Why two buckets?

[flatyre]

Hi all just made my first homebrew, Coopers Cerveza. I picked up a beginners brewing kit for the job, which contained amongst other things two fermenting buckets, two airlocks, and two taps. I followed the Coopers instructions and now have a bucket containing 23L of wort fermenting away under the stairs. I have a few unused bit left over. A length of clear hose and a clear plastic tube which I think is for filling bottles, carbonation drops, and the other bucket, tap, and airlock. Can anyone tell me what they are for? cheers John

 

[Rwilts]

Have a good read of the how to section, here is a good start

viewtopic.php?f=30&t=4022

The second bucket it for moving your beer for clearing. It's not necessary and lots will say they don't do it.

Or used for bottling. Move your fermented beer into a clean bucket with tap to bottle.

I only used a second bucket on brews that were known to need help to clear. :thumb:

 

[paddone]

You can leave your beer where it is or move it to a new bucket to clear after its finished fermenting.

I would leave your beer in the primary at least 10 days then if it is not going clear move the beer into the second bucket with your siphon tube leaving the yeast in the bottom of the first.

Whatever you do my advise would be to leave your beer in fermentation longer than the week most kits recommend. Rushing the beer into bottles will increase undesirable smells and flavours.

 

[dozgladman]

I would second that advice , if you do have a spare fv syphon the lager out of your primary fv once all activity has stopped then a few days extra .
I have done this with mine and I find you get less sediment in your bottles , im not trying to get rid of it all but just cut it down and I find this method works really well for bottling you brew . :

 

[flatyre]

cheers guys, i'll leave it for the ten days then have another look. do most commercial beer bottles take 26mm caps? I gathered up some 660ml San Miguel bottles which I was hoping to use???

 

[anthonyUK]

cheers guys, i'll leave it for the ten days then have another look. do most commercial beer bottles take 26mm caps? I gathered up some 660ml San Miguel bottles which I was hoping to use???

Hi,
99% do but there is also a 29mm that fit larger bottles e.g. Champagne or Leffe 750ml.

 

[flatyre]

cheers anthonyUK, just measured one there, looks more like 26mm than 29 so should be ok.

cheers guys, i'll leave it for the ten days then have another look. do most commercial beer bottles take 26mm caps? I gathered up some 660ml San Miguel bottles which I was hoping to use???

Hi,
99% do but there is also a 29mm that fit larger bottles e.g. Champagne or Leffe 750ml.