Nubiwan
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2018
- Messages
- 584
- Reaction score
- 364
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!!!!
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!!!!