Just had the first sample from my very first home brew effort, 40 pints of Muntons Gold Old English Bitter 100% LME, and I would call it a success. The process went as follows:
BREW DAY (BD)
(1) Cleaned all fermenting kit including tin opener and the LME cans using soda crystals (1 tablespoon/litre) then sterilised everything with a weak bleach solution (75ml bleach for 25l water). Triple rinse with clean water after each stage.
(2) Rehydrated yeast using 100mm of boiled water cooled to 33oC (jug and thermometer having been sterilised) and covered jug with cling-film.
(3) LME tins placed in boiling water to soften contents before emptying into FV. Tins rinsed with boiling water (hot-hot-hot) to get all LME and then 5 gal of well aerated cold water added. Everything stirred for 5 minutes.
(4) Yeast pitched at 20oC and everything stirred again.
(5) Unable to check OG because cack-handed me broke my hydrometer.
(5) FV moved to cellar (ambient temp 17oC) and the heater added. The heater was previously tested to maintain a 20oC temp in an equal volume of water.
BD+1
In the morning a little yeast activity was noted but not enough. I therefore wrapped the FV in blankets and sleeping bag before leaving for work. In the evening it was obvious fermentation was well underway.
BD+5
First fermentation appeared to have stopped.
BD+15 TRANSFER TO KING-KEG (KK = 0)
(1) Cleaned all kegging kit, including tap, using soda crystals then sterilised everything with a weak bleach solution. Triple rinse with clean water after each stage.
(2) Prepared priming solution: 146g of spray malt boiled up with 500ml of water. Allowed to cool before adding to bottom of KK.
(3) Sample taken from FV: FG showing 1012
(4) Syphon set with boiling water before careful transfer from FV to KK.
(5) KK closed having coated seals with Vaseline.
(6) KK moved to cellar (ambient temp 18oC) and wrapped in sleeping bag.
KK+14
Sleeping bag removed and beer poured...
Excellent carbonation and full head; good pressure in keg. Good colour, albeit cloudy, and nice aroma. Second and third sample glasses very drinkable.
(When I figure out how to post pictures I'll put some up.)
KK+15
Further sample taken (for benefit of brother-in-law) and beer clarity has improved since cool coniditioning started (i.e. no insulation and cellar temp at 17oC).
I now intend to leave it alone till KK+25 (i.e. two weeks of cool conditioning) before trying another sample, and my target is KK+42 (i.e. four weeks) before the beer is fair-game.
The process I have followed has been assembled from all the excellent information available on this and other home-brew forums and other publications. A big thank you to everyone who has taken time over the years to bring all this together in one location.
"Chin-chin!"
BREW DAY (BD)
(1) Cleaned all fermenting kit including tin opener and the LME cans using soda crystals (1 tablespoon/litre) then sterilised everything with a weak bleach solution (75ml bleach for 25l water). Triple rinse with clean water after each stage.
(2) Rehydrated yeast using 100mm of boiled water cooled to 33oC (jug and thermometer having been sterilised) and covered jug with cling-film.
(3) LME tins placed in boiling water to soften contents before emptying into FV. Tins rinsed with boiling water (hot-hot-hot) to get all LME and then 5 gal of well aerated cold water added. Everything stirred for 5 minutes.
(4) Yeast pitched at 20oC and everything stirred again.
(5) Unable to check OG because cack-handed me broke my hydrometer.
(5) FV moved to cellar (ambient temp 17oC) and the heater added. The heater was previously tested to maintain a 20oC temp in an equal volume of water.
BD+1
In the morning a little yeast activity was noted but not enough. I therefore wrapped the FV in blankets and sleeping bag before leaving for work. In the evening it was obvious fermentation was well underway.
BD+5
First fermentation appeared to have stopped.
BD+15 TRANSFER TO KING-KEG (KK = 0)
(1) Cleaned all kegging kit, including tap, using soda crystals then sterilised everything with a weak bleach solution. Triple rinse with clean water after each stage.
(2) Prepared priming solution: 146g of spray malt boiled up with 500ml of water. Allowed to cool before adding to bottom of KK.
(3) Sample taken from FV: FG showing 1012
(4) Syphon set with boiling water before careful transfer from FV to KK.
(5) KK closed having coated seals with Vaseline.
(6) KK moved to cellar (ambient temp 18oC) and wrapped in sleeping bag.
KK+14
Sleeping bag removed and beer poured...
Excellent carbonation and full head; good pressure in keg. Good colour, albeit cloudy, and nice aroma. Second and third sample glasses very drinkable.
(When I figure out how to post pictures I'll put some up.)
KK+15
Further sample taken (for benefit of brother-in-law) and beer clarity has improved since cool coniditioning started (i.e. no insulation and cellar temp at 17oC).
I now intend to leave it alone till KK+25 (i.e. two weeks of cool conditioning) before trying another sample, and my target is KK+42 (i.e. four weeks) before the beer is fair-game.
The process I have followed has been assembled from all the excellent information available on this and other home-brew forums and other publications. A big thank you to everyone who has taken time over the years to bring all this together in one location.
"Chin-chin!"
Hope it lasts 'till KK + 25, keep the brother-in-law away.(+stop using him as an excuse) :grin:
