My first brew : Milestone Lions Pride

[Ukulele Kris]

On Tuesday evening I started my first home brew kit, a Milestone Lions Pride.

I've taken some photos of the process along the way...

Malt extract with the first lot of hot water

Stirring it up

Pitched the yeast

---

Now it's Saturday, and I've just drawn a sample to check the progress (please see my thread* asking how to read a hydrometer, as I'm not sure if I am reading it correctly), and because I didn't want to risk contamination by pouring it back in, I poured it into a glass from the trial jar and had a sneaky taste.

What it looks like at the moment. As for taste, it still tastes a bit Horlicks'y, but it's certainly not unpleasant!!



* Thread asking for help on reading hyrdrometer, here : viewtopic.php?f=36&p=290742#p290742

 

[Archtronics]

Looks on the right track, another week and it will be better and much clearer

 

[calumscott]

Good choice of first kit - you should get some decent beer from that...

...just leave it alone until next weekend and you'll probably be good to bottle.

 

[Ukulele Kris]

Is it safe to have a peek for a couple of seconds? I want to look.

(Yeah, I'm impatient)

 

[calumscott]

Best not to.

Every time you take a peek you create the risk of airbourne nasties getting in and also disturb the cusion of CO2 that lies on the top of your beer protecting it from airbourne nasties and to a lesser degree you allow oxygen into that space which can allow things other than yeast to grow and also ethanol + oxygen usually ends up somewhere around vinegar - a flavour best avoided in beer...

The best way to brew is mix it up, seal it up and leave it alone until you're pretty sure it's done. I give all mine 14 days before I go near them (unless I'm adding dry hops in which case its 7 days, chuck in hops then seal up for another 14).

 

[GuitarJImB]

+1 for leave it alone for a few days!

When I started out I was checking every hour (well it felt like I was) :grin: I posted pics and everyone told me it was fine and to stop peeking and STOP FRETTING!! :shock: You can find their advice on this thread

Surprise surprise my beers have all turned out well following their advice! :thumb:

Now, leave it alone to do it's thing! It'll be raight :thumb:

 

[Ukulele Kris]

I've behaved myself, and I've not looked at it since the day I posted the picture of the sample I drew just to check the gravity.

*I'm a good boy*

 

[GuitarJImB]

Now don't do it again!! [In a Monty Python Life of Brian Centurion style voice] :grin:

 

[Ukulele Kris]

So, today is a week since I started it. When it gets up to 10 days, I'll be in Hebden Bridge, so won't be able to check it's gravity, to see if it's done.

So, if when I return on Sunday (day 12/13 depending on how you want to look at it), and then start checking the (specific, yeah?) gravity then, and then on Monday, and possible Tuesday. I'll be ok.

I don't need to worry about leaving it too long, do I?

Then, I guess I should be able to put it into the king keg on Tuesday/Wednesday?

 

[GuitarJImB]

When you get back on Sunday it should definitely be finished but check the gravity to compare with the expected final gravity (if you know it). Mine have always finished in that time and I've left a couple of brews for more than ten days - they've always been fine! :thumb:

Just another thought... You might want to transfer to a second FV (if you have one) on Sunday for a couple of days. (If/when you do, try not to get any air into the brew via spashing or sloshing!) Transferring to a second FV will encourage more yeast to settle out. After that, then I'd transfer to the keg :thumb:

 

[Ukulele Kris]

Thanks for the advice. At the moment, I only have the one FV... though, looking to get a second one... and a second keg, before the year is out.

Oh god. It's like ukuleles again (Ukulele Acquisition Syndrome)... but with homebrew gear

 

[GuitarJImB]

Ah... U.A.S. - I've heard about that! I can be quite serious so I'm told :lol: I suffered from G.A.S. for a while (only have two now - a Martin 00015 acoustic and my old faithful '91 USA Telecaster) but B.E.A.S. has taken hold so beware!! :lol: :lol:

 

[Ukulele Kris]

I only have 5 ukuleles at the moment, so I'm only a mild sufferer. I know people with 10+, 20+ ukes.

One day, I aim to join their elite ranks of the UAS afflicted.

 

[fbsf]

The Bass guitar community know it as GAS (Gear aquisition syndrome)...covers most things!!

My name is FBSF and I have too many basses... :lol:

 

[GuitarJImB]

:rofl: FBSF... You've just made the first step to recovery! As we all know, you can't recover until you're honest with yourself about having a problem! :clap:

 

[Ukulele Kris]

Just drawn off a sample to check the gravity is settled.

1.018, after 14 days. It should be 1.009.



Given it a gentle stir to attempt to re-suspend the yeast (as per the instructions, and Rob Walker's advice), and tomorrow will visit the homebrew shop to get a pack of yeast as plan B to kick start it.

Please cross your fingers for my beer, and sacrifice a goat/virgin/first born son/pizza to the beer gods for me.

What it looks like :

 

[Ukulele Kris]

Gah, so re-suspending the yeast seems to have done bugger all... I've had a look and there's no froth on the top or anything.

What can I do now? Or have I lost it?

 

[LeedsBrewer]

Firstly - relax, dont worry, have a homebrew (as this is your first batch you probably can't do that so any store bought beverage will do)

I would suggest leaving it for a couple of days and trust the little yeasties to do their thing. Take an S.G reading on thursday and see if it has dropped. Just because there is no froth on top doesn't mean the fermentation isn't proceeding.

The same thing happened on my first batch (last week) and I stirred it and left it for a week. By the end of the week (despite having seen no visible signs of activity) the S.G had dropped another 10 points.

 

[alanywiseman.]

I second Leedsbrewer. You only really get the foam in the first few days of fermentation because that is when it is most vigerous. Leave it till ththursday and have a check of the SG, if it is dropping then leave till the weekend. What temp is it sitting at? try and keep it at about 20-21C and that will help it to finish fermenting.

 

[mmaguy41]

It may still be doing something just slowly, try and move it somewhere warm for a day or two and just let it do its thing.