Kit O' Beer #2 - Canadian Blonde

Day 10. Cooler today but still warm.

Original Gravity was 1.036.
1st reading was 1.016 (@23C Day 4).
2nd reading was 1.014 (@22C Day 5).
3rd reading was 1.014 (@23C Day 6).
4th reading was 1.0125 (@24C Day 7).
5th reading was 1.012 (@24C Day 8).
6th reading was 1.012 (@22C Day 9).
7th reading was 1.010 (@23C Day 10).

Comments: Lower temps around town today. Beer ran 23C. Thinking we might be done yesterday based on the specific gravity but today still some more to go. I'd say we split the difference 1.010 - 1.011. on the scale. Why does the scale always stop facing away from you when taking a reading?

Color and clarity is very good. Nice color and nothing to see as floating sediment.

Appreciate the advice BT. I'm keen to get some real lagering done before next summer so will be working some more fridge space just for beer. THen we will see what we can do.

Day 11. A repeat of yesterday

Original Gravity was 1.036.
1st reading was 1.016 (@23C Day 4).
2nd reading was 1.014 (@22C Day 5).
3rd reading was 1.014 (@23C Day 6).
4th reading was 1.0125 (@24C Day 7).
5th reading was 1.012 (@24C Day 8).
6th reading was 1.012 (@22C Day 9).
7th reading was 1.010 (@23C Day 10).
8th reading was 1.010 (@23C Day 11).

Comments: No significant change today. 29C in the room and 23C in the beer. Its nudging up. The air is drier and the water has been evaporating faster. Other than that steady as she goes. Have not had time to pick up more bottles. Going to have to make it tomorrow for bottling. Flat out with everything else and more piling on so want to get it done and it looks like time.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Glass

I'm keen to get some real lagering done before next summer so will be working some more fridge space just for beer. THen we will see what we can do.

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A good way to go is to buy an older chest freezer. They can often be gotten for very cheap. Doesn't have to look good. Buy a temperature regulator switch off ebay. Plug it in and set your temp and you're good to go.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by woodman

A good way to go is to buy an older chest freezer. They can often be gotten for very cheap. Doesn't have to look good. Buy a temperature regulator switch off ebay. Plug it in and set your temp and you're good to go.

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Exactly right. I happen to have one sitting over in storage right now, but I think shipping it to Oz wouldn't be cost effective. Besides, if I ever start homebrewing again, I will be using it for this purpose. Otherwise, I may turn it into a kegerator.

thats what I am looking for at the moment but it will really be a couple months before I could afford any $ towards it. If something turns up free I'll grab it but otherwise it's on top of the list.

I think it's interesting that we all have different things at the top of our list, given we all have different circumstances and environments.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Libertytree

I think it's interesting that we all have different things at the top of our list, given we all have different circumstances and environments.

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You're right LT. It's the nature of the beast. Make it better, faster stronger than it was before :-). I've been in this boat a couple times. Various hobbies that once you get into them it can be a never ending adventure to get it "more better" next time. Tweak a little here and there. The other side of the coin is that you make em social. So you can share info, sample others efforts and make very strong friendships if you choose. Of course there can be rivalry but good natured is best.

I probably would not have had a go if it wasn't for the talk here and around me in the real world at the same time. I noticed so many people talking home brew I figured I should jump in.

What I appreciate is the ideas and advice. Sometimes I've heard it or been reading about it but to hear it again from different sources is reassuring that you are on the path.

Bottling soon maybe. I'll do one more reading and see where it is at but am prepping if it's a steady one.

Day 12- Dodici

Reading was a steady 1.010. I think that spells Bingo. Bottled 30 x 740ml tonight or King Browns as we call them down under. 23C.

I already decided I am going to be brewing more of this. I think this has quaffer potential. It is shaping up as an easy drinker so it could be a staple in the cool room. This beer, well both so far have been straight forward. This beer looks golden in colour when you draw a sample. In the fermenter it looks a golden red colour. Very clear at the end. There was a lot of sediment the consistency of curd or tofu.

Some settles on a sloping ledge above the spigot. At some point it gets enough drag to break free and end up in the bottles. I looked at an auto syphon and for the money it is worth a try. Draw from the top and avoid stirring up the sediment. If it works out ok then I will be ready to use any thing for a fermenter and 5gal pails are under $15. An airlock or not as I've already seen, couple bucks max.

I was checking out the kit o' beer beer beer options at the liquor store picking up the extra bottles. Not a fan of cerveza or dark beers. Ales, lagers and bitters are my thing. I will probably do this one again straight away and scheme for pilsners and lagers for this winter. Maybe a bitter or two. There are a couple different levels in coopers so enough to be occupied with for a while. Then there are other brand kits.

I would like to get to a point where I'm doing all grain and messing with these for testing ideas or keeping up supply. Probably like most people brewers I suppose.

Ah ha! Its uno, duo, tre, quattro, cinque, sei, sette, days in the bottle. Nothing to report. I'll wait another week and then we can sample.

It's been hot most of this past week. 38C +. I'm reading higher temps here and out and about by as many as +5C. Mostly +3C but have not found anywhere as low as reported. I don't think I've been able to get the temps below 25-26 and I think it's been creeping a fair bit. So I don't know what the impact will be. It's tough to brew in these temps without temp control.

I've been tempted just to jam them in the fridge and then just leave them for a month or however long. Just so they don't get some kind of funk.

Today is day 14 in the bottle. There are no bottles that are really ripe. I grabbed a black cap and a white cap. 24 hours on the chill. Today am tasting the white cap.

The smell is the same smell it was when fermented. No real change there. That smell detected in KoB #1 is only just there and is gone by the time you take a second whiff. The colour is a nice golden colour. KoB #1 came out a darker amber colour while this is more like a golden pale ale colour. There is some cloudiness to the beer. Again it seems consistent with a pale ale in that respect.

There is virtually no carbonation at this time in this beer. It's basically flat. No head to speak of. There is some small amount of carbonation but it's very lazy and doesn't do much more than put a sharpish edge to the beer when you swallow it. It is much slower to carbonate than KoB #1 was. I think at this rate it could need another month before we see anything. I am shelving these in a water bath to try and keep the temp lower and stable at temps close to the ferment temps. This is probably causing the slower carbonation rate. I did this with KoB #1 and they went into the fridge after 2 weeks so they were not really going to carbonate in a hurry.

The flavour is nice, not strong by any means. It is quite sweet suggesting a bit of the sugars did not ferment. It did have about 15 - 20% LDME. An easy drinker that you would take a keg to a bbq. I don't think I would brew this as a straight blonde again for me. I think it needs something to give it an edge.

I'm going to drink the second half of the bottle and see how I feel about it.