my first brew is on it's way

Untie Jill · Post by **Untie Jill** » Monday Feb 05, 2007 6:48 am

I bought the coopers kit for my Uncle, I was only going to make Ginger beer but he doesn't want to start it just yet and I couldn't wait. I found a brewer shop on Saturday, very interesting and extremely helpful, bought another fermenter and the Premium home brew VB kit.

I watched the coopers video, sterilized everything Saturday and made it up Sunday. It's all bubling away, laundry smells like a brewery...

It's going to be 38 degrees here today, the coolest part of the house is the laundry, I have my fingers crossed it doesn't get hot in there and kill the yeast, I have to go to work so I can't leave a fan on.

Rysa · Post by **Rysa** » Monday Feb 05, 2007 8:03 am

Wrap wet tea towels around it, i've had them around mine for the past few days and they've kept it at 20>22c.

rwh · Post by **rwh** » Monday Feb 05, 2007 9:57 am

I did a couple of brews a few weeks back and they were pretty badly affected by the heat; brewed around 28Â°C.

I was just desperate to try out my kegging system so I didn't mind too much... but what I learned was a good kegging system with crap beer isn't much fun.

So, I'm now brewing with my fermenter sitting in a bath of idophor, with small PET bottles of frozen water being cycled through the freezer. Seems to be keeping it down around 20Â°C.

Pity I don't have a fridge big enough to brew in, cos I already have a fridgemate...

Pale_Ale · Post by **Pale_Ale** » Monday Feb 05, 2007 11:28 am

rwh, I too now have a FridgeMate too, but only have a bar fridge. The fermenter fits (Coopers type) but not with the airlock. What I did was get some 6mm tubing which I run off the top off of the fermenter, and then I attached an airlock to a lower point in the fridge, running the tube in between. No issues so far

rwh · Post by **rwh** » Monday Feb 05, 2007 11:33 am

Ah ok, maybe I need to get a coopers fermenter then... all mine are from the local HBS and are a bit taller and skinnier. Would you mind posting the dimensions of yours so I can measure up my fridge to see if it'll fit?

The other option instead of an airlock is a blowoff tube, where you just get some tube and run it down into a small container of water. Especially good if you have a krausen-explosion.

drsmurto · Post by **drsmurto** » Monday Feb 05, 2007 11:39 am

40 degrees here all weekend and my fermenters stayed at 20 degC with wet towels - they sit in a tray of water that i top up so the towel is constantly drawing up water keeping it wet. 5 mins in the room and i am sweating like a pig but the beer stays at 20 no worries!

Pale_Ale · Post by **Pale_Ale** » Monday Feb 05, 2007 11:42 am

rwh wrote:Ah ok, maybe I need to get a coopers fermenter then... all mine are from the local HBS and are a bit taller and skinnier. Would you mind posting the dimensions of yours so I can measure up my fridge to see if it'll fit?

The other option instead of an airlock is a blowoff tube, where you just get some tube and run it down into a small container of water. Especially good if you have a krausen-explosion.

I'll measure it up tonight, although you may find dimensions on the web in the mean time (ebay, cooopers etc.)

I have a 30L HBS type fermenter as well and that is a fair bit taller

Your other option sounds alot like a combination of what I have done...I use a tube to run off but instead of putting into water, I've attached a standard airlock to the inside of the fridge. It's been bubbling nicely at 18C for the last few days

Pale_Ale · Post by **Pale_Ale** » Monday Feb 05, 2007 6:15 pm

rwh wrote:Ah ok, maybe I need to get a coopers fermenter then... all mine are from the local HBS and are a bit taller and skinnier. Would you mind posting the dimensions of yours so I can measure up my fridge to see if it'll fit?

The fermenter is roughly 45cm including lid, not including airlock.

Untie Jill · Post by **Untie Jill** » Monday Feb 05, 2007 6:17 pm

Darn...The temp was on 30, I wrapped a wet towel around it as you said and it has taken it down to 28, so I wrapped another couple around...

Is it ruined...I only made it yesterday

Pale_Ale · Post by **Pale_Ale** » Monday Feb 05, 2007 6:21 pm

It's not ruined, but it's not going to have the best flavour.

A laundry sink filled with ice works well, with a wet towel wrapped round. Kept my last brew at 20-22 in 35C+ days...

Untie Jill · Post by **Untie Jill** » Monday Feb 05, 2007 6:47 pm

I'll have to wait till someone comes home to help me lift it into the laundry sink..I have 5 wet towels around it, but it's still sitting at 28. It may have even been hotter in the mid afternoon..

Oh well my uncle did say you usually have to throw the first one out..Maybe I could use it for beer batter or add to shampoo..I've heard beer is supposed to be great for washing hair in.

I'll follow the process right through and see what I end up with.

Pale_Ale · Post by **Pale_Ale** » Monday Feb 05, 2007 6:51 pm

Don't worry, it will be totally drinkable...you'll be pleasantly surprised. Never plan to fail like your uncle.

I don't think more towels would make a difference, just use on or 2 to cover the fermenter. I doubt the temp would have been hotter this afternoon, the beer doesn't fluctuate that much. That's why if you can keep it cool you'll get through one or 2 hot days...

Untie Jill · Post by **Untie Jill** » Monday Feb 05, 2007 7:21 pm

Thanks for keeping my confidence up..

I haven't toled my uncle yet. I think he's hoping mine will flop so that he can say he can make beer..Thats ok

The neighbours hanging out for the first taste to see what it's like.

KEG · Post by **KEG** » Monday Feb 05, 2007 8:12 pm

it will taste fine. it will be a bit fruitier though. give it a few weeks in the bottle and it will improve. my first brew was the same. don't worry

rwh · Post by **rwh** » Tuesday Feb 06, 2007 10:18 am

If you can't lift it into the sink, then train a fan on it. That'll increase the rate of evaporation and cool your brew faster.

rwh · Post by **rwh** » Tuesday Feb 06, 2007 10:20 am

Pale_Ale wrote:The fermenter is roughly 45cm including lid, not including airlock.

Thanks Pale. I'll measure up the fridge tonight.

Hmm... If I buy another fermenter, that'll make 5...

Growler & 1/2 Pint · Tuesday Feb 06, 2007 11:32 am

My first attempt fermented at 32 degrees! It was totally drinkable but a little on the fruity side, but still refreshing after a long day. i'm planning on building one of these suckers when summer rolls round here in the States.

http://home.elp.rr.com/brewbeer/chiller/chiller.PDF

Noodles · Post by **Noodles** » Tuesday Feb 06, 2007 1:10 pm

I've been drinking a dark ale which unfortunately got up to 30c for a couple of days and it tastes fine.

The only tip i'll add to the wet towel is using a fan as well. I managed to get the above brew from 30c to 20c in about 10 hours using a wet beach towel and a pedestal fan. Once the brew was down to 20c I didn't need the fan anymore, the wet towel kept it at 20-22c.

Untie Jill · Post by **Untie Jill** » Tuesday Feb 06, 2007 5:21 pm

It was sitting on 22 this morning, It's still on 22 this evening, I still have the towels around it, even though it's alot cooler today..If we get another hot day like yesterday I'll put the fan in there as well..

Thanks everyone for your help and encouragement...

Zuma · Post by **Zuma** » Wednesday Feb 07, 2007 10:06 am

Noodles wrote:I've been drinking a dark ale which unfortunately got up to 30c for a couple of days and it tastes fine.

The only tip i'll add to the wet towel is using a fan as well. I managed to get the above brew from 30c to 20c in about 10 hours using a wet beach towel and a pedestal fan. Once the brew was down to 20c I didn't need the fan anymore, the wet towel kept it at 20-22c.

Darker brews will help mask any faults in your technique.