Hello all,
I was going to start a new thread but this is just the place.
I brewed my first beer 3 weeks ago and I am enjoying the fruits of my labor as I type. I brewed one of those kits from Great Fermentations called PDG (Pretty Darned Good) Pale Ale. This kit was both DME and grain bag plus 4 different hop pellets. It has turned out rather well. It's a little flawed with some thickish mouthfeel and no real head retention but otherwise not bad at all and quite drinkable. Believe both of the flaws are because ferm temps got too high. I have bought a big plastic tub to fill with cool water and sink my fermenter in.
Anyway, brew day for my second batch should be tomorrow. I bought one of those cans of Cooper's LME, pre-hopped (3.5 lbs.) along with 1 lb. of Pilsner DME and 1/2 lb. of corn sugar. So those are the ingredients for the wort. I'll have left-over corn sugar for priming.
The directions seem completely bogus to me. We can get into that later but when you more experienced brewers hear what the instructions say about ferment temps you are going to be in shock.
Anyway, how would you guys go about the wort boil. The directions pretty much just say add boiling water to the LME and DME and then pour into fermenter with cold water until you get temp down to pitching temp.
Really, should this not boil for awhile? I realize I will not be adding hops but should it not go through the hot break? Can I just do what I did with the other kit I had even though there is no grain bag and addition of hops?
I am certain your advice will be better than the directions.
Now about those ferm temps the directions recommend. Get this. Calls for 70 to 80 degrees F and the hotter the better, even recommending getting towards 90. Now I am going to quote. Here goes the quote "hot box (box with a low wattage light globe attached inside), heat pad, heat belt, immersion heater, place fermenter near a storage hot water system, etc."
I swear that is what it says. I have heard from you all over and over again to keep ferm temps around 64 degrees or so for an ale and I believe it so this seems like criminal info.
Appreciate any advice on this kit. I know it is real basic and even much more basic than my first brew.
UPDATE: I am nearly finished with drinking my second bottle of my first batch and it's actually quite good. Not going to win awards but I am happy thus far!