First ever Brew day!!

[BelfastBottler]

Well just finished starting my coopers lager kit, bit nerve wrecking!! LoL I soooooo think I've fecked it up!!!

I sterilised everything!!!!
Then added 2 litres of boiling water then mixed the coopers brew enhancer 1.
Then added the extract mixed it all up nicely.

All good up to now!!! But then

Over filled the FV to 21 litres I was aiming for 19!!
So I took out 2 litre!!!???? ( is this ok )
Then the temp was 18c so I added 1 litre of boiling water and mixed it up.
New temp was 22c

Took a hydro reading of 1042 added the yeast and stuck the lid on.

Question

Have I FECKED UP my first brew!!!

 

[PD]

Put the extract back if you've kept it sterile.

 

[evanvine]

Not at all!
Not saying that you didn't panic a little bit, or that you didn't get your volumes slightly wrong.
Now just let it do its own thing for about 10 days.
LEAVE IT ALONE!!!!!!!
PS Welcome to the Forum.

 

[bottler]

Taking the 2 litres of mixture out was a waste mate, and adding the boiling water was unnecessary, but im sure the brew will survive. Good luck, and happy brewing :thumb:

 

[LeedsBrewer]

it'll be fine. :thumb:

 

[BelfastBottler]

Update....

One week on and hydrometer is reading 1020 from 1042.... Is this ok?

Also the beer had a sweet sour smell to it????

 

[pittsy]

hi , don't worry too much about smell at the moment , certain yeasts can give off odd smells . I would say it still has further to go yet , is the temp still around 22c ? is the fv sitting on concrete and getting cold . Cold yeast will slow down or even stop (17c and lower mostly) but too warm will give funky tastes to the brew (24c upwards often) So many yeasts will want between 18c/22c . Give you fv a gentle swirl to mix up the brew a little (but avoid foaming/bubbles) Your brew should be left in FV for around 10 to 14 days before bottling , hope its a good brew . :thumb:

 

[johnnyboy1965]

It will be fine...of course it will smell (they all do) it will also taste like crap as well.
Give it time, let it do its thang and you should end up with a perfectly good beer

I didnt mean that the finished beer will taste like crap

 

[mmaguy41]

Why were you aiming for 19l? Its a 23l kit so thats quite a bit short, i definately wouldnt have panicked with 21l and taking 2l out after mixing will have done nothing but waste beer. Having said that you wont have ruined anything, you will end up with a decent beer and youll have an idea of what not to do next time.

 

[johnnyboy1965]

Why were you aiming for 19l? Its a 23l kit so thats quite a bit short, i definately wouldnt have panicked with 21l and taking 2l out after mixing will have done nothing but waste beer. Having said that you wont have ruined anything, you will end up with a decent beer and youll have an idea of what not to do next time.

Wrong answer.."definatley wouldnt have panicked"

 

[BelfastBottler]

Beer update

Took another reading hydrometer reads 1015 and the beer is cloudy that's that's at day 11.
Is this ok?

 

[bottler]

Id give it another few days , cold weather can slow things down. Most people on here leave the brew in the fv for 10 days- 2 weeks,or even longer, so dont panic mate :thumb:

 

[BelfastBottler]

Id give it another few days , cold weather can slow things down. Most people on here leave the brew in the fv for 10 days- 2 weeks,or even longer, so dont panic mate :thumb:

Thanks mate :thumb:

 

[BelfastBottler]

Update

Beer now at day 14... Reading @ 1013 and beer is def getting clearer.... Yeeee haaaa

 

[AndyBWood]

HI BB,

Your call but...... IMHO - after making a good number of kits over the last 12 months before recently turning to the Dark Side I'd say you're about done.

If you need to leave it a fews days longer, however, I dare say it wouldn't catch any harm whatsoever.

Well done on No1 :thumb:

A

 

[BelfastBottler]

HI BB,

Your call but...... IMHO - after making a good number of kits over the last 12 months before recently turning to the Dark Side I'd say you're about done.

If you need to leave it a fews days longer, however, I dare say it wouldn't catch any harm whatsoever.

Well done on No1 :thumb:

A

I would think ur right mate.... Gonna bottle on Friday then go get another kit!!! Lmao fancy a strong ale next!!

 

[bottler]

HI BB,

Your call but...... IMHO - after making a good number of kits over the last 12 months before recently turning to the Dark Side I'd say you're about done.

If you need to leave it a fews days longer, however, I dare say it wouldn't catch any harm whatsoever.

Well done on No1 :thumb:

A

I would think ur right mate.... Gonna bottle on Friday then go get another kit!!! Lmao fancy a strong ale next!!

Im doing a coopers dark ale at the weekend. Have you tryed natures way at ballyhackamore? Great selection of ales stouts an lagers.

 

[BelfastBottler]

HI BB,

Your call but...... IMHO - after making a good number of kits over the last 12 months before recently turning to the Dark Side I'd say you're about done.

If you need to leave it a fews days longer, however, I dare say it wouldn't catch any harm whatsoever.

Well done on No1 :thumb:

A

I would think ur right mate.... Gonna bottle on Friday then go get another kit!!! Lmao fancy a strong ale next!!

Im doing a coopers dark ale at the weekend. Have you tryed natures way at ballyhackamore? Great selection of ales stouts an lagers.

I was in there few weeks back getting some steriliser.... Was going to take a run up there over the weekend to get the ale......

 

[bottler]

I was in there few weeks back getting some steriliser.... Was going to take a run up there over the weekend to get the ale......[/quote][/quote]
The woodfords admirals reserve is of decent strengh, 2 can kit at £22.99, its on my wish list.

 

[BelfastBottler]

2 can kit??? How does that work? Sounds interesting...... Def doing an ale and was thinking of hopping it up abit.