Newbie question before I start my first brew kit

[kenstel]

Hi all
I've got my first brew kit, one of the Festival 'clones' and a starter kit, bucket etc.

I've read a lot and understand the necessity of cleaning and sanitation etc and that's where I have a question.

The kit says to mix the liquid extract in a sterile bucket and mix with a couple litres of boiling water, mix etc. It then says to dilute with a quantity of cold water. It makes no mention of using cold boiled water or the source of water. So, I'm puzzled about why the water doesn't need to be boiled first. Is tap water (or any other source) sterile enough to be used in this kind of kit?

Also, if I wanted to use Campden tablets to remove chlorine in this brew, how would I add them? The only way I can see, would be to assume the boiled water would be chlorine free, and to pour the cold water into suitable containers, add the tablet, wait a while then mix that in to the beer kit. Finding containers to treat the cold water would be a pain, and I suppose they'd need sterilising too?

These are very simple questions admittedly, but it's the underlying knowledge and understanding that is important.

 

[Rwilts]

Tap water is fine for kits as described above. If you want to treat your water you need to do this before use, so you could fill the FV with water add the campden and leave for hour . Then follow the kit instructions, but you will need two FV then. Or another suitable container.

And yes clean and sanitise is important, but adding tap water to the diluted kit in the bucket has been done by thousands of us with no Ill effects.

 

[kenstel]

Thanks for the reply and advice. I'm guessing tap water is pure enough not to be a problem then.

I'll pop out to my local brew shop tomorrow (11 miles away lol) and get another bucket so I can treat the water, it'll come in handy for washing and sterilisation anyway.

 

[Old Fart At Play]

+1 what rwilts said. And you will find a second bucket useful!

 

[MashBag]

Beer doesn't have ANY SPECIAL hygiene requirements. Don't worry about there are a lot of bleach queens on the Internet.

Think: Can I eat off it? Would I drink it? And you have your answer.

 

[Deadhead]

I can tell you're going to be a good home brewer already!

 

[Beermonster66]

2nd FV will come in handy for batch priming prior to bottling. I know it's extra time for exposure to air but it saves the phaff of having to dose each bottle.

 

[MashBag]

Zevro sugar dispenser?

 

[kenstel]

+1 what rwilts said. And you will find a second bucket useful!

Yep, can use it for washing/sterilisation. Also to let water stand to off-gas chlorine.

Beer doesn't have ANY SPECIAL hygiene requirements. Don't worry about there are a lot of bleach queens on the Internet.

Think: Can I eat off it? Would I drink it? And you have your answer.

Well, that seems simple enough, I'm not a cleanaholic, it's too much hard work I leave that to someone else who complains about the number of pans, plates, spoons and everything else I use when I cook. I've tried telling her that scrambled eggs are really much more sophisticated and complex than they look. Mind you, I don't want the brew equipment smelling, or looking like a particularly nasty piece of roadkill has been left in it for a week or two, so I might have to up my game a bit there. Or maybe explain to my beloved wife how clean she'll have to keep the kit. Oh, and that boil overs are inevitable and no big deal.

2nd FV will come in handy for batch priming prior to bottling.

and that as well.

... saves the phaff of having to dose each bottle.

Must admit, not specially looking forward to that...

Zevro sugar dispenser?

Yeah, seen you post about them elsewhere. Bit expensive for what they are though. This bit, I'll suck and see, the kit has a bag of priming sugar, and I've got measuring spoons, it's not that much trouble to scoop and tip. I'll probably change my mind after the first batch...

I can tell you're going to be a good home brewer already!

I'm flattered. I've only read the instructions so far! I hope you're clairvoyant!

Anyway, I have the 2nd bucket. I want to do a test with the temperature. The room I plan to ferment in is colder than I would like. Its only just above 17C at night, and less than 20C in the day - I've been monitoring the max/min temperature. If I leave my PC on, and work it hard with disk defragging, virus checking, and making backups, or downloading continuously, I can get the temperature up to 23C. Doing that isn't kind to the PC though and isn't very kind to the environment either. My wife won't be kind to me either if she catches me doing that.

I've got a brewbelt, so going to see what effect that has, and next week after Her Majesty's birthday, I'll get a Inkbird or similar if necessary. I saw the post elsewhere about the Xetron inkbird, pity it's out of stock...

Thanks for all your responses.

 

[MashBag]

Yeah, seen you post about them elsewhere. Bit expensive for what they are though. This bit, I'll suck and see, the kit has a bag of priming sugar, and I've got measuring spoons, it's not that much trouble to scoop and tip. I'll probably change my mind after the first batch...

Zevro's are a tenner and will last forever. Your not buying what they are, but what they can do.
"Click click" That is how long one bottle takes to dose. "Click click" that will play on your mind now when you are dosing that first batch.

Have fun with your first brew. Beer is meant to make you grin making & drinking

 

[Old Fart At Play]

Zevro's are a tenner and will last forever. Your not buying what they are, but what they can do.
"Click click" That is how long one bottle takes to dose. "Click click" that will play on your mind now when you are dosing that first batch.

Have fun with your first brew. Beer is meant to make you grin making & drinking

I'll match your 'click click' with a 'scoosh' - the sound my syringe makes squirting sugar solution into bottle <g>

 

[RichardM]

Zevro's are a tenner and will last forever. Your not buying what they are, but what they can do.
"Click click" That is how long one bottle takes to dose. "Click click" that will play on your mind now when you are dosing that first batch.

Have fun with your first brew. Beer is meant to make you grin making & drinking

Can you post a link to somewhere selling them for £10?
All I can find is nearer £16 on Amazon

 

[klaus]

Never treated my water in about 30 years ...

 

[emmever]

Yep, can use it for washing/sterilisation. Also to let water stand to off-gas chlorine.


Well, that seems simple enough, I'm not a cleanaholic, it's too much hard work I leave that to someone else who complains about the number of pans, plates, spoons and everything else I use when I cook. I've tried telling her that scrambled eggs are really much more sophisticated and complex than they look. Mind you, I don't want the brew equipment smelling, or looking like a particularly nasty piece of roadkill has been left in it for a week or two, so I might have to up my game a bit there. Or maybe explain to my beloved wife how clean she'll have to keep the kit. Oh, and that boil overs are inevitable and no big deal.


and that as well.


Must admit, not specially looking forward to that...


Yeah, seen you post about them elsewhere. Bit expensive for what they are though. This bit, I'll suck and see, the kit has a bag of priming sugar, and I've got measuring spoons, it's not that much trouble to scoop and tip. I'll probably change my mind after the first batch...


I'm flattered. I've only read the instructions so far! I hope you're clairvoyant!

Anyway, I have the 2nd bucket. I want to do a test with the temperature. The room I plan to ferment in is colder than I would like. Its only just above 17C at night, and less than 20C in the day - I've been monitoring the max/min temperature. If I leave my PC on, and work it hard with disk defragging, virus checking, and making backups, or downloading continuously, I can get the temperature up to 23C. Doing that isn't kind to the PC though and isn't very kind to the environment either. My wife won't be kind to me either if she catches me doing that.

I've got a brewbelt, so going to see what effect that has, and next week after Her Majesty's birthday, I'll get a Inkbird or similar if necessary. I saw the post elsewhere about the Xetron inkbird, pity it's out of stock...

Thanks for all your responses.

I am not an experienced home brewer (I just did 3 brews so far), but I can share what I learned about fermentation temperature.

2nd brew I did fermented at about 24C and result was very bad: beer has an heavy alchool off-flavour.
Read carefully kit instruction about optimal temperature (that depends on yeast given with kit), but with most of the kit yeast I believe 17C - 19C would be better than 23C

 

[MashBag]

Can you post a link to somewhere selling them for £10?
All I can find is nearer £16 on Amazon

Bugger a mate bought one for a tenner a could of months ago.. Will ask.

 

[kenstel]

2nd brew I did fermented at about 24C and result was very bad: beer has an heavy alchool off-flavour.
Read carefully kit instruction about optimal temperature (that depends on yeast given with kit), but with most of the kit yeast I believe 17C - 19C would be better than 23C

I wasn't intending to ferment at that temperature, just saying that the room is a bit cool and goes down to 17C which is a bit cool, but the instructions do give a range of 20-25C. However, I don't want to thrash my PC in such an environmentally unkind way, nor do I want to have the heating on. Hence, my need to experiment with the brewbelt to see how effective it is.

Can you post a link to somewhere selling them for £10?
All I can find is nearer £16 on Amazon

That's a good idea because at the right price it fits look useful.

If you find out, perhaps start a new thread so you can really sell its virtues.

 

[obscure]

I wasn't intending to ferment at that temperature, just saying that the room is a bit cool and goes down to 17C which is a bit cool, but the instructions do give a range of 20-25C. However, I don't want to thrash my PC in such an environmentally unkind way, nor do I want to have the heating on. Hence, my need to experiment with the brewbelt to see how effective it is.


That's a good idea because at the right price it fits look useful.

If you find out, perhaps start a new thread so you can really sell its virtues.

With regards to temperature my current batch of Mild is going quite happily at 14°C there are limits of course to how low you can go and it will likely take a bit longer but it’s quite possible to ferment beers at 17°C. Also as fermentation is exothermic it will typically be a couple of degrees above atmospheric in the fermentor.

 

[MashBag]

I'll match your 'click click' with a 'scoosh' - the sound my syringe makes squirting sugar solution into bottle <g>

Nah. The second click is the reload

 

[MashBag]

If you find out, perhaps start a new thread so you can really sell its virtues.

You will get me into trouble.... I am always banging on about it.

 

[MashBag]

Never treated my water in about 30 years ...

I nearly reached that target, but then it changed and I had to. Its nice when your style of beer matches your water, but sadly not everyone is that lucky.

Tbh. It doesn't have to be hard.