First ever home brew

[Pete.]

UPDATE:

It hadn't occurred to me that I hadn't reported the final results on my first brewing session. Actually the six bottles of beer turned out quite nice. I shared them with some of my family and everyone was complimentary about the taste. As for alcohol content - no idea what that was but two bottled got me a bit fuzzy-headed

The reason I've come back to update is that my daughter got me a refill kit of "Bomshell Blonde" from brewit and I currently have that on a 60min boil

 

[Pete.]

Quick question:

I'm just coming to the end of my boil. Got 2 bags of ice ready to cool it down before I put the yeast in and strain it into the demojohn.

Do I put any/some/all of the sugar in yet? I remember previously someone said to put the sugar in but my original instructions said to put it in at the bottling stage.

 

[Barking Mat]

@Maker , @brewdexta

 

[Maker]

Haven't read the whole thread but I don't like the sound of cooling the boiling wort down by adding ice, you've just sterilised everything with an hour at 100 degrees and now you're adding 4 kg of definitely not-sterile ice.

I'm pretty sure you add sugar when you bottle to get some secondary fermentation going on in order to carbonate it once it's in the bottle, if you add it before fermentation you'll just get a freakishly high ABV.

 

[bigegg]

I'm pretty sure you add sugar when you bottle to get some secondary fermentation going on in order to carbonate it once it's in the bottle, if you add it before fermentation you'll just get a freakishly high ABV.

"Add it before fermentation" - got it

 

[daedalusminos]

The answer is, how much sugar does it have now and how strong do you want it...time to crack open the hydrometer!

As @Maker said, the sugar you added to the bottles (about a teaspoon) was for secondary fermentation - carbonates and preserves.

 

[Maker]

crack open the hydrometer

A hydrometer won't work if you crack it open.

 

[Pete.]

Haven't read the whole thread but I don't like the sound of cooling the boiling wort down by adding ice, you've just sterilised everything with an hour at 100 degrees and now you're adding 4 kg of definitely not-sterile ice.

I'm pretty sure you add sugar when you bottle to get some secondary fermentation going on in order to carbonate it once it's in the bottle, if you add it before fermentation you'll just get a freakishly high ABV.

The ice isn't in the wort, it's in the sink with cold water. Pan is in the ice water. Instructions I'm following are in my opening post.

The answer is, how much sugar does it have now and how strong do you want it...time to crack open the hydrometer!

As @Maker said, the sugar you added to the bottles (about a teaspoon) was for secondary fermentation - carbonates and preserves.

No sugar added by me just waiting for it to cool to 20degC so I can add the yeast. Then I'll strain it into the demijohn.

Is that a good time to take an initial hydrometer reading?

 

[daedalusminos]

Is that a good time to take an initial hydrometer reading?

I would take the reading at 20C (probably the cal temperature of the hydrometer) before you add the yeast

 

[DanZac]

Your hydrometer should have a temperature marking on it and then a table of corrections for different temperaturs.

eg, as per the scale at 15 degrees - for 20 degrees add or subtract X.

 

[Pete.]

Your hydrometer should have a temperature marking on it and then a table of corrections for different temperaturs.

eg, as per the scale at 15 degrees - for 20 degrees add or subtract X.

Don't think it's as fancy as that I must have bought the council version

Mind you it is just about 20 degrees ambient right now so we should be good.

Hydrometer is sitting at about 1.034 and bang on the red 'start beer' band so I guess that's a good thing.

Though I think we've been ripped off with the beer type. My 'Blonde Bomshell' has turned out to be more of a brunette. Story of my life....

 

[Seadog]

Send her my way then

 

[daedalusminos]

Hydrometer is sitting at about 1.034 and bang on the red 'start beer' band so I guess that's a good thing.

Good enough....depending on how far the fermentation goes, 3.5 - 4.5% ABV

 

[daedalusminos]

Assuming it's dried yeast? - any expiry date on the packet?

 

[Pete.]

Assuming it's dried yeast? - any expiry date on the packet?

No mate it just says 'English Ale Yeast Safale s-04'

 

[daedalusminos]

No mate it just says 'English Ale Yeast Safale s-04'

Hopefully you've thrown it in and fermentation has started!

 

[Pete.]

Hopefully you've thrown it in and fermentation has started!

It sure has! The bottle is merrily fizzing away now. I think I have it over-filled because it's turned the water in the air-trap beer coloured

 

[bigegg]

It sure has! The bottle is merrily fizzing away now. I think I have it over-filled because it's turned the water in the air-trap beer coloured

View attachment 298515

I used to fill mine to the "shoulder" of the demijohn.

 

[daedalusminos]

It sure has! The bottle is merrily fizzing away now. I think I have it over-filled because it's turned the water in the air-trap beer coloured

No problem,vjust be wary when fermentation subsidies that what's in the trap doesn't suck back from n

 

[bigegg]

It sure has! The bottle is merrily fizzing away now. I think I have it over-filled because it's turned the water in the air-trap beer coloured

View attachment 298515

just had a better look at the picture:
you might need a bigger bowl for it to stand in: when I've filled to the shoulder, it has sometimes *still* overflowed -
potentially anything above the shoulder could end up escaping - and that bowl won't hold a pint of liquid turned into froth.
OTOH: you might be OK. I sometimes used "wild" yeast that produced more CO2 than the proper stuff