'Tips' from a Newbie

[Rincewind]

Righto,
I've been brewing for just a couple of years now, (Wine , beer and even a bit of cider).

I am the opposite of an expert, and I clearly don't know very much, however, here are my tips for no reason other than I'm into my second bottle of Beaverdale Nebbiola, and feeling good (forgive my naivety)

1:When trying to seal your fermenting bin, don't use vaseline, as is recommended, wrap insulation tape around the joint instead. It's much more effective and easier to clean.

2: don't bother getting an expensive heater mat for your demijohns, get one of these for about £3: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/14W-Tempe...hash=item2a7aa4a212:m:mPFNK946n7jPvFMcHZc3nXA mine works fine, and is adjustable.

3: With the two piece /straight type of airlock the smaller part full of water, is about the right amount you need to fill the larger part.

4: The stick on type of thermometers are a bit crap, but if you get one of these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LCD-Refri...458464?hash=item36070bf660:g:ZwYAAOSwaB5Xrcna you can pop it through your airlock, and read it.

5: Beaverdale are the best kits I've tried.

6: Don't bother with a heater belt, use an aquarium heater (less than a fiver)

7: Might just be me, but the supermarket fruit juice wines are awful.

8: People seem to be over obsessive about cleaning (you sterilise everything, then rinse it with un-sterilised water that has travelled miles underground?)

My apologies in advance. :drink:

 

[Graz]

Always good to have some advice, I added my 2ps worth :thumb:

1:When trying to seal your fermenting bin, don't use vaseline, as is recommended, wrap insulation tape around the joint instead. It's much more effective and easier to clean.

Personally never bothered to try and seal one, don't even use an airlock, just clip the lid on then crack it open a little bit to let the CO2 build up escape. Once fermentation is underway a blanket of CO2 will be at the top of the FV to protect the contents from the air.

7: Might just be me, but the supermarket fruit juice wines are awful.

You may just have expensive tastes but I've been seriously impressed with the results of my juice wines thus far + many threads on here singing their praises and many recipies.

8: People seem to be over obsessive about cleaning (you sterilise everything, then rinse it with un-sterilised water that has travelled miles underground?)

Yes and no, I do feel there are some that take things a little too far but then I can also understand that if you've lost a few brews to infections etc. then it would be easy to get quite obsessive about it. It's never been in any doubt that good hygiene is an important element in brewing mainly because your starting point for making wine/beer/etc. is a very sugary solution kept at a warm temperature which make it the perfect conditions for growing all sorts of nasty bacteria or for unwanted (wild) yeast spores to take hold.

Personally I just make sure everything is clean when I've finished with it, sometimes giving things a deeper clean with VWP or Milton and then a good rinse. I do however always follow this up with an application of a no rinse sanitiser (StarSan in my case) to whatever vessel I'm using draining off the excess after the required contact time before adding my brew to it. This would negate the issue of non sterile tap water.

That said tap water has to be pretty sterile otherwise it wouldn't be safe for us to drink it straight out of the tap!

 

[MyQul]

Just my 2p worth on no.8

Cleaning/sanitisation is very important to brewing. However cleaning, then sanitising after is actually quite belt and braces. If you clean thoroughly you can get away without sanisation. You cant do the other way around though - you cant sanitise dirt.

 

[chewie]

Personally i don't see the point in putting anything like vaseline or sticky tape anywhere near FV's, grease/glue only attracts dirt and thousands of commercial fermenters are left open to the air. As for rinsing with tap water whether right or wrong, it is also the stuff that most wine kit purchasers are adding to there kits so it kinda begs the question if it isn't ok to rinse with tap water why is it ok to put 10-20 litres of it straight into grape concentrate and start fermenting with it.

 

[chuffer]

8: People seem to be over obsessive about cleaning (you sterilise everything, then rinse it with un-sterilised water that has travelled miles underground?)

Do people do that? I also use a no rinse sanitizer but, on occasion when I do rinse, I use boiled water.

 

[engineer]

Good effort.
Point 1, cling film works and is less messy, not that i bother using that or anything else to seal the fermenter these days.

I think i must have developed close to the pinnacle of lazy brewing, i don't care if i see bubbles or not, i simply check with a hydrometer after a week or so and if its below 998 its good to go.

The reptile mats are good cheap multi tasking heaters, been using them for years for seed sprouting as well as brewing.

Cleanliness is key to success and being old school i have always used sodium metabisulphate which is relatively cheap compared to other cleaners but its best kept at a distance, inhaling it isn't fun.........but brewing is...

 

[Chippy_Tea]

To add my two penneth.

6: Don't bother with a heater belt, use an aquarium heater (less than a fiver)

Is this the water bath method or do you mean put the heater directly into your FV?

7: Might just be me, but the supermarket fruit juice wines are awful.

I guess it is probably just you as this thread has 1,881 posts in it and i cannot remember a negative one - http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=49462

.

 

[Vinotinto]

Point 5. Have to agree. Beaverdale by far the best red kit I have used. Well the pinot noir is anyway.

 

[Rincewind]

Damn. I've written this twice now (bottle two, Shiraz) I blame everyone except me.

 

[Rincewind]

Righto again, Beaverdale has kicked in :-)

I should have put in my original post that " supermarket wines that I have made....." (my ones have been a bit challenging to taste).

Chippy tea, I did mean to put in the FV (the glass test tube like ones). Like for like fishy ones do the same thing, but for a third of the price.

As for the sterilising, I kind of meant that rinsing in tap water negates sterilising, that said, MyQul's comment nails it and educates me.

Vinotinto, I've not tried a Pinot noir, but that will be my next one (I find you can't beat a recommendation).

Toodle pip.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Are you saying clean all your brewing gear and do not bother to sterilise it before using it next time as rinsing it will take you back to square one again?
.

 

[Gerryjo]

I think someone may have had too much supermarket juice whilst using a keyboard...:lol:
I have the reptile heater and also the thermometer as both are excellent IMO.
Interesting post.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

supermarket wines that I have made....." (my ones have been a bit challenging to taste).

As for the sterilising, I kind of meant that rinsing in tap water negates sterilising,

I have a sneaky feeling the second quote explains the first :wink:

.