dylanbrews Posted February 15, 2019 Share Posted February 15, 2019 Hi all, I am new to the brewing game and the forums, I have just made my first brew yesterday in the Coopers D.I.Y kit and have a few questions; 1: When i made the brew i used boiling water in the FV to mix in the canned product and only had room temp water to make up the rest of it which resulted in the temp being approx 27-28 on the thermometer strip when i added the yeast? Will this be an issue? 2: I currently have the FV with the product in a room which fluctuates in temp often getting up to around 29-30 degrees since i started monitoring it two days ago will the constant change in temp be an issue? Not to phased if my first effort doesn't taste great as long as it won't make me sick from not being right? Thanks in advance for any advice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted February 15, 2019 Share Posted February 15, 2019 It won't make you sick, unless you drink half the batch in one sitting perhaps Pitching temp isn't too critical, I prefer to pitch at fermentation temp but it won't be an issue. The fermentation temp is too high though, ideally you want it about 18-20 degrees. The fermentation creates heat as well so it will end up a few degrees above the ambient temperature. Chuck a wet towel around it and put a fan on it, it won't get it all the way down but it should get it down to the mid 20s. You will need to look at ways to keep the temp down if you want to improve your beers though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Captain!! Posted February 15, 2019 Share Posted February 15, 2019 Nothing more to add. Second everything OVB has to say there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackSands Posted February 15, 2019 Share Posted February 15, 2019 I've abused various ale yeasts in the past, with fermentation temps as high as 26ºC and the resultant beer was actually quite OK - surprisingly. The only exception - a yeast that turned real nasty at that temp and threw of headache-producing, solvent-tasting fusals was US-05. The kit ale yeast and others like Nottingham as I discovered seem relatively robust in comparison. However even for these more sturdy strains fermenting at 29-30ºC is almost guaranteed to cause problems My daughter (Brisbane) recently entered the world of home brewing and faces similar high-temperature challenges. She purchased a large plastic tub, filled it with water and sat her fermenter in that. Pre-chilled icepacks were then added, several times a day, to the water bath on an ongoing cycle for a few days which managed to hold the temperature down to around 22ºC or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty_G Posted February 15, 2019 Share Posted February 15, 2019 Welcome Dylan, there is not much about brewing that Otto and the others doesn't know about brewing be it Kits or right through to the all grain process of making your own worts ... all I will add is the best pieces of equipment you can get is an old working fridge and a temperature controller so you can maintain a stable temp during fermentation 18ish for an ale and 12ish for a lager . This will help with the quality control of the brews no end ... there is no need to get too involved in the brewing process kits make wonderful beer ... if you plan on brewing lagers you will need to get a stock pile of bottles as they need to sit and mature for about 3 months ... this process is called lagering hence why the beers are called Lagers ... if you want beers to drink which don't need to mature best to do Ales ... have put a link to a controller so you get an idea what I mean but you local home brew shop will have them for sale ... good luck ... https://www.mightyape.com.au/product/mangrove-jacks-dual-temperature-controller-nzau/26858216?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIz-Oe2PK-4AIVGR4rCh32SQ5OEAkYBiABEgKfuPD_BwE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lab Cat Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 Hi, I'm still brewing at ambient home temperatures, and I stopped mixing with boiling water many brews ago. I use hot (not boiling) water only to rinse out every bit of extract from the can, and use warm or cold tap water for the rest of the process. I take my time mixing so I can see what the temp strip is doing. This leaves my pitching temp around 24, and depending on the weather, my brew temp averages about the same this time of year. We had a hot spell last brew and it tended to get to 26 during the day. Either are probably a bit too warm still, but it hasn't ruined any beers, I've made some good pales despite this. I'm sure they'd be a bit better and more consistently so if I regulated the temp. An old bar fridge is the go if you stick with brewing. I just haven't been able to find one locally yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris! Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 Another trick is to pre chill some water and have some ice blocks on hand for if and when you do boils to help get the temp down quickly. Like others have said one if the best ways to make good beer is to keep the temp of fermentation within the recommendations and sometimes on the low side to keep it cleaner and less estery from the yeast. Don't worry most of our first beer was less than desirable,but generally drinkable...I thought my first one was a gift from God. Welcome to the forum. Norris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lab Cat Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 30 minutes ago, Norris! said: Another trick is to pre chill some water and have some ice blocks on hand for if and when you do boils to help get the temp down quickly. I've also used ice from my freezer if my mix gets too warm, as one time it was far too warm for pitching yeast and I couldn't bring it down. I did delay trying this for concerns over sanitation, but it's probably more sanitary than the taps that provide my tap water. But again, no problems. Sanitising equipment is really important, but also shouldn't get OCD about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silmaril Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 If you do make the jump into temp controlled brewing, a common path is to acquire a second hand fridge from Gumtree or Facebook, and hook it up to an Inkbird temp controller. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Inkbird-ITC-308-AU-PLUG-Temperature-Controller-1-97-Probe-240V-Sous-vide-Brew-/331875284839 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
therealthing691 Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 26 minutes ago, Silmaril said: If you do make the jump into temp controlled brewing, a common path is to acquire a second hand fridge from Gumtree or Facebook, and hook it up to an Inkbird temp controller. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Inkbird-ITC-308-AU-PLUG-Temperature-Controller-1-97-Probe-240V-Sous-vide-Brew-/331875284839 for the price to set up temp controlled brewing I kicked my self I didn't do it earlier as it is so much better no twang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dylanbrews Posted February 16, 2019 Author Share Posted February 16, 2019 Hi all, thankyou all for the replies and welcomes, I am looking into a second hand fridge and at a temperature control gauge. Hopefully Will all be operational by time my second brew is ready to go. Muchly appreciated for all the advice and help! Dylan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dylanbrews Posted February 17, 2019 Author Share Posted February 17, 2019 Hey all who are still following, just a few picture updates of my brew and hydrometer level after 72 hours since the brew entered the FV. Does it all look normal? TIA, Dylan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer Baron Posted February 17, 2019 Share Posted February 17, 2019 Looks good to me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamus O'Sean Posted February 17, 2019 Share Posted February 17, 2019 Hi Dylan It looks fine to me. Welcome to the rabbit hole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malter White Posted February 17, 2019 Share Posted February 17, 2019 8 hours ago, dylanbrews said: Hey all who are still following, just a few picture updates of my brew and hydrometer level after 72 hours since the brew entered the FV. Does it all look normal? TIA, Dylan Looks fine. One thing I'd point out if you aren't doing so already is: you'll get more accurate hydrometer readings without bubbles in your test tube. Just slide your hydrometer up and down a few times in the tube to help dislodge any gas and spin the hydrometer in the sample so it settles in the middle of the tube and not against the wall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted February 17, 2019 Share Posted February 17, 2019 Looks fine to me too but I second what Muzzy says about the hydrometer. Bubbles can be removed that way or the sample can just sit there for 15 minutes or so, but it won't read accurately if it's on the wall of the tube. It needs to float freely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoppy81 Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 On 2/18/2019 at 8:33 AM, Otto Von Blotto said: Looks fine to me too but I second what Muzzy says about the hydrometer. Bubbles can be removed that way or the sample can just sit there for 15 minutes or so, but it won't read accurately if it's on the wall of the tube. It needs to float freely. I just inhale/suck the bubbles out haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 Yuck I usually spin the hydrometer a few times then let it sit there and do something else for a bit while the foam settles, and come back to take the reading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoppy81 Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 Yeah i'm impatient Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dylanbrews Posted February 20, 2019 Author Share Posted February 20, 2019 Hi all that are still interested, Brew number 1 being the lager included in the kit is ready for bottling tomorrow. Hydrometer reading of 1017 yesterday and 1015 today, if that is how you read it haha. Quick question I’ve left the collar on it for the whole week instead of taking it off after 3-5 days as recommended any drama here? Also have found a good secondhand fridge capable of fitting the FV in and have an Inkbird on its way... All ready for my second brew being my choice of beer a pale ale. More to follow... regards, Dylan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaddyBrew2 Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 It’s ready for bottling when gravity is same on two consecutive days. I would take another sample to ensure consistency with last one before bottling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 What Paddy said. I prefer 3 days, but I'm kegging these days so it's less of a concern. I still check it anyway, because I like to know that the yeast have done their job even though I'm confident that they have already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaddyBrew2 Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 And no drama with the collar left on. I don’t even use it other than the toucan stout I did Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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