Brewbuddy Lager Kit

ngill111

I have the Brewbuddy Complete Lager Starter Kit, and although there is no doubt a lot better out there, first impression of it I am a pretty happy bunny for the price.

However........My god, I am pathetic. I am a grown man with a full time job, a family to feed, a dog, a cat (I didnt even want a damn cat) ! And yet I am cooing and staring at my first ever FV convinced that its all going to go wrong or someone might breath or fart to close to it and kill it forever.

After spending far too much time pacing around the kitchen wishing I had built and oxygen tent and cordoned off the area over a 3 mile radius so nobody could so much as waft past my first mix, I decided to stop being such a twonk and get on with it.

So the story so far....

• After convincing myself that after sterilzing I hadnt cleaned / rinsed afterwards enough, I went for a ciggie and calmed down (it'll be alreet).

 

• Its been in the FV now for 6 days. It seemed to struggle to get down to the preffered temp and is sitting at 22 deg. Not that worried about that as I have read here that the temp isnt totally critical - if you asked me that 6 days ago I would have been trying to make a weather machine out of things from the garage just to try and get it spot on..but I have mellowed on this point.

 

• It has been sealed in the FV bucket (didnt realise it was ok to leave the top loose), and I havent noticed any sign of leakage. The lid of the FV did actually rise a little over the last few days, which I took as a good sign as it meant something was happening ?? Last 24 hrs though the lid seems to have gone down a little (good thing / bad thing? I have no idea)

 

• There does appear to be some yeast residue (no idea of the technical term) on the inside of the lid, and the rim of the FV. Should I be paranoid about that?

 

• Did my 1st Hydrometer reading today and it is showing 1.010. I will read again over the next 2 days, but realistically would it be likely to keep dropping over 2 days? If not how long can I leave it for before I consider it a lost cause (will probably have another ciggie then either to celebrate or mourn).

 

• It actually smells like...flat lager. I doubt in my entire lager drinking history I have ever been happy to smell (or taste for that matter) flat lager. But right now I am kind of encouraged by that. There is not much in the way of fizz thats for sure, but I guess that bit comes when I bottle it with the carbonation drops? (Being the forward thinking fella that I am I have bought an extra bag of those bad boys so I can use 2 per 500ml bottle).

Now I have written this I am not sure what my point is now. I think in theory at least it sounds like it is almost going to plan. I guess any thoughts / pointers / about where I have or could be going wrong, and what to do next would be appreciated.

No doubt in the coming days I will have a personal crisis about the bottling process next....more ciggies will be on standby for that !

Cheers to all....oh and Hi !

HBO_Staff

Hi! Wow, quite a list there! The good news is everything you say about your brew sounds good, and it is on track the way it should be! The BrewBuddy kit is just as you say, not the best kit available but has everything needed and is a good starting point for the price. It can then be added to with things such as a little bottler, etc to improve it if wanted, and the same equipment can be used to make cider, beer, lager, etc.

Cleanliness is important, but it's just a case of being thorough and making sure everything that is in contact with the brew is cleaned and rinsed. Stand the vessel ideally out of the way, not in draughts or direct sunlight and cover so no contaminants can get in. To minimise the risk of contamination add the yeast to the brew as soon as possible once mixed.

22 degrees is fine, the lid will sometimes rise caused by the pressure in the early stages, then as it slows down the pressure will reduce. There is no hard and fast rule, sometimes there is loads of action and froth, other times it may be slow and fairly quiet, use a hydrometer and take readings to be sure on progress, or if not using one, leave it until all bubbles stop rising from the liquid to be sure it's finished, and at least as long as it says on the instructions. The yeast residue is normal, it is left behind and is often referred to as 'scum' etc, and is perfectly normal. 1010 is a good low reading, so just check it for a couple of days and if it stays the same, it is ready for bottling.

In the early stages the lager will resemble the finished brew, but it will be nowhere near as good as the finished lager, and will indeed be flat at this stage and possibly cloudy. If you prime each 500ml bottle with 2 carbonation drops that will produce good carbonation. Carefully syphon over into your cleaned bottles leaving as much sediment behind as possible and add 2 drops per bottle before sealing. The bottles then need to be left somewhere warm for a few days to begin the 'secondary fermentation' which helps the drops to dissolve and get working. Plastic bottles will firm up, and then can be moved somewhere cooler to clear and condition. The minimum is a couple of weeks, but if you can leave it a few weeks longer you will find the taste of the brew will improve, as well as the carbonation. If consumed too early they wont be properly carbonated or taste their best.

The hardest part is waiting, but you've done the hard work, so it makes sense to drink it at it's best! You've done well so far and it sounds like you've produced a good first brew, any problems or questions just ask

ngill111

Thanks Mr or Mrs HBO

Really appreciate you taking the time to reply

Checked it today and all bubbling action has just about stopped, Hydrometer the same, so I will give it another 24hrs then bottle it up.

Cheers for now

HBO_Staff

Sounds good, just make sure all bubbles have stopped, and the reading is the same for two days in a row, then transfer over into bottles. Prime each bottle with a little sugar and seal them up, and your brew will then carbonate and be ready for drinking in a few weeks time