First brew.

[Geoff Norwich]

Finally got round to starting the brewing kit me ma got me for Christmas.
Slack I know but Tiny flat with no space and a very inquisitive seven year old does not a happy brew make.

Got another on the way in July so have now moved to a three bed house and as luck would have it there is a 15x15ft shed with lighting power and heating at the end of the garden. I claimed this as my man cave and my SWMBO (not sure what the letters mean yet) said OK.

but I digress, as I was saying my first beer kit - Woodfordes Norfolk NOG.
Started fermentation on 9th June. Checked the next day and the thermometer was at 26 so following the advie of the forum stuck it in the bath and cooled it off then moved it to shed where it sat nicely at 21. so far so good.
first gravity reading of 1.01 on the 12th and a second reading of 1.01 on the 16th.
true to tradition I tasted each sample and I can already taste the beginnings of the beer it will be.
Primed with Muntons medium Malt and Kegged today.
Now for some impatient waiting
Should I vent the cap on the pressure barrel as I've seen some do to release the oxygen and leave CO2 or just leave it for a good month. With luck it will be ready just after the babies born.

I plan on doing a porter next as its my favourite type of ale. any suggestions for a good kit. Festival perhaps.
once we've unpacked fully and I've decked out the shed with relevant racking I plan on moving to AG but at the moment Kits are my limit.

I want to thank you guys here for answering any questions I've had without the usual forum keyboard warrior statements like THERE IS A SEARCH FUNCTION USE IT or such like. Youve been very helpfull.

regards
Geoff

 

[calumscott]

Finally got round to starting the brewing kit me ma got me for Christmas.

Nice one!

Got another on the way in July

Nice one! (and congratulations!)

so have now moved to a three bed house

Nice one!

and as luck would have it there is a 15x15ft shed with lighting power and heating at the end of the garden

Nice one!

You're on a bit of a roll aren't you!?!? :lol:

Should I vent the cap on the pressure barrel as I've seen some do to release the oxygen and leave CO2 or just leave it for a good month.

Just leave it. If you racked to your keg and primed it, the yeast would go through a small growth phase where they would have gobbled up all the oxygen, there shouldn't be any left. Purging if you have a cylinder is worthwhile but I reckon if naturally carbonating it's better just to leave it.

I plan on doing a porter next as its my favourite type of ale. any suggestions for a good kit. Festival perhaps.

I recommend this VERY highly, it's a cracking pint.

once we've unpacked fully and I've decked out the shed with relevant racking I plan on moving to AG

Or you could buy the pots and use what will be your boiler to go BIAB for now in your nicely expanded kitchen - that's where I am at the moment (I've been in the new house 9 months and the shed is still just storage...) and the beer is a BIG step up in quality.

I want to thank you guys here for answering any questions I've had without the usual forum keyboard warrior statements like THERE IS A SEARCH FUNCTION USE IT or such like. Youve been very helpfull.

You're very welcome. It's just because we're all beer geeks and like to talk about beer... :thumb:

 

[Steve]

SWMBO (not sure what the letters mean yet) said OK.

Any acronym you come across you're not sure about there is a link to the glossary in the top left of the page and SWMBO is in there, I'll not spoil it for you.

Good to hear you've got yourself a nice brew space :thumb:

 

[Geoff Norwich]

Thank you for not spoiling it.

Its too true. She is my swmbo. especially with 8 months of pregnancy hormones.