My introduction and need help already please

[thollys]

Hi All,

This is my introduction and I'm not really sure what to say but here goes....
I'm completely new to brewing but VERY VERY excited. I would say I have a passion for all beer but especially real ale! It can be in a pub or from a bottle from the supermarket; bitter, IPA, mild, stout or porter...in my humble opinion its all good.
My wife bought me a starter kit from Wilk..ns for my b'day (fermentation bucket, barrel etc), very basic but good to get going I hope. I started my first batch (if that's the right word) of Wherry from their two can kit on Sunday so now into day 3. It's in the utility room which is a constant temperature in the day but drops a bit at night so I wrap it in a blanket then (after kissing it goodnight). I stupidly didn't take the gravity reading when I started so I guess I won't know the strength.
I plan for this to be my first of many brews and look forward to my new hobby for years to come!
ONE QUESTION IF ANYONE CAN HELP.....do I need to add any type of sugar to the barrel before the beer goes in? If I don't need to can I still do it and will it help???? Thanks in advance for any comments
Cheers to all

 

[Stone Cold]

Welcome, do you have a hydrometer?

 

[nook6]

Hi

Welcome to the forum

Dave

 

[LeithR]

ONE QUESTION IF ANYONE CAN HELP.....do I need to add any type of sugar to the barrel before the beer goes in? If I don't need to can I still do it and will it help???? Thanks in advance for any comments

Hi and welcome.
Sugar will dilute the flavour of the brew but increase the alcohol, so it will be higher in ABV but it will not taste as good. Wherry is an excellent kit in its own right and doesn't need any tampering with.

Its the one can kits that you can experiment by adding maybe a hop tea (boil some hops in a saucepan for 10 - 15 mins then strain off and add the Tea to the brew) or some Dry Malt extract to give it more body and lift the ABV (if thats what you want).

I do this occasionally and have had some interesting and excellent results.

 

[adomant]

Don't panic, if you've followed the kit instructions then assume the reading is what it says on the tin or that the final strength will be as advertised. If you get a hydrometer you can check for the final reading before putting in the barrel to make sure it is ready otherwise check around 8 days that there are no bubbles or foam on the surface. It's usual to add say 50g of white sugar dissolved in a small amount of boiling water to the barrel in order to prime (carbonate) the beer when you add it from the fermenter leaving the sediment behind. 5 days in the warm and 2 weeks somewhere cool and you should be drinking it. As long as the bucket can stay around 20c throughout it should ferment ok, maybe bring indoors if it gets too cold in the utility from at night. Good luck

 

[joe1002]

Welcome to the forum :

 

[dennisking]

Hi and welcome.

 

[Ceejay]

Hi and welcome. Sounds like you've started well. adomant's advice is spot on - you'll need to add some sugar to prime the beer in the barrel. 50g should give you lowish carbonation, appropriate for a cask bitter :thumb:

 

[Papa G]

Hi, welcome to the forum :

 

[thollys]

Hi to all and thanks for all the welcomes and advice. I really like Don't Panic!
I have got a hydrometer now so I can test before putting it in the barrel. It seems like 50g of sugar is the suggested amount although I do appreciate that some people don't think it needs any. Hopefuly get it into the barrel next week and have the brew ready for Christmas!
I'm going to get another barrel at the weekend so I can start my second brew as soon as possible.
This is soooo exciting! I don't think my wife new what she was getting into when she bought me the kit.
Thanks again to everyone and any other basic advice for a novice like me us always welcome.

Cheers

 

[ushills]

First tip I learnt was leave it in the FV for at least two weeks, then two weeks in the warm with priming sugar to carbonate then two weeks in the cold.

At least six weeks before drinking as a minimum.