First time brewing.

[stille]

HI All, I have just started my first batch of coopers mexican cerveza lager using a balliihoo kit. I need some help and advice as there seems to be so much opinions. I would just like some basic advice to keep me going with this first batch.

Firstly the ballihoo airlock i have is not a water airlock type, looks like a little top hat thing. Do i just insert this at top and then place the small cap on it.

Secondly i am currently fermenting at a constant temp of 21/22 deg C. Is this ok.

Thirdly and most importantly, once i am happy with fermentation, can i transfer directly into my balliihoo keg and if i do what do i then need to add for carbonation, can i use ordinary sugar, if so how much.

How long can i leave it in the keg before bottling and at what temp should i store it at in the keg.

Lots of questions , but really keen on getting into this homebrew game and hopefully in the future i can help more newcomers.

 

[calumscott]

Hi stille,

Firstly welcome!

Your airlock is a water type one. The bit with the stem has an outer reservior which you need to add a tiny bit of water to such that when you put the cap part on it comes maybe a third of the way up. The gas from fermentation comes up the stem, forces the water down to the bottom edge of the cap bit then out...

21C sounds fine for a kit brew. Proper lager brewing likes to be colder but the yeast that comes with kits is generally ale yeast and 16-22C seems to be the sensible range.

I bottle so I'm no expert on kegs but I understand the principle is just about the same. Ferment out in the FV. Chuck a pile of sugar (85g for ales I think probably one and half to two times as much for lagers), syphon beer in making sure you dont splash it and get oxygen in. Then leave it to carb up and condition. A week or so at fermentation temperature then a couple of weeks somewhere cold. The longer you can resist drinking it the better it will be!

If you are bottling I would just prime the bottles 3/4 tsp sugar per 500ml bottle should give a good fizzy lager and bottle straight from the FV. Same conditioning process applies, keep it at fermentation temp for a week or so then leave it somewhere cold for as long as you can.

Then enjoy!!! :drink:

 

[dennisking]

Hi and welcome.

 

[carl_saint]

Hi and welcome!

 

[stille]

Hey Thanks for the help. great. I will let you know how it turns out. I had no water in trap for first day and a half, hope thats not damaged things to much.

Also is it ok to take lid off and check gravity of my lager, been on the go for 4 days now.

:

 

[calumscott]

I would leave it at least a whole week/week and a half before bothering to take a reading.

I would also invest in a trial jar too - that way you can just sterilse a ladle (what I do) or a turkey baster (what some others do) to take a sample if you don't have a tap on your bucket. If you do its even easier - just fill the jar from the tap, take your SG reading :drink: the sample!

You'll likely be absolutely fine in terms of things getting in - the general flow will have been out so highly unlikely for anything nasty to get in.

Taking the lid off is one of the things that poses a real risk so only do it when you really have to.