with Coopers Real Ale kit? I was expecting a blond beer, but sample is darker (not an issue, I just want to understand if this is right or I warmed too much the malt)

 

[klaus]

Colour looks fine - even better when the beer has cleared.
Real Ale (or IPA) is normally anywhere from light brown to dark brown. There are "blonde" ales/IPAs which are brewed with very light grains, some kits may be available. Maybe you are thinking of lagers / pilsners?

 

[emmever]

Colour looks fine - even better when the beer has cleared.
Real Ale (or IPA) is normally anywhere from light brown to dark brown. There are "blonde" ales/IPAs which are brewed with very light grains, some kits may be available. Maybe you are thinking of lagers / pilsners?

Colour looks great to me (my favourite beers are amber / light brown ales...).
I was probably misleaded by the picture on the label of the kit, showing a very light beer

 

[clib]

Colour looks great to me (my favourite beers are amber / light brown ales...).
I was probably misleaded by the picture on the label of the kit, showing a very light beer

Yes the promotional images suggest a pale beer but if you Google the beer and find images of it made up it's the colour of yours.

Trades descriptions!

 

[emmever]

New update: density is now settling to final value, I will probably be able to bottle on saturday / sunday (2 weeks in the FV).

Question about bottling: I saw tutorails where beer is poured in a second FV before bottling to decrease sediment and enhance clearing. Is it something usefull or can I skip this step (just adding sugar + bottling)?

 

[Rwilts]

When I am bottling , which will be tomorrow, I transfer into a clean vessel add the priming sugar ( desolved in boiling water and boiled for 10 min and then cooled before adding) and then bottle from there.

I use an old plastic pressure barrel with a tap, which I attach a bottling wand to.

When I am kegging I transfer straight into the keg and let it settle out in the keg, and add co2 for the carbonation.

 

[Nucbrewer]

I use a second bucket that I added a tap and bottling wand to. As Rwilts says add the sugar dissolved in boiling water, I use the brewers friend priming sugar calculator Beer Priming Sugar Calculator | Brewer's Friend

 

[jof]

If you don't have a 2nd bucket and there is no tap on yours, so you are siphoning it, enlist the help of another person as it's impossible to watch the bottle end and the FV end at the same time.
The "filler" just has to keep an eye on filling bottles & the "drainer" keeps an eye on where the sediment (trub) starts & tells you when you reach the end.
Oh & remember to add priming sugar for carbonation.

 

[emmever]

If you don't have a 2nd bucket and there is no tap on yours, so you are siphoning it, enlist the help of another person as it's impossible to watch the bottle end and the FV end at the same time.
The "filler" just has to keep an eye on filling bottles & the "drainer" keeps an eye on where the sediment (trub) starts & tells you when you reach the end.
Oh & remember to add priming sugar for carbonation.

Actually I have 3 fermenting vessels with tap (they came with the kit I got), so it will be probably simpler.
Thanks for the suggestion, anyhow!

 

[emmever]

So, after 2 weeks in the fermenting vessel + 2 weeks in bottle I didn't resist and I opened the first bottle to sample the result...
I have to say it is better than I expected as first brew. A little bit too sparkling for my taste (I will probably reduce priming sugar from 5g/l to 4g/l).
I will wait 2 weeks more to let it mature a bit more...

Thank you all for the suggestions!