Back Brewing after 18 year hiatus

[Nubiwan]

So, I took time off, got married and now have 4 kids. I have a barrel of questions, and was rather hoping there might be a general instructions sticky post or a "getting started for newbies" thread I could read before posting all this, but never found one. So my apologies in advance if this is a misuse of the forum, but I hope this might help future posters/newbies too.

Here goes:

I am brewing from a Canada Brew Kit (Canadian Red Ale) - I quite like Ambers or Rickets Red style beer, so it seems the closest I could get to what I like to drink. The kit naturally comes with its own instructions.

I still have my pales and airlocks that need a decent cleaning after sitting around so my first question is what to clean them up with? Stupid question I am sure, but can I use a household bleach and rinse real good? Let them dry, and rinse again type thing? Pretty sure I used some other agent (pink powder) back in the day. What is best for cleaning plastic pales? Can anything be bought wholesale/supermarket/costco instead of at a brewing outlet?

A quick peruse of the brewers instructions tells me this application is different from one I used in the past. I recall heating up a pot of boiling water, and adding my can of malt and a clear glucose type sugar and letting it cook for an hour or so - lots of stirring. Then pouring into my pale with a good stir. Adding water to get right temp. Then sprinkle the yeast.

The new instructions simply say to add the sugar then malt contents to the hot water in the pale. No cooking required. This OK? This the way it is done now?

Also, the glucose (sugar?) I got is in a powder form. Not the clear liquid stuff I used in the past. My dealer said they dont carry it. Is there a difference? Is it specific to the type of brew kit? I watched a Craigtube video (2008 !! ) where he suggested you can use both. Seemed a lot to me. How much of the sugar is required (1KG?), and can you use both or is one better?

Do you sprinkle the yeast, or stir it in? Craig tube video conflicts on this as one poster commented you could kill the yeast by stirring it. Do you need to treat the yeast before you add to the wort/mix? What temp should the wort be for yeast?

Optimal brewing temperature 20-25 degrees C? Am I ok leaving the pale in a room at a constant 20 degrees temp? As long as I see bubbles on my air lock, I should be good to go, yes?

Hydrometer? Yes or no? Brew kit says to leave 5 days then secondary? What if I just left it 10 day, or don't even bother with a secondary? Perhaps aim to bottle directly in 3 - 4 weeks?

How long in bottles before drinking?

Some questions I hope to get answered at another brew shop I am visiting today, but will report back here regularly too for insight from the forum. Thanks in advance!!!!

 

[ong]

It sounds like you bought a kit with pre-hopper malt extract, since it doesn’t ask you to boil. Normally you would boil hops in the wort to achieve the bitterness and flavor you want. For this kit I would follow the instructions, but for your next kit you should seek out something that comes with malt extract and whole or pelleted hops. The flavor will be better and with this you’ll be able to customize the beer to your preferences more.

A kilo of sugar is an awful lot; sugar generally ferments fully, so results in a drier, lighter-bodied beer while boosting alcohol level. A half kilo is about as much as I would generally use for a 19-23 liter batch.

Sprinkling the yeast will be fine. You can also rehydrate the yeast in a small amount of warm water, but you don’t really need to, at least for this first batch. Stirring will not kill your yeast. You’ll want to keep the wort under 21°, and above 17.5°.

Best bets for cleaning and sanitizing will be PBW and StarSan, respectively. You can clean with a dilute bleach solution, but it can be hard to rinse off completely, and even a hint of bleach won’t be doing your beer any favors.

Hope this helps!

 

[Gnomebrewer]

I still have my pales and airlocks that need a decent cleaning after sitting around so my first question is what to clean them up with? Stupid question I am sure, but can I use a household bleach and rinse real good? Let them dry, and rinse again type thing? Pretty sure I used some other agent (pink powder) back in the day. What is best for cleaning plastic pales? Can anything be bought wholesale/supermarket/costco instead of at a brewing outlet?

See ong's answer.

A quick peruse of the brewers instructions tells me this application is different from one I used in the past. I recall heating up a pot of boiling water, and adding my can of malt and a clear glucose type sugar and letting it cook for an hour or so - lots of stirring. Then pouring into my pale with a good stir. Adding water to get right temp. Then sprinkle the yeast.

The new instructions simply say to add the sugar then malt contents to the hot water in the pale. No cooking required. This OK? This the way it is done now?

The contents of the tin (and dry sugar) are close enough to sterile that there's no need to cook.

Also, the glucose (sugar?) I got is in a powder form. Not the clear liquid stuff I used in the past. My dealer said they dont carry it. Is there a difference? Is it specific to the type of brew kit? I watched a Craigtube video (2008 !! ) where he suggested you can use both. Seemed a lot to me. How much of the sugar is required (1KG?), and can you use both or is one better?

The power is probably dextrose, which is the same as glucose. For a 23L batch, the norm in Australia is to use the extract tin plus 1kg for a normal strength beer (called 'Kit'n'kilo'), I don't know what the norm is in Canada. The 1kg extra doesn't have to be glucose/dextrose though - dry malt extract will give more body and mouthfeel. I'd recommend trying 500g of dextrose and 500g of dry malt extract. More sugar = more alcohol, less sugar = less alcohol. Some brewers also make big beers using 2 tins.

Do you sprinkle the yeast, or stir it in? Craig tube video conflicts on this as one poster commented you could kill the yeast by stirring it. Do you need to treat the yeast before you add to the wort/mix? What temp should the wort be for yeast?

Sprinkle yeast on top of the wort after half the water is added, then add the rest of the water. Pretty much any method will work though. Add at the cool end of the yeasts range (probably about 18C).

Optimal brewing temperature 20-25 degrees C? Am I ok leaving the pale in a room at a constant 20 degrees temp? As long as I see bubbles on my air lock, I should be good to go, yes?

If the room is 20C, the fermenting beer will probably be 22 to 23C. That's quite warm for beer and could give some off flavours (eg. hot alcohols). An 18C room would be better.

Hydrometer? Yes or no? Brew kit says to leave 5 days then secondary? What if I just left it 10 day, or don't even bother with a secondary? Perhaps aim to bottle directly in 3 - 4 weeks?

Don't bother with secondary. Leave for two weeks in primary then check gravity with a hydrometer. Check again two days later - if gravity is the same, bottle it.

How long in bottles before drinking?

They normally start to come good at about the two week mark. Three weeks is better.

 

[4of7]

I say welcome back to brewing

 

[Nubiwan]

Well, thanks to all the respondents. Gotta say, I am now pretty "pumped" to get started. Tomorrow is the big day.

Ended up buying myself a couple of brew tins. I am going to make two batches, seeings I have 2 pales. One a red, one a European Lager for a friend, and the wife. Got the hydrometer. Bottle caps. My "pink powder" cleaner (forget what its called sodium metabisulphite perhaps), etc.

Plan to go with the glucose syrup in the red, powered sugar in my lager. Brew shop mentioned the dryness of the powder and body of the glucose, so body is going in my red. I was told to use their powdered sugar (Dextrose?) to prime the bottles, and not standard white sugar. Any thoughts on this? Stuff he gave me was a little darker than the regular powder. He said it had something (malty?) added, but by this point, I was information overload anyway.

Have to admit, I originally hoped to have it ready for Christmas, but clearly this is pushing things. I dare say one or two bottles might still be popped before they are ready. No harm in sampling one or two.

Another quick couple of questions. Do I just add the yeast as a powder, or does it need to be livened in a bit of warm water first? Then added. Perhaps I am confusing this with bread. And finally, what temp for bottling? Dark room best, better or no difference?

 

[Gnomebrewer]

Plan to go with the glucose syrup in the red, powered sugar in my lager. Brew shop mentioned the dryness of the powder and body of the glucose, so body is going in my red. I was told to use their powdered sugar (Dextrose?) to prime the bottles, and not standard white sugar. Any thoughts on this? Stuff he gave me was a little darker than the regular powder. He said it had something (malty?) added, but by this point, I was information overload anyway.

Either you've got some of the information mixed up, or the Brew Shop person doesn't know what they're talking about. Glucose will ferment completely dry - no body at all. If the powdered sugar is dextrose, then it will also ferment completely dry. They are both essentially the same thing - simple sugar. Yeast will chew up every last bit. However, if the powder had something darker in it that is 'malty' it may be a mix of dry malt extract and dextrose. Dry malt extract (DME) does not completely ferment (it contains a range of different sugars as well as dextrin, which is not fermentable) leaving some malty flavour and body. In that case, the powder will lend more body than the syrup.

There is no need to use dextrose to prime bottles - standard white sugar is fine.

Another quick couple of questions. Do I just add the yeast as a powder, or does it need to be livened in a bit of warm water first? Then added. Perhaps I am confusing this with bread. And finally, what temp for bottling? Dark room best, better or no difference?

You can simply sprinkle the yeast on top of the wort, or add halfway through topping up with water. No need to hydrate. Some opinions vary on this though.

Room temp is good for bottling, even a little warmer. A dark room avoids any risk of light damage, but as long as you're using brown bottles they should be ok with a bit of light exposure.

 

[Nubiwan]

So in quotes below are the instructions that came with my first kit. It is a brew Canada Kit - Canadian Red pictured above. Your standard (I trust) brew shop malt. The yeast pack it came with is just a generic pack with no name on it, nor indication of what is inside. The stuff that is contradicted in this thread would be the temperature at which I add yeast and/or ferment.

I am assuming adding 4 gallons of my cold tap water to 1 gallon of boiling water, will get me within range suggested, to add yeast. I am reading of people fermenting well under 70 degrees, even in a fridge or cooler room, in order to avoid off flavours, so I guess I am looking for a little advice on that what is acceptable/optimal for fermentation temp. I can easily achieve a relatively ambient room temp of 17-20 degrees, even cooler in my basement porch, so wondering where I should let this sit for the first week.

Thinking on no secondary, so might do a cold crash as well. Is that OK with these brew kits? Just want to make sure I don't kill off my yeast and it actually does ferment.

BREWING
STEP 1 - Pour 1 kg. of corn sugar (dextrose) and the contents of the can into your sterilized brewing bucket. For ease in pouring, the can may be immersed in hot water for a few minutes prior to opening.
STEP 2 - Bring 4.5 litres (1 gallon) of water to a boil. Pour this into your brewing bucket using some of it to rinse out the can. Stir to completely dissolve sugar and brewing wort.
STEP 3 - Add an additional 18.5 litres (about 4 gallons) of cold water to bring the total volume to 23L. (5 U.S. gallons) and stir to mix. The resultant temperature should be 20 - 25°C (70 - 77°F). If temperature is not within the proper range, cover and allow to stand in an appropriate area to come into the correct range. Specific Gravity Range:1.030-1.040
STEP 4 - Ensure the temperature of the beer is 20 - 25°C (70 - 77°F) before proceeding. Sprinkle brewing yeast on prepared must. Cover brewing bucket with lid or plastic sheet and tie down. Leave beer to ferment in a warm place for 5 days.
STEP 5 - After 5 days of fermentation, syphon beer to a secondary fermentor (23 L. glass carboy) and attach a fermentation lock. The fermentation should be complete in 7 to 10 days. At this point the foam will have receded and all the bubbles will have stopped rising to the surface. If using a hydrometer, fermentation will be finished when the Specific Gravity remains constant for at least 2 days. Specific Gravity Range: 1.004-1.012

BOTTLING Sterilize sufficient beer bottles. Rinse with clear water and drain. Syphon the finished beer from your 23L. glass carboy back into your sterilized brewing bucket being careful to leave the sediment behind. If using glass bottles manufactured for carbonated beverages, add ¾-1cup of corn sugar (dextrose) to the beer, stirring to completely dissolve all the sugar added. If using plastic PET bottles, the amount of dextrose can be increased up to 1 1/4 cup. Syphon the beer into the bottles leaving at least 3 cm. (1" - 1½") headspace at the top. Cap the bottles. When capping plastic pet bottles, gently squeeze out the air in the neck of the bottle prior to sealing with the screw cap to reduce the amount of air coming into contact with the beer. Store the beer upright in a warm, dark place for 7 days to permit the development of natural carbonation. A further 12 to 14 days in a cool place completes the conditioning period. Your beer is now ready to drink but will continue to improve for up to 3 months.

 

[ong]

So in quotes below are the instructions that came with my first kit. It is a brew Canada Kit - Canadian Red pictured above. Your standard (I trust) brew shop malt. The yeast pack it came with is just a generic pack with no name on it, nor indication of what is inside. The stuff that is contradicted in this thread would be the temperature at which I add yeast and/or ferment.

I am assuming adding 4 gallons of my cold tap water to 1 gallon of boiling water, will get me within range suggested, to add yeast. I am reading of people fermenting well under 70 degrees, even in a fridge or cooler room, in order to avoid off flavours, so I guess I am looking for a little advice on that what is acceptable/optimal for fermentation temp. I can easily achieve a relatively ambient room temp of 17-20 degrees, even cooler in my basement porch, so wondering where I should let this sit for the first week.

Thinking on no secondary, so might do a cold crash as well. Is that OK with these brew kits? Just want to make sure I don't kill off my yeast and it actually does ferment.

Most ale yeasts will do best in the 64-68°F range. Above that you’ll start to get more fruity esters, often with kind of an overripe fruit aroma (especially as you get higher up in the 70s). Below that you’ll have a slower, and possibly incomplete fermentation.

A cold crash is fine, but you do that after you’re sure fermentation is complete.

 

[Nubiwan]

Most ale yeasts will do best in the 64-68°F range. Above that you’ll start to get more fruity esters, often with kind of an overripe fruit aroma (especially as you get higher up in the 70s). Below that you’ll have a slower, and possibly incomplete fermentation.

A cold crash is fine, but you do that after you’re sure fermentation is complete.

OK so I just started my Canadian Red. Boiled a larger pot of water (3-5 liters), added my extract and 1KG glucose (the gelatin type was recommended), and then filled up my bucket with cold water.

My water must be real cold, because my final temperature was 16 C or 61 F. I wasn't sure whether or not I should have pitched my yeast. I added a hot pot of water to the bucket, and got the temp up to around 18 C.

Wondering if that was warm enough to pitch my yeast. I did it anyway. My room temp down in my basement is probably in around 66 F, so it will warm up my wort I assume. I can heat up that room if required, but will wait to hear some replies on here.

My OG reading was 1035. Temp in the wort 18 C. I tasted the wort. It was very bitter. Very bitter I thought. I assume that will flatten out. Am I OK to taste the wort? Bit late to ask that.....

Finally, in trying to heat up my wort, I fear I have overfilled my pale Not much room left at the top end. Inch and a half or 2 maybe. Any issue with that at the top end? Can I just let some wort pour through the bottom tap (after removing the air lock LOL).

I assume/hope I will see some bubbling action in the next 12-24 hours.

Any comments appreciated.

 

[Nubiwan]

Canada Brew - Canadian Red Ale - Update

An update for any newbies who might care to follow this somewhat 2018 beginners thread. My vessel is huffing and puffing like Thomas the tank engine this morning. It is actually blowing over, so I had to remove the airlock and installed a blow off "tube".

So for anyone asking in future, the no name yeast pack that come with this kit (Canada Brew - Canadian Red) can in fact be pitched at around 16 C or 60 F. Even though the instructions with the kit suggest a pitch temp range of 70-75 F (or 21 C). Too hot if what I have been reading all week is true. My average room temperature in that room is 66 F, and I still cant get a reading from my stick on thermometer (attached to primary), which means it is still under 64 F or less then 18 C. I expect that might change in the next couple of days.

I must add it is all a minor relief, as I was reading a horror story about yeast dying if pitching temps are not within adequate range, or simply failing to hydrate the yeast being perhaps risky. Regardless, I found this sticky on yeast preparation very informative, even if I read it a little after the fact https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/dry-yeast-faq.441967/

So I rigged up a blow off tube because, as intdicated, the Krausen (feels like Santa Kraus to me) was bellowing through my S-lock. I simply relieved the air lock of the pressure, leaving it in place, till I got my kids off to school. I came back within 10 minutes, sanitized a length of tube, and also the bung from my air lock. I squeezed the tube into the bung and stuck the bung my primary lid. I then put the end of the tube into a secondary bucket, which had also been previously sanitized, filled with about 4-5 inches of water. After about 3-4 minutes, I am hearing a steady flow of 4-5 quick bubbles every few seconds. It is music to my ears.

I plan to read up on the blow off tubes, as I want to make sure I did it right. I can't see how anything from my bucket would make its way back into the primary, but who know. I can see sanitizing the bung and the tubing, but the bucket of water is simply a lock for air going in reverse to my primary, I am sure, so does it too need to be cleaned? Perhaps a veteran can offer input.

I am also still wondering about the headroom inside my primary being too small. Perhaps this is a good thing now, but should I be looking for a good space for Krausen to establish. In my initial steps, I attempted to increase the temp of the wort a degree adding a pot of hot water. The result was I probably have 24 L instead of 23 L in my pale.

I will look it up and post back what I find in here.

 

[Nubiwan]

So with regard to my blow off "destination" question above, I found these couple of threads useful. Also there are a couple of pictures included which also helps. I read about people using sanitized liquid in their blow off bucket, but I think plain water is good enough. Think I am also correct in assuming nothing can get back into your primary from the blow off bucket, so OK to share with other worts primaries you might have.

I too was planning to use a shared blow off vessel for another batch I will get started today.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/blow-off-tube.519803/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/blow-off-tubes.195742/

Not sure I will ever use an air lock for the first few days again after this. Seems blow offs have always been common for me in the distant past. Well, 18 years ago LOL.

 

[Nubiwan]

So I got some answers to the headspace and Krausen establishment, which you can read here......

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/release-the-krausen.659358/#post-8459742