Getting started

[riverjunky]

First of all hello everybody. I have decided after seeing how many empty beer bottles that go out with my recycling every fortnight and the massive dent in my wallet to have a go at brewing my own beer.

I decided to buy a starter kit and intend to bottle it afterwards as I think that might be a bit easier than carrying a big keg around for just a pint or 2 and when Im sat around the camp fire a bottle will be so much easier. I have read and read since buying my starter kit and have got fairly confused. On the side of the box it sounds dead simple but then open up my Fermenter I found another how to which said a few other things as well then I came on here and read even more things so I have quite a few questions to get me started then probably quite a few more.

So I have bought a woodfordes wherry and the bottling stater kit from the home brew shop. Tried to add a link but it wouldnt go on.


Now on the side of the box it says sterilise every thing. stand the cans in hot water for 5 minutes pour into the fermenter. then add 3.5 litres of boiling water and top up with cold water to 23 litres (Ok I can understand all this sounds ok)

Then I add the yeast. Do I just pour it in from the little sachet into the fermenter or do I have to mix with water first as it says in the instructions from the fermenter?

Keeping it at a temperature of around 18-20 for 4-6 days but I understand 7-10 better?. Now this is where im really losing it. I understand from reading many different places that the best method is put it in another tub with an aquarium heater. Now the fermenter I have has a tap on for easy bottling so I guess that this method is not possible with this kit as the tap wouldnt be sterilised for bottling. So should I get a another fermenter? I would rather spend a little bit extra to get the right outcome.

Now the next bit im losing it on is bottling. The box says straight from the fermenter with a bit of sugar in each bottle then store at in a warm place for for 2 days then somewhere cool for 14 days then enjoy. But in my fermenter it says go from 1 fermenter into a second fermenter stand for 2-4 weeks at room temperature then bottle it with a bit of sugar in. So which is best? and where do I add the sugar? do I stir it in etc?

So in short the questions are
1 How do I add yeast? Chuck it straight in or mix with water?
2 Should I get another fermenter so I can stand it in heated water?
3 Should it be fermented for 7-10 days instead of 4-6?
4 Which is the best way for bottling? Straight into bottles or into a second fermenter?
5 Where do I add the sugar? Bottles or into fermenter and what do I do just put it in and bottle or do I put it in and stir?
6 How long after bottling can I drink it?

Sorry for the long post and probably really stupid questions but I would rather get it right.

 

[calumscott]

Hi and welcome!

I've moved your post to here...

Check out my "OMG" How to - you should find everything you need in there. :thumb:

 

[dennisking]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

 

[jimp2003]

Welcome on board riverjunky!

1 How do I add yeast? Chuck it straight in or mix with water? - You will find opinion is split on this as some sprinkle it dry and others rehydrate. If you sprinkle then make sure you don't just add it in one clunp - spread it over the surface. If you rehydrate then use cooled boiled water and make sure you sanitise everything beforehand.

2 Should I get another fermenter so I can stand it in heated water? - I would advise this. Having a tap in your fermenter makes it easy to draw off samples for testing the gravity during fermentation but it also makes it easier to pick up an infection in the beer if you do not clean the tap properly. Get a new FV without a tap and the one with a tap will come in handy in question 4 below.

3 Should it be fermented for 7-10 days instead of 4-6? - Ferment for as long as it takes to reach the target gravity (or close to it) and for that gravity to be constant over 3 days. This is where your hydrometer is essential. I would give it a week then take a reading (remember to sanitise whatever you use to retrieve the sample from the FV). Then take another reading two days later. If it is the same then its done. If the second reading is lower then there is still fermentation going on so leave it another couple of days. Keep doing this until you get two readings the same.

4 Which is the best way for bottling? Straight into bottles or into a second fermenter? - I get a better result by transfering the beer to a "bottling bucket" (your FV with the tap on it!). I then fit a little bottler to the tap which makes bottling easy - See HERE.

5 Where do I add the sugar? Bottles or into fermenter and what do I do just put it in and bottle or do I put it in and stir? - Adding the sugar to bottles can be messy and difficult to get a consistent quantity in each bottle. I take the total amount of sugar needed (for me it is about 80g for a 23l brew for an ale) boil it up gently in a a few hundred ml of water. Cover this and cool then add it to the beer that is now in the bottling bucket. Gently stir it in as you add it so that is is evenly distributed through the beer - DO NOT STIR VIGOROUSLY HERE!.

6 How long after bottling can I drink it? I would give the Wherry bewteen 4-6 weeks after bottling. You should keep the bottles somewhere warm for the first week to allow the carbonation to happen and then store somewhere cooler if possible. Other brews can take less or more time depending on gravity, yeast type etc


Hope this helps.

Jim