Got a kit - well a tin - for Christmas!

[wellyfish]

Hello peeps!

My other half bought me a home brewing 'kit' which consists of a tin of something very, very sticky and a little silver sachet of something.

If you haven't already guessed, my experience of brewing is zero. The gift has prompted me to consider it and, having thought about it, I really want to give it a proper go.
I'm a lager person rather than beer - although I fancy a crack at mead and perry later (much later).

So, my question is ... where to start?

so many technical terms,so much about temperature - how do you control it?
book recommendations?
an FAQ somewhere?
idiot's guide perhaps?

Thanks,
Mark.

 

[Tony]

hi Mark
try here first brewingfaq.php#f12 and then come back with any specific questions you may have. for prices and suppliers you can't go wrong with the forum sponsors.

nice to meet you and good luck!
:

 

[Mark1964]

Well you should follow the instructions on the tin . the tin contains malt exctract and the sachet is dried yeast your going to need a fermenting bucket 25l thermometer, hydrometer , and some pvc tubing to syphon out your finished beer in to bottles or barrel

Mark

 

[the shadow]

just do wot it says on the tin :thumb: and enjoy

 

[taity]

as the guys say follow the instructions . i am enjoying a youngs cider kit just now . do a search loads of info on this site tis a wee goldmine

 

[graysalchemy]

Welcome to the forum Mark.

I think evryone has posted what you need. All I would add is a little patience, beer tastes better when it is left alone bottled or kegged in a darkened room for sometime. But since it is your first brew get it supped. :rofl: :rofl:

:

AG

 

[wellyfish]

Thanks for the warm welcome and the advice!

Not sure if this is the right place to post follow-up questions, but here goes ... part of the instructions says

'place in a warm area at between 18 - 21 degrees C' - how can I regulate the temperature to be that precise? is there technology for that?

Thanks,

and sorry if this is in the wrong place

 

[graysalchemy]

I would just keep it it at room temperature for the moment. You could cover with a blanket or sleeping bag if you think it is getting to cold at night. You could make an insulated cupboard heated with a tube heater and a temp controller or you could use a fish tank heater or a brew belt heater. The cupboard with a good temp controller like an ATC 800+ will give you best control, but as I said a warm room but not above 25 deg C will probably do.

Cheers

AG

 

[Vossy1]

Hi Mark and welcome to the forum :thumb:
The guys have already said the important stuff above. When first getting into home brewing as a hobby the last thing you want to do is get bogged down with detail, it'll put you off before you start :lol:
Simply enjoy the first few kits and start worrying about technicalities later :thumb:

Regards temps, if the fermenting wort gets cold, fermentation will slow as the yeast stop munching on sugar, but it can usually be brought back to full speed by raising the temp. If the wort gets too hot you may get fruity notes or even higher alcohol tastes, which can be desirable in certain beers. Your best bet is to keep it below 25 deg c as AG has already said

Keep the questions coming, probably best to post them in general brewing discussions, or general brewing equipment sections, where they won't be missed :thumb:

 

[wellyfish]

Ok, I'll ask away in the relevant threads ...

thanks for the practical advice, looking forward to getting started!

 

[Adiecain]

howdy