First time brewer in need of help...

[bossdrums]

I've just started brewing, in fact this is my very first batch. I've started simple, with a Milestone Brewing kit, it's Lions Pride.

My question is around the fermenting time, which in the instructions states should last between 4-6 days. I started it of midday, on the Saturday just gone however, it appears to have stopped fermenting, the white yeasty head is all but gone, and the bubbles seem to have almost stopped.

I took a reading today and it was at 1015, original starting reading was 1040....the kit suggests that it should drop to 1009 before bottling.

So should I leave it for another couple of days and see if the reading drops to 1009, even though there seems very little activity ??

I have to own up to a bit of a mistake, I made the brew up to 25 litres, don't know why just had it in my head that that's what it was supposed to be, when the instructions actually stated 22.5 litres, what effect will this have on the beer ??

Thanks in advance for any advice given.

 

[Wez]

Hi bd

Final Gravity (FG) predictions in kits are notoriously over optimistic, i'd be happy if it went down to 1.012 - leave it a few more days and see what happens - I gave kits 10 days normally.

As for making it up to 25L rather than 22.5L you'll just have 2.5L more of a slightly weaker beer 2.5L won't make that much difference to the hop balance of the kit :thumb:

Nice kit BTW - good choice

 

[bossdrums]

thanks for the reply, I'll leave it until the weekend and then bottle it up...not sure I'll be abel to wait the recommended 4 weeks before I try it though!!

 

[Wez]

:lol: a common problem :thumb:

What bottles are you planning on using?

 

[bossdrums]

I've been saving up my used brown bottles, from my new found love of beer...things like badgers first gold etc....any tips for bottling ??

 

[Wez]

Good - those are the bottles you want to use :thumb:

Sanitise the bottles and the caps - use 1/2 tsp sugar per bottle* - leave them in the house (20c ish) for a week (secondary fermentation), then transfer somewhere cool / cold for 3 weeks** and drink!

* You can batch prime which involves transferring to another fermentor and adding the required amount of sugar dissolved and then bottling - as this is your first batch - prime with 1/2tsp sugar.

** Bet you don't wait 3 weeks :grin:

 

[bossdrums]

I got some VWP cleaner/steriliser from my local home brew shop, can I sanitise with this and then rinse clean with cold water...a few people have told me that you don't need to sanitise bottles, just clean then and rinse before use, I assuem this is not correct ??

 

[Wez]

You need to sterilise them, a soak in VWP then a rise (rinse twice) is fine :thumb:

 

[bossdrums]

will do, thanks...

 

[bossdrums]

just figured out how to post pictures... here's my first brew in full flow...

 

[Wez]

Lookin good

 

[bossdrums]

cheers, took this on Sunday, the day after I made the batch, the white yeasty head is all but gone now...

 

[bossdrums]

struggling with the light but this is what it looks like right now, just taken the picture, sediment on the bottom and the head almost gone....

 

[bossdrums]

Well, I've finally managed to get my first brew bottled...let's hope I can wait for 3 weeks or more before I attack it !!

used 4 clear bottles, so I can see when it clears and the rest are tucked up in brown bottles...

 

[llannige]

Well done :thumb:

Now for the hardest part!

How long before you crack the first one open?

 

[bossdrums]

I reackon I can manage a couple of weeks before I break into my first bottle...fingers crossed !!

 

[Wez]

Those look cracking BD :thumb:

You can get away with filling them a tad more, say 3/4 inch from the top.

When I bottle a batch I always bottle 1 500ml plastic clear PET coke bottle so you can see when it's clear and feel how much pressure is built up by squeezing it.

Keep them out of the light & enoy them :thumb:

 

[commsbiff]

Hey BD - hope it all turns out nice for you. I'm at a similar stage as you - bottled my first brew [Geordie Yorkshire Bitter kit] 6 days ago, and 2nd kit [Young's Scottish Heavy] fermenting now. I didn't use a secondary FV either, but used the primary for the full 10 days as I didn't take any SG readings.

I used 1/2 teaspoon sugar in each pint bottle (ex Magners/Bulmers from my local) and stored them inside for the last 6 days. I've just labelled them up and they're ready to go into the garage now. I must admit that I don't like waiting. I chucked one in the fridge for a couple of hours, and had a little taste (well a pint to be honest :drink: ). It was much better than I was expecting :party: especially for a first attempt of a cheap kit. It was a little gassy for me - I'll use less priming sugar next time, and maybe a little too bitter :wha: , but that might be down to the fact that I didn't fill the FV right up (only to about 20L). It can only get better over the next 2-3 weeks

Anyway good luck : How's it taste?

 

[EskiBrew]

Tidy work there BD - what's your next kit going to be?

 

[bossdrums]

I'm actually going to do an extract brew next, see this thread, hopefully in the next week or so...don't want to run out of beer....even though my first batch has not been started yet...