Youngs American IPA

[Beech]

Hi all,
Very new to home brew. Currently on my first. Using the Youngs AIPA kit. Started my brew on the 30th March, added hops 15 days later. Currently 19 days into the brew and my fourth day after adding the hops.

Starting gravity was 1.0054, took a reading on day 15 before adding the hops at 1.0010 and took a reading last night of 1.007/1.008.

Looking for any help or advice on when to bottle!? Will take another gravity reading on Friday (two days after my last) to see if its stabilized.

I'm sampling from the bottom of the FV using the built in tap, so its very cloudy, but it smells amazing and really want to bottle it already, but don't want to be impatient!!

 

[Baggins]

I'm about to start my first Youngs aipa. Wondering about best approach to dry hopping. Should I use a hop bag? I have decent sized hop bag I use for stove top all grain and also small bag from festival kit designed to go over siphon end to filter out hops. I remember difficulty with the festival filter, I think lots of CO2 released during siphoning that interfered with the flow, but I wondered if using a hop bag reduces 'hopping efficiency'?
I say this because I pretty sure my AG brews are coming out under hopped. I need a hop bag for AG because I can't effectively filter my cooled wortbefore transfering to FV as have limited equipment and space.
Apologies, a bit of ramble but in short, does anyone think using a hop bag with dry hopping reduces hopping efficiency?

 

[Mark MINGHELLA]

I'm about to start my first Youngs aipa. Wondering about best approach to dry hopping. Should I use a hop bag? I have decent sized hop bag I use for stove top all grain and also small bag from festival kit designed to go over siphon end to filter out hops. I remember difficulty with the festival filter, I think lots of CO2 released during siphoning that interfered with the flow, but I wondered if using a hop bag reduces 'hopping efficiency'?
I say this because I pretty sure my AG brews are coming out under hopped. I need a hop bag for AG because I can't effectively filter my cooled wortbefore transfering to FV as have limited equipment and space.
Apologies, a bit of ramble but in short, does anyone think using a hop bag with dry hopping reduces hopping efficiency?

I'm a total novice but I did one brew without a bag and one brew with; the difference was night and day. The one with is much clearer at a much earlier stage. My main worry though was that there wouldn't be as much hoppiness due to the hops being contained in a bag instead of being free in the mix. I can't fully comment on that as the brews are now conditioning in the bottle but my first impressions are quite positive.

 

[Kenboy]

Hi all,
Very new to home brew. Currently on my first. Using the Youngs AIPA kit. Started my brew on the 30th March, added hops 15 days later. Currently 19 days into the brew and my fourth day after adding the hops.

Starting gravity was 1.0054, took a reading on day 15 before adding the hops at 1.0010 and took a reading last night of 1.007/1.008.

Looking for any help or advice on when to bottle!? Will take another gravity reading on Friday (two days after my last) to see if its stabilized.

I'm sampling from the bottom of the FV using the built in tap, so its very cloudy, but it smells amazing and really want to bottle it already, but don't want to be impatient!!

Sounds like you're good to go. That's nearly three weeks. So as long as it's stable, rack to another vessel for bottling ,( if you have one) Then bottle.

 

[Kenboy]

I'm about to start my first Youngs aipa. Wondering about best approach to dry hopping. Should I use a hop bag? I have decent sized hop bag I use for stove top all grain and also small bag from festival kit designed to go over siphon end to filter out hops. I remember difficulty with the festival filter, I think lots of CO2 released during siphoning that interfered with the flow, but I wondered if using a hop bag reduces 'hopping efficiency'?
I say this because I pretty sure my AG brews are coming out under hopped. I need a hop bag for AG because I can't effectively filter my cooled wortbefore transfering to FV as have limited equipment and space.
Apologies, a bit of ramble but in short, does anyone think using a hop bag with dry hopping reduces hopping efficiency?

I use a hop bag . I cant say I notice any lost hoppiness. The main thing is you get a clearer beer.

Although my latest beer I added the hops straight in, but I'm expecting this one to be hazey.

 

[Rog.T.B.]

Kenboy don’t worry it will be fine, I have done both, I prefer just sprinkling hops on top of brew for 5 days, no problem with clearly of beer.

 

[mitsu monkey]

I've got one of these I found in the back of the cupboard. Unfortunately it's about 3 years out of date. Does the malt go off? I've got some new yeast (mangrove jack's east coast IPA) I could use but I don't want to waste my time of it's too far gone.
What do you guys think?

 

[Rog.T.B.]

I've got one of these I found in the back of the cupboard. Unfortunately it's about 3 years out of date. Does the malt go off? I've got some new yeast (mangrove jack's east coast IPA) I could use but I don't want to waste my time of it's too far gone.
What do you guys think?

I wouldn’t risk the disappointment of a bad brew, it’s not worth it.

 

[GhostShip]

As an update to my post #1018, I left the bottles in a warmish bathroom for 2/3 weeks before moving them back to the shed. I certainly wouldn’t describe the beer as ‘flat’ now, but it’s still not as well carbonated as the first AIPA I did. However, that really doesn’t matter. It’s carbonated enough and when chilled, is now a beautiful pint. Well-rounded with a good hop hit and a really nice bitter finish. Gorgeous.

And I’m not being influenced at all by being in London yesterday and being charged £6 for a 330ml can of ‘Brixton IPA’. Perfectly nice beer, but when compared to my AIPA at around 60p per pint!!!

 

[BeerisGOD]

Can anyone aend a link to the best priced place i can get this kit?

 

[DavieC]

@mitsu monkey Have you brewed the old kit?
I did a lager kit that was six years past its best before date,swapped the yeast,looked,smelled and tasted fine in the can so brewed away! Turned out fine..a lot darker due to aged malt and a more caramel taste but tasted fine and was very drinkable.

 

[Meursault.]

Can anyone aend a link to the best priced place i can get this kit?

£22.80 here https://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/acatalog/Amercian-Beers-IPA-Beer-Kit.html

Is that good? I've bought two kits from them.

 

[SteveHatton]

Hey folks. Just at the end of fermentation on the American IPA kit. First time brewing. It was 11 days in at 1.010 so ask it suggested, I’ve added the 100g hop bag, plus an extra 25g Citra.
I’ll be checking the gravity again on Wednesday but if it ain’t around the 1.005 mark would you remove the hop bag, or just leave it in until gravity is good? Don’t want it to go cheesy as I’ve heard bad things about leavin it in too long.

Let me know what you suggest pro’s!

 

[SteveHatton]

Hey folks. Just at the end of fermentation on the American IPA kit. First time brewing. It was 11 days in at 1.010 so ask it suggested, I’ve added the 100g hop bag, plus an extra 25g Citra.
I’ll be checking the gravity again on Wednesday but if it ain’t around the 1.005 mark would you remove the hop bag, or just leave it in until gravity is good? Don’t want it to go cheesy as I’ve heard bad things about leavin it in too long.

Let me know what you suggest pro’s!

Forgive me, just read a load more posts in this thread and will just leave the hops for up to a week, see if the final gravity comes down.

What is people thoughts on the best way to add the priming sugar? Just stir it in a second container with the beer? Other posts seem to talk about boiling it up with a fair bit of water. Is this not gonna take away some potency of the beer?! I like em strong and hoppy!

 

[DavidHatton]

Hey folks. Just at the end of fermentation on the American IPA kit. First time brewing. It was 11 days in at 1.010 so ask it suggested, I’ve added the 100g hop bag, plus an extra 25g Citra.
I’ll be checking the gravity again on Wednesday but if it ain’t around the 1.005 mark would you remove the hop bag, or just leave it in until gravity is good? Don’t want it to go cheesy as I’ve heard bad things about leavin it in too long.

Let me know what you suggest pro’s!

Brewed this twice, I followed the instructions both times. This is a great kit.. Oh yes nice to see another
Hatton on the forum

 

[GerritT]

I've got one of these I found in the back of the cupboard. Unfortunately it's about 3 years out of date. Does the malt go off? I've got some new yeast (mangrove jack's east coast IPA) I could use but I don't want to waste my time of it's too far gone.
What do you guys think?

I hope you brewed it, with the new yeast.

 

[Drunkula]

What is people thoughts on the best way to add the priming sugar? Just stir it in a second container with the beer? Other posts seem to talk about boiling it up with a fair bit of water. Is this not gonna take away some potency of the beer?!

You don't need much water at all, barely the same volume as the sugar and it'll eventually dissolve. Get that to a boil, stir until it's dissolved, sling in the other bucket and rack the beer onto it. Your priming sugar will usually add about 0.5% abv on top of what's already there.

 

[terrym]

What is people thoughts on the best way to add the priming sugar? Just stir it in a second container with the beer? Other posts seem to talk about boiling it up with a fair bit of water. Is this not gonna take away some potency of the beer?! I like em strong and hoppy!

There's nothing wrong in priming your beer armed solely with a teaspoon and a funnel to add the sugar direct to the bottle. One level teaspoon is about 4.5 g. The sugar dissolves eventually and gets consumed by the yeasties just the same as when you add syrup for priming.

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

There's nothing wrong in priming your beer armed solely with a teaspoon and a funnel to add the sugar direct to the bottle. One level teaspoon is about 4.5 g. The sugar dissolves eventually and gets consumed by the yeasties just the same as when you add syrup for priming.

All the brews I’ve done (not that many) I’ve added the half teaspoon of sugar to the bottle, then the brew, then put the lid on and given it a good shake. Is there no need to give it a shake then?

 

[terrym]

All the brews I’ve done (not that many) I’ve added the half teaspoon of sugar to the bottle, then the brew, then put the lid on and given it a good shake. Is there no need to give it a shake then?

If I prime direct to bottle (rather than batch prime) it's beer first then sugar. I've always done it that way never even considered the other way round. Anyway I roll my bottles on their side to distribute the sugar, and within a short time the sugar's dissolved. The purists might argue that shaking unnecessarily introduces oxgygen into the beer and with that comes the dreaded oxidation. But I also use mostly PET (tut tut) and squeeze as much air out of the bottle as I can after its primed before I finally seal it up.