How to make a premium beer kit, from start to finish.

[corby_brewer]

I always use normal sugar at the ratio of 1/2 teaspoon per pint bottle during secondary fermentation. But i cant see no reason why you cant use DME.

 

[Proinsias]

Thanks for the guide. I hope it's as easy as it looks.

I'm planning on my first beer kit soon. I'm new to this, I've done one Young's 30 bottle wine kit and I've got two Wurzel's on the go. I want beer.

I'm hoping I can do a beer kit with what I've got. What I don't have is a fermenter with a tap on the bottom - I was hoping I could get away with siphoning it like I did with the wine? What I do have is a 5 gallon fermenter, no removable top, just a small screw top and a 5 1/4 gallon pressure barrel. I've also got a beer brewing bucket which I got along with the other stuff, go freecycle, problem being that the bucket is a good bit smaller than fermenter and pressure barrel. Maybe 4 gallons at most filled to the very top, so I'm not sure it will be much use making a 40 pint kit. It's also just got a plastic lid, no airlock hole.

Am I right in thinking this method doesn't require bottling? I can just pour a pint straight from the keg?

 

[tubby_shaw]

Hi Proinsias, glad you like the guide
To answer a couple of you questions, yes you can syphon a fermenter with a tap at the bottom isn't essential I just find it easier.
You can ferment in your screw top wine fermenter under an airlock without any problems, finally, yes if you have a pressure keg, once fermentation is complete syphon into the keg with some priming sugar (50g ish) leave in a warmish place for a week then allow to settle and clear and you can drink straight from the keg :party:

 

[Proinsias]

Yay!

 

[Proinsias]

Any recommendations for a first kit? I was thinking fairly simple, fizzy dishwater, type lager to start with. If I could brew something like a continental lager, bud or even Tennents, first time round I'd be happy. I'm eager to get into more wholesome brews but reckon I should start with what I'm most familiar with and fairly ***** proof.

I've heard, well watched youtube vids, that say Coopers is pretty good and I've also heard it's worth the extra few quid for a kit that comes with it's own sugar fuel - sprayed malt something.

Suggestions?

I've still not managed to get to my LHBS, other side of the city, which will probably have the answer. Whilst I try to arrange for a happy, driving, wife and a paycheck to coincide I thought I'd ask you guys.

 

[hicups]

very imformative hope mine turnsout OK cos i just used water straight from the tap.

 

[BigYan]

I have bought a S30 cap for my keg but was given small bulbs to use with it. My LHBS said that there is no way of controlling the co2 out put from the bulb. I have just put my first brew into its keg, Should i empty a bulb into it or just leave well alone for a few weeks & check after my first pint from it??

 

[Moley]

It has been a very long time (more than 30 years) since I have used a plastic keg with a bulb injector, but as I understand and if I recall correctly, you prime the keg with some sugar and allow natural carbonation to build up over a few weeks, then may have to inject some gas to get the later pints out of the barrel, and certainly so if it's a top tap keg. For now, leave it alone.

 

[BigYan]

Thanks. I will leave it for a few then.

 

[marshbrewer]

Thanks for this great how to, once I've got the hang of the normal kits, I might try one of these as my next step up. Just one thing, at the beginning you say to have 2 fermentation vessels with taps, then later you put it into a single pressure barrel. Is that because you used one of the fv's for de-chlorinating the water and one for fermenting, rather than these kits making 2 fv's worth at a time?

 

[tubby_shaw]

These kits still only make 40 pints on average but as they do not need any extra added sugar they come in two cans :thumb:

 

[NeilMac]

Hi, I've just joined this site (see 'Introduce Yourself') and intend to start brewing again soon.

I like the idea of premium beer kits, but I have a query: do the two cans contain identical ingredients?

This may seem a silly question, but the reason I ask is because I prefer making my brews in smaller batches, and using one can to make 16-20 pints at a time would be an ideal solution for me.

Of course, I realise I would need to buy an extra yeast sample for the other can when I come to use it, but I would be doing that in any case!

Cheers
Neil

 

[Moley]

Yes, the two cans should be identical and it is theoretically possible to brew two smaller batches. However, if you brew and bottle these will keep for a very long time and improve considerably by keeping for a few months, so why not brew the lot and stash half of it away?

 

[NeilMac]

Thanks for that Moley, but one of the reasons for smaller batches is storage space, or lack of. Also, I used to condition my beers in demijohns for a couple of days, and I only have (and want) two of these, which hold a total of about 17 pints between them.

And I've just thought of another reason: if I want to make some adjustments to the second brew, then the other can could form the basis for that!

Neil

 

[jampot]

Is it ok to use a used wine ferrmentor for beer and vice visa, i.e would there a tainting issue etc?

 

[tubby_shaw]

Is it ok to use a used wine ferrmentor for beer and vice visa, i.e would there a tainting issue etc?

No issues at all if they are thoroughly cleaned and sanitised :thumb:

 

[jampot]

Thanks, where can I get a decent thermometer also...

 

[jampot]

Thanks, where can I get a decent thermometer also...

No worries I have got one now, may ask when pitching the yeast, do you mix it in,or just sprinkle on top?

 

[abeyptfc]

Thanks, where can I get a decent thermometer also...

No worries I have got one now, may ask when pitching the yeast, do you mix it in,or just sprinkle on top?

u can do either mate, personally i prefer sprinkling on top then stirring in gently. aslong as you have aerated the wort well enough then its 6 and half a dozen

 

[jampot]

When transfering the beer to the barrel will there be a sediment in the fermentor bucket that you leave behind or are you tranfering the whole liquid across?