Getting Ready!

[locolorenzo22]

So, as the title implies, I'm getting ready to brew my first batch! WHOO! I got a English brown ale all grain kit from Brooklyn Homebrew and the yeast. Got my equipment. What did you do to get fully ready for your first brew? Also, since it's an all-grain kit, I should be able to cut the recipe in 1/2 right?

 

[PrinceOfThePoint]

Cheers to that, welcome to the glory of brewing, we hope it grips you hard.

Yes, if you have a kit intended for 5 gallons you can essentially cut everything in half and make 2.5 gallons. I might just pitch all of the yeast even though the recipe is halved, but that's just me and others might feel differently.

 

[Dlou84]

To prepare for your first brew you must imagine being stressed about every little thing, three scenarios where you think your beer is infected in the fermenter, tasting it too earlier and believing it is ruined...things get more chill over time for sure, but I think brewing sure can be stressful! Really though...plan how you will sanitize and clean everything...know how to mash and especially how to sparge and drain your wort to the kettle. That should take at least an hour...if any of that sounds strange to you keep reading! But I'm guessing you are well prepared.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

The best advice I got for my first brew was:

Do not mess with the recipe. It is tried and true. You will be doing enough stuff that is "new," and don't need to be tripping over modifications that you've imposed.

If you're talking about the Brooklyn Brew Shop kit, then trust me, they know what they're doing. Read the instructions, watch the "how to brew" videos two or three times (turn the sound down to avoid being distracted by the music) and use this as an opportunity to learn the fundamentals.

 

[Takuie]

Take VERY detailed notes. I write everything down, time, temps, steps, recipe, yeast, batch number of yeast, when I dropped wort chiller, how long for cold and hot break. I document everything. Go over past notes, learn from mistakes.

 

[biggmatt]

Your making a spirit, so have a good time and put your heart into it.