Newbie beer kit info needed

by **Hill** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 9:03 pm

Mac if your looking at making a great beer you can't get any better than including grain, all grain is the pinical but you can make some pretty good stuff with biab or partial mash. Basically grain gives the beer head retention and mouth feel you can't get from kits alone. If it is just easy kits you wanted I allways liked coopers premium(heritage lager) series or the Morgan's premium kits. Next I'd recommend using liquid malt instead of dextrose, it will help a little bit with head retention and mouth feel. If you feel like taking it a step further get yourself a 20L pot and boil up a few kg of grain, it won't be too much trouble and will make a huge difference to the end product. Next I'd recommend boiling up some hops not only will it give you some great flavors the smell of hops boiling is amazing. Lastly yeast can be one of the main things you can look at to make better beer, I personally don't recommend using the kits yeast as you don't know what temp the kit has been kept at, in my experience wyeast is one on the best yeast you can use but the saf series can make some pretty good beers. Also try keep your fermentation temps low and constant, temp change is one of the biggest causes of off flavors.

I hope some of that helps

by **MacStill** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 9:04 pm

mullamulla wrote:It's true, and easier if your not going the full monty ;-)

le' good shit http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/default.asp?CID=88

At $50 a pop I dont want to know about it, I can get a 50L keg filled from u brew it for $140 & don't need to do fuck all except go pick it up and put it in the fridge 8-}

by **MacStill** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 9:11 pm

Hill wrote:Mac if your looking at making a great beer you can't get any better than including grain, all grain is the pinical but you can make some pretty good stuff with biab or partial mash. Basically grain gives the beer head retention and mouth feel you can't get from kits alone. If it is just easy kits you wanted I allways liked coopers premium(heritage lager) series or the Morgan's premium kits. Next I'd recommend using liquid malt instead of dextrose, it will help a little bit with head retention and mouth feel. If you feel like taking it a step further get yourself a 20L pot and boil up a few kg of grain, it won't be too much trouble and will make a huge difference to the end product. Next I'd recommend boiling up some hops not only will it give you some great flavors the smell of hops boiling is amazing. Lastly yeast can be one of the main things you can look at to make better beer, I personally don't recommend using the kits yeast as you don't know what temp the kit has been kept at, in my experience wyeast is one on the best yeast you can use but the saf series can make some pretty good beers. Also try keep your fermentation temps low and constant, temp change is one of the biggest causes of off flavors.

I hope some of that helps

It helps a lot, I do appreciate all the info & will progress quickly but in the short term I would like a cheap reasonable beer that's easy to get me going.

Maybe I should just clear and keg some UJ made from barley instead of corn :think: :think: :D :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:

by **Sam.** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 9:24 pm

mullamulla wrote:It's true, and easier if your not going the full monty ;-)

le' good shit http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/default.asp?CID=88

Fark they are expensive!

Anything from the Coopers range is great in my opinion. Even their yeasts are usually pretty good.

All I really do these days is a can of goo, a brew enhancer (normally brewshaft brewblend #15) and then add some hops. Get either pellets or flowers or whatever you can, I put usually between 20g and 50g in a hop bag or a hop ball and chuck in a glass jug then cover with boiling water and let steep for 10 minutes then add it all to the fermenter when mixing everything else up.

This is easiest quickest way I can make my beer and it doesn't taste half bad. I can have 2 brews put down in under an hour then when they are done have them both kegged and all the shit cleaned up in and hour and a half :handgestures-thumbupleft: Beats the shit out of taking all day when you are strapped for time. And yes I do know that all grain usually tastes better.

by **mullamulla** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 9:25 pm

McStill wrote:
mullamulla wrote:It's true, and easier if your not going the full monty ;-)

le' good shit http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/default.asp?CID=88

At $50 a pop I dont want to know about it, I can get a 50L keg filled from u brew it for $140 & don't need to do fuck all except go pick it up and put it in the fridge 8-}

:)) Trust meeeee, taste it... life isn't all about pennies ;-)

If you're looking to start out the easiest way and make nice beer instead of cheap shit then its good.... if your looking to make excellent beer, cheap all grain is the the holy grail and if you just want cheap... then... I suppose get the kits :violence-stickwhack: it's all a weighing game.

You'll never come close bang for buck wise than distilling, but if you get the bug for good beer, she's a hard bitch to dump :))

....We will convert you to poofter beer.... oh yes.... in time we will :banana-rainbow: :teasing-neener:

by **MacStill** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 9:36 pm

Oh I have no doubt I'll progress to more fancy beers, I never do anything half arsed as you can probably tell but for now time and pennies do count.

S&L idea sounds like a winner to me, a couple cans of goop and fill the keg once done... then sit back and slurp a "reasonable" beer :D

To be honest though, the beer from U brew it is hard to beet at $140 a keg full... just the slack cunt what dropped the fridge n keg off didnt organise more in time, fucking so called mates hey, I'll fix him :laughing-rolling:

by **Sam.** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 9:38 pm

You will make better beer than U-Brew It with kits and decent yeast. I don't rate their shit at all. :handgestures-thumbdown:

by **mullamulla** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 10:10 pm

It's a bloody good deal considering the labour involved I reckon but you'll be making MUCH better stuff in no time :handgestures-thumbupleft:

I'm one of those impulsive buggers that like to jump in head first (all grain) so I haven't had much experience with brewing K&K ( apart from drinking em :shifty: ) but some tips I could recommend are:

Don't listen to the directions on that yeast packet if you're going a coopers kit, your beer will NOT be happy at 30', the yeast will throw all sorts of funky esters if fermented that high, 18 - 22ish is much better for ales (low end of that scale for my tastes) & even lower for lagers.

Cold conditioning is great for clearing up a beer before bottling, I like to cold crash most beers in the fridge (except heffes etc) for a week before bottling, I've never bothered filtering and have been happy with this.

Let the beer condition a while in the bottle, give it as long as you can resist before you crack em, 4 weeks is recommended by most for OG-1050ish ales but I like to leave em much longer if I can resist :D and the higher the gravity the beer.... the more time is needed!

by **MacStill** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 10:40 pm

..ambient temps here in Perf at the moment seem ideal for beer, for the next week we're looking at temps between 12 & 23 degrees

I should be able to do some good ferments in this weather, yeah ??

by **mullamulla** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 10:51 pm

Sounds good, you could always throw some heat at it before you go to bed if needed.. no matter what you'll be making beer, just might take a little longer if its cold but it'll be nice and clean.

Wrap it up either way to slow temp changes too

by **googe** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 12:32 am

Pretty good temps, and like mullamulla said try keep the temps steady. I wouldnt stress to much though for your first time, coppers larger or pale ale are great starter brews, any monkey could do it and end up with nicer tasting beer than store shit. Just keep things clean, dont ferment to high temps, dont use all sugar, (dex and LDM are the go) and let it carbonate properly.

by **caveman** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 12:45 am

googe wrote: any monkey could do it and end up with nicer tasting beer than store shit

monkey-and-beer.jpg

by **BackyardBrewer** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 8:15 am

I agree spend a tiny bit more on premium yeast, and then reuse it by just pitching your next k&k ontop of the yeast cake.

Next invest in a tiny bit of hops and throw that in after soaking and straining through a coffee plunger and you'll notice a huge diff.

I use craftbrewer.com.au to deliver to SA and they have a killer simple website and fast delivery.

So:
1: Starsan for sanitising and clean...clean like a bitch, beer is way less forgiving than my TPW:-)
2: Wyeast or similar liquid yeast
3: some Nelson Sauvin hops for steeping (hop tea for your finished ferment before bottling)
4: Coopers Pale Ale kit

And that will give you a pretty cheap and damn close fake of a Little Creatures / Fat Yak Pale Ale (the Nelson Sauvin hops is the key)

by **MacStill** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 9:23 am

BackyardBrewer wrote:I agree spend a tiny bit more on premium yeast, and then reuse it by just pitching your next k&k ontop of the yeast cake.

Next invest in a tiny bit of hops and throw that in after soaking and straining through a coffee plunger and you'll notice a huge diff.

I use craftbrewer.com.au to deliver to SA and they have a killer simple website and fast delivery.

So:
1: Starsan for sanitising and clean...clean like a bitch, beer is way less forgiving than my TPW:-)
2: Wyeast or similar liquid yeast
3: some Nelson Sauvin hops for steeping (hop tea for your finished ferment before bottling)
4: Coopers Pale Ale kit

And that will give you a pretty cheap and damn close fake of a Little Creatures / Fat Yak Pale Ale (the Nelson Sauvin hops is the key)

Sounds perfect :handgestures-thumbupleft:

I wont be bottling though, I've got a kegorator on loan for a while and a few spare 50L kegs :dance:

by **Sam.** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 9:48 am

Safale US-05 dry yeast is a winner as well. It can be pitched straight in and always makes a good beer

by **Divey** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 11:38 am

What style of beer do you want to make Mac?

by **MacStill** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 11:40 am

Divey wrote:What style of beer do you want to make Mac?

I enjoyed a carton of Fat Yak pale ale I bought a few months back :handgestures-thumbupleft:

by **Divey** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 11:48 am

Hmmmmm, personally I'm a Lager man (making 150 litres as I type).

There should be a few recipes you can grab off a Forum that may assist. Have a look at this Forum, http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/ join up and search their recipe section for a Fat Yak clone using Kits with a little touch up.

by **BackyardBrewer** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 2:35 pm

sam_and_liv wrote:Safale US-05 dry yeast is a winner as well. It can be pitched straight in and always makes a good beer

+1, that's an excellent yeast for the style, always a sachet of that in my fridge. Also one you can use twice re-pitching a new kit and malt straight on top.

by **zwagerman9** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 7:03 pm

Mac,
As far as temps go, personally I stick to 18'c with ale yeasts unless after a fruity ale, but that point aside.
If you have the spare fridge which is empty while your waiting to fill that keg. The fridge will hold them temps more "stable". Personally I've started doing lagers at around 12'c and I have my fridge set on a timer to turn on for 40 minutes at 1200 and 2400. Easy.
We will want your reviews of your beers once you get them kegged!!

Rae