First Ever Brew - Some Help Please.....

[Beer-Head]

Hi All

I'm new to brewing and have just brewed a kit from wilkinsons "Hoppy Copper Bitter" I have followed the brewing instructions to the letter and have managed to keep the brew at a constant temp as advised. My brew is now sat in the garage in a pressure barrel ready for tasting on Friday.

Once I have drawn off a pint or so should I add anything to the barrel? The barrel is a normal pressure barrel and does not have the provision for Co2 at the moment.

I am also thinking of filling a few one litre bottles should I add anything to the bottles before filling.

Your advice and help will be very much appreciated.

Thanks :

 

[winelight]

The CO2 from the secondary fermentation (carbonation) should keep it going until about half way down. Then since you have no CO2 injection facilities you could draw off the rest into bottles, I guess. Never tried this but I suppose it would work.

Following the instructions to the letter is not wrong, but you can get a vastly improved product if you follow the advice in this forum. Although different people do different things, broadly speaking:

a. Add extra fermentables (use DME instead of sugar, too)
b. Ferment for longer (2 weeks)
c. Move into the cold for a week (some prefer to rack into another FV)
d. Only then keg or bottle it
e. In the warm for another 2 weeks
f. In the cold for minimum 2 weeks
g. Drink

 

[Beer-Head]

Many thanks for your help. Really looking forward to trying it on Friday

Cheers

 

[rpt]

If you drink the beer slowly then the beer will produce enough CO2 to keep dispensing. But if you drink several pints in a session then you will struggle. As you can't add CO2 then you will need to open the lid to let some air in. This will allow the beer out but you will need to finish it in a couple of days as it will begin to go off.