Introduction, advice.

[mvrk28]

Hello all, my girlfriend got me a BSG Handcraft K7 kit yesterday and we brewed some West Coast IPA . Really excited to learn more and eventually try some of my own recipes. However for the foreseeable future I think kits with detailed instructions are going to be the way to go for us.

Anyway, this whole process made me feel very anxious. It was a lot of fun, but I was stressed to mess up even just a little bit. I cook a lot of bbq and I appreciate the process of going from raw ingredients to finished product. I felt like we did a pretty good job of following our instructions. Are there any tips or pieces of equipment we should consider getting to improve our brew?

I appreciate any help you guys can give. I am out of element right now!

 

[m00ps]

#1 thing is sanitation. Sanitize everything that touches your beer after the boil. I personally use starsan, a no rinse sanitizer

#2 is temperature control. Keep the temps low (<70F for most american yeasts), and youll be able to make drinkable beer.

Theres a lot of different cheap methods of temp control

 

[unionrdr]

It's natural to be anxious with your first brew or two. Once you see how easy it is, & start developing a brewing process that works for you, you'll start getting better beers. Something to control ferment temps, a hydrometer to measure OG & FG, temp strips on the fermenters, Bucket lid prying tool, rubber mallet to tap them on. If you're bottling, a bottle tree & avinator for sanitizing them right before filling is handy & gives 45 bottles a smaller footprint. A few extra airlocks are always handy. PBW for cleaning & Starsan for sanitizing. And a spray bottle for some sanitizer to quick sanitize things on the fly is also handy. Long plastic spoons & paddles are great & don't scratch. Nylon paint strainer bags for grains when you start steeping or mashing.

 

[lem14]

First of all welcome!

As for tips... clean and then sanitize. Other than following the instructions, making sure that no unwanted microbes get into your wort is a huge step into making great beer.

Also, I assume you will be bottle carbonating. Make sure you use the proper amount of priming sugar (or tabs) and distribute it evenly. The goal is to prevent flat beer or a bottle blowing up (and they do explode).

Good Luck and remember to "Relax Don't Worry, Have a Home Brew!"

 

[mvrk28]

Thanks everybody! I just looked up starsan and that stuff looks like a necessity! I will have to pick some up for sure. I have a great little brew shop near my house I'm sure they sell it. About how long after sealing my fermenter should I see activity in my airlock? I haven't checked it yet, I'm at work, but I don't want to be running to the garage every 15 minutes to check it! I have the beer in the garage, elevated off the concrete and under a shade structure to keep it cool.

 

[mvrk28]

Also, did not use tap water or anything of the sort. All of our water is spring water in one gallon jugs, we made a 5 gallon batch. Once our first fermentation is done we will siphon to the carboy.

 

[unionrdr]

12-18 hours is about average minimum to get past the lag, or reproductive phase to where visible fermentation begins. Starsan is a great, no-rinse sanitizer many of us use. I use the little cube measure on top of the bottle to measure 3/4's of the way up to the 1/4oz mark. Then pour into a 1 gallon jug of water & cap. Give it a few minutes to diffuse into the water & it's ready to go!
I use local Ohio spring water for all my beers. I think it tastes a tad better than Lake Erie tap water. And unless you're adding fruit, or oaking the beer, you could just leave it in the primary fermenter to finish fermenting. When it reaches a stable FG, give it another 3-7 days to clean up any by-products of fermentation & settle out clear or slightly misty before bottling.

 

[iBrewR]

Once our first fermentation is done we will siphon to the carboy.

Wait for it ............ :cross:

 

[theDREWery]

1. Bottle rinser and whatever adapter you need for your sink.
2. Bench capper, the wing ones are an invitation to spills and frustration.
3. RDWHAHB

 

[unionrdr]

Wait for it ............ :cross:

Beat ya to it!

 

[lem14]

If you have basic process questions there is a wealth of information here:

http://www.northernbrewer.com/learn/resources/

 

[McKnuckle]

While at the LHBS, buy a cheap stick-on temperature strip (Ferm-o-meter) and put it on your bucket. Temperature control was mentioned, but most new brewers don't believe it is that important. It is! - as in critically important. Your room's ambient temp at 68F will result in beer fermenting around 72-73F or higher. Some yeast are marginally okay with that but not ideal, and some will produce dreck at that temperature. At least with the strip, you can see what's happening in the liquid and be informed.

Best advice ever? Patience. Be freaking patient. We will expect you to NOT come back in 7 days and ask if you can bottle your beer now. The answer is a resounding NO. Read all of the newbie threads in this section of HBT; they ask the same questions over and over - and get (mostly) the same answers. Do that while being patient and waiting for your beer to finish fermenting.

 

[mvrk28]

While at the LHBS, buy a cheap stick-on temperature strip (Ferm-o-meter) and put it on your bucket. Temperature control was mentioned, but most new brewers don't believe it is that important. It is! - as in critically important. Your room's ambient temp at 68F will result in beer fermenting around 72-73F or higher. Some yeast are marginally okay with that but not ideal, and some will produce dreck at that temperature. At least with the strip, you can see what's happening in the liquid and be informed.

Best advice ever? Patience. Be freaking patient. We will expect you to NOT come back in 7 days and ask if you can bottle your beer now. The answer is a resounding NO. Read all of the newbie threads in this section of HBT; they ask the same questions over and over - and get (mostly) the same answers. Do that while being patient and waiting for your beer to finish fermenting.

One thing barbecue has taught me is that patience is crucial! Low and slow over hot and fast.

My kit came with a fermometer so I have that on the bucket. I have the fermenter in the garage with a shade structure. My garage stays pretty cool but I was thinking of putting a fan on it anyway, to make sure it doesn't get too warm.