AndrewF111 Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Ive been following this website for a while now, and with moving interstate and dramas of 1st home it's been almost a year when I got the bug to home brew. Today with the DIY kit I put down a brew my first brew. 1 thing I need advice is when mixing ingreadients (before yeast was added) there was little to no froth. I put in order, the brew enhancer 1, then 2 litres of boiling water, then the coopers larger then mixed and added cold tap water to 23ltrs and temp was 28-30 deg, sg 1037 I put in yeast straight after filling to 23 ltrs. house temp was 24 deg Should I be worried? Also I was steralizing equip with hot tap water as suggested in dvd and my hydrometer tube is now bent, so what out of the DIY kit can handle boiling water, or even hot water? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewF111 Posted March 19, 2011 Author Share Posted March 19, 2011 For some reason cant post picture Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biermoasta Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Congrats on putting down the first brew! [biggrin] It sounds good to me, I've only had lots of froth when mixing brews with lots of malt. As for sterilising, the hydrometer doesn't need to be sterilised. The hydrometer should not be placed in the fermenting beer, only in a sample which has removed from the fermenter. Hence it poses no risk of infection. Don't rinse the PET bottles with hot or boiling water as they will become deformed. I have rinsed the fermenter/tap/spoon/krausen kollar/lid with boiling water and have had no problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LazyDave Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 I get days like that, one day there's a heap of froth, somedays none, it doesn't matter how much you whip or stir the brew. I call it 'thin mix' or 'thick mix' and note it on my brew record. But I have never had to look back, as it seems to have no relevance. My best guess is there is still a bit of sanitiser in the barrel and it kills the bubbles like soap does in bubble bath. Happy brewing [happy] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoyG Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 I am the same with my brews. Sometimes I get lots of froth and sometimes I dont. All the brews have turned out great so dont think it matters. I also put hot water in the hydrometer tube and deformed it. Lesson learned. Bought a solid plastic one and have not looked back. Now all i need is a plastic hydrometer and all will be good.[biggrin] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GerardC2 Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Hi Andrew, I recently brewed the lager kit as my first brew also, followed the same procedure as you describe above. Had some froth while stiring around but quickly disappeared once I stopped stiring. The brew turned out great. Went down very well with family and friends with not one bad comment. I'm sure yours will turn out the same. I've got hooked on this now. Currently brewing my third batch and going to buy the ingredients for the next couple tomorrow. I have also deformed one of my PET bottles by rinsing with water that was too hot, other than that everything else stood the hot water, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer Loving Trent Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 so i take it that you should only wash out you PET bottles in luke warm or cold water? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muddy Waters Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 After you your beer you can give them a brief shake with some hot tap water if you quickly follow up with cold water. Use a soft drink bottle to see what hot water will do to them if you're not careful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 I could be wrong but if I recall correctly, I am sure it said on the DvD not to wash PET bottles in hot water. That long ago now though I can't really remember. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matty A Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 I could be wrong but if I recall correctly, I am sure it said on the DvD not to wash PET bottles in hot water. That long ago now though I can't really remember. Use warm water Bill. If you use hot water you damage the bottles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JnN7881 Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 I'm brewing my first batch, Coopers Lager. A cold front hit the day of pitching causing Primary fermentation average temps of about 16 Deg C. I've just bottled but not sure if my yeast is still viable for secondary fermentation. It's now being stored at average temps of 17 Deg C. I understand that Lagers should be fermented at much lower temps (13 to 18) than Ales, the instructions said to keep it between 21 and 27. Will my first brew be ok? Any way of checking if my yeast buddies are doing ok? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muddy Waters Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 I could be wrong but if I recall correctly, I am sure it said on the DvD not to wash PET bottles in hot water. That long ago now though I can't really remember. Absolutely, it isn't recommended that hot water comes in contact with PET. The method I mentioned above is ok IMO but not really necessary. A small amount of warm-hot water is only in brief contact with the bottle. But when it comes down to it it isbest to avoid hot water. I'm brewing my first batch' date=' Coopers Lager. A cold front hit the day of pitching causing Primary fermentation average temps of about 16 Deg C. I've just bottled but not sure if my yeast is still viable for secondary fermentation. It's now being stored at average temps of 17 Deg C. I understand that Lagers should be fermented at much lower temps (13 to 18) than Ales, the instructions said to keep it between 21 and 27. Will my first brew be ok? Any way of checking if my yeast buddies are doing ok?[/quote'] Hi Nicholas, Welcome [biggrin] First things first. The Coopers Original Series Lager that comes with the Coopers DIY kit is actually brewed as an ale (Ideal temps 18-21C) with an ale yeast supplied. Confused yet? It isn't a true lager and is supplied with an ale yeast in the belief that most novice brewers in Australia would have trouble brewing the beer at lager temps(9-13C). Everything sounds ok assuming you acheived final gravity. For the first couple of weeks you need to keep your bottles above 18C so that they carbonate nicely. After that you can store them somewhere cooler if you want. In colder weather I store my bottles in my kitchen cupbords as it is generally warmer in living areas. Assuming you have bottled in PET you will find they will feel tighter when you squeeze them after the first week. This is a good sign that carbonation is well under way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 I could be wrong but if I recall correctly, I am sure it said on the DvD not to wash PET bottles in hot water. That long ago now though I can't really remember. Use warm water Bill. If you use hot water you damage the bottles. Yep, like I said [cool] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muddy Waters Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 I sometimes use a splash of hot (hot ok but boiling water will instantly ruin your bottles) and have never damaged my bottles [innocent] ...of course I like to live dangerously (make my shandy a double please barkeep[sideways] ). I'll shut I'm now as I'm beginning to repeat myself without really saying anything useful [lol] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer Loving Trent Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 I only used luke warm water to rinse out my PET bottles that came with the DIY kit after reading all these posts thanks again guys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muddy Waters Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 Even though I've stated that I sometimes rinse with a bit of warm or hot water it really isn't necessary. The most important piece of advice I can give is to give the bottles a quick rinse out as soon as you empty them - It makes it a lot easier. Of course with PET bottles if you make sure the lid is screwed on you can leave them for later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeonardC2 Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 I fill my bottles about 1/4th of the way with cold water,hold my other hand over the opening,& shake it like it owes me money. Dump that out,repeat till the water comes out clean. In other words,no foam or colors. Works every time,with PET or glass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer Loving Trent Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 Well my next question which is better for long term storage Glass bottles or PET? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PB2 Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 I use sturdy glass bottles for presentation purposes, extra special brews and brews intended for long term storage. There's an FAQ on this [biggrin] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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