have I messed it up?

[Rob Morgan]

I've just started my second ever brew, which is tom caxton's lager.
However, when I was showing my son how its done, I stupidly didn't add the sugar before adding the cold water!!!!
So have I ballsed it up? Should I leave it for a bit longer in the VF?
I was going to bottle it next sat/sun. Should I wait a bit longer? I've brewed20ltrs and not 23ltrs, to attempt to get a better drink.

 

[31bb3]

just make up a litre of boiling water and add the sugar to disolve it then add it to the brew

 

[Rob Morgan]

Why didn't I think of that!!!!!!
I've added the sugar already. Any other suggestions?

 

[31bb3]

did you disolve it first ?

 

[Rob Morgan]

No, but it was brewing sugar.
I've put my heating strap on (for 24hrs?), in attempt to warm it up a bit, so it might help it disolve. Its about 28'C

 

[Rob Morgan]

has anyone done this stupid mistake then? have i cocked it up???
can i do something?

 

[Windy]

I think it was probably fine until you heated it, 28C is surely far too hot for a lager - what did the instructions say?

(unless you have yet to add the yeast? in which case let it cool again before you do.)

 

[RobWalker]

you can do something - stop panicking :P everything is fine, and even if it's not, you usually end up with good beer anyway.

 

[Rob Morgan]

When I say 28'C, that's just a reading off the stick on thermometer on the VF. I only left it on for 24hrs, in an attempt to warm it up a bit to help the sugar desolve. My last batch had a heater strap on it before I even bought a thermometer. So it must have been around 28'C then, and that came out ok. But that was with normal caine sugar, which was added to boiling water.

I'll stop flapping now, and just see what its like next weekend.

 

[Rob Morgan]

right, its been 6 days, so i've tested the SG
its comes out at around 1.002
Based on an OG of 1.040 = 4.8%
It doesnt taste as nice as my youngUbrew lager. Can anyone who's done this kit before, confirm if it gets better??
I'll check the SG tomorrow, but i dont think it can get much better, can it? Should i eave it until Sunday?

 

[alanywiseman.]

Are you sure it is not 1.012? 1.002 seems too low :hmm:

 

[Rob Morgan]

Are you sure it is not 1.012? 1.002 seems too low :hmm:

i'm not 100% sure it was 1.002, but it wasn't 1.012
on my hydrometer, it was in the yellow, so between 1.002-1.006
i did a 36 pint brew if that makes a difference?

are there any downsides to it being 1.002? does that mean i did mess it up?
it did taste rather bitter, but i did put all of the yeast enhancer in

 

[BigYin]

The yeast enhancer can result in a lower SG at the end of the brew than you might normally expect.

Don't worry too much about the bitterness just now, the beer is still very young, and bitterness will mellow with conditioning. So, syphon it into bottles/keg, and tuck it away for a month or two and you should be pleasantly surprised by the improvement :thumb:

 

[Rob Morgan]

well i got curious tonight! so i cracked a bottle open to try, and its safe to say, its drinkable :drink:
i prefer the one that came in the youngsubrew kit, but its not too bad. i'm now going to leave it a couple of weeks to get better (hopefully)

the chap in the homebrew shop insists i do a coopers lager kit next, as that's a popular one. The coopers will be going into the keg though, as that'll be getting consumed at home over xmas (sorry for swearing, lol) where as the bottles I've just done, will be for taking out for parties : if thy last that long! although my cider will be ready in 2-3 weeks, so i'll be spoilt for choice!!!!

 

[joe1002]

Better to have too much choice than not enough :thumb:

 

[Rob Morgan]

Better to have too much choice than not enough :thumb:

I couldn't agree more! However, when I said to the mrs, I might need another shed for my kit and bottles, she didn't look too appy!!!! Lol