My First Batch of Home Brew is Underway
February 6, 2008 – 11:54 am | by jaygaulardcom
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I opened up my new Coopers Home Brew kit last night and got to work. I was pretty excited to see how I should put together the ingredients. I had already watched the DVD that came with the package on YouTube, so I was a bit familiar with what to do.
There was something that came off as a bit confusing. In the can with the beer type and yeast packet, came one set of instructions. Then, in a booklet, there was another set of instructions. Then, the DVD offered very similar, but different instructions. I know that each type of beer will have it’s own instructions, but I really wasn’t sure which one to follow. Really, the only thing that was different was whether or not to stir in the yeast. One set of instructions (the one that I was following) said to sprinkle the yeast on top of the mixture (wort) and immediately seal the container. Then, the video said to sprinkle on the yeast and immediately stir it in, then seal the container. Unfortunately, I didn’t stir it in. I had to go back later and agitate the container to stir it in. I know how sensitive yeast can be, so I have my fingers crossed. When I woke up this morning, the air seal thingy up on top of the lid was bubbling, so I know there is some fermentation going on.
Here are some photos of what it looks like…
Basically, you mix together the concentrate, sugar, water and yeast and seal the container. Then, you have to keep the mixture between 21 and 27 degrees celsius. That’s the best temperature for the yeast to work. You have to keep it that way for 4-7 days, until the bubbles stop. Then, you have to check the mixture with a hydrometer to check it’s alcohol content. After that, bottle the beer and wait a little more. I will write more about that when I get to it. For now, I am just hoping that it ferments properly.
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Tags: beer, bottling, brew, brewery, coopers, hydrometer, sugar, yeast
4 Responses to “My First Batch of Home Brew is Underway”
By Paul on Feb 8, 2008 | Reply
Did you boil the wort? My neighbor in Albany used to make his own beer and boiling the wort was a big deal. Getting to cool fast enough to sprinkle the yeast in and seal up the brewing vessel was key to not making a contaminated batch of beer. If it has an apple flavor, that means the batch was contaminated with bacteria. There is a lot of other stuff that we talked about, but we were also into drinking the results, so I don’t remember too much than that. Good luck, it looks good!
By jaygaulardcom on Feb 8, 2008 | Reply
It isn’t necessary to boil all the water, like it is for the “real” home brewing. This kit only requires that a few liters are boiled and then the rest of the water be between 21 and 24 degrees.
I am going to have 30 bottles of Australian Lager, so you may need to come have a few.
By Paul on Feb 8, 2008 | Reply
21 to 24 degrees Celsius I presume?
By jaygaulardcom on Feb 9, 2008 | Reply
You presume correctly.