Festa Brew Newbie advice etc

[Duke71]

Hey folks,a newbie on the site here,decided to get back in the home brewing gig and make a few attempts at it again after 3 fails.With all the equipment in hand and ready to make another attempt i purchased a Festa Brew Blonde Lager kit.The previous problems i always encountered were a very under carbonated beer i think %95 my bad with bulk priming and bottling temps.Any help on how to end up with a good carbonated full head home brew would be greatly appreciated.Few questions i have are
-Primary Fermenter duration?it says 3-5 days?i'm thinking too short
-Racking?
-Bottling,Glass or plastic?,bulk prime or carbonation drops?

[MitchK]

I wouldn't bother with a secondary fermentation.

I'd just brew it in a clearbrew bucket (or if you already have a primary fermenter you like - I just like the clearbrew because it doesn't require an airlock) until it's done (confirmed by hydrometer readings - anywhere from 1 to 2.5 weeks usually at ale temps - dunno if you were planning on properly "lagering" that kit).

After your single stage fermentation is over I'd use an autosiphon to rack it into a second bucket for bottling that you have sanitized and already dumped your priming sugar into (dissolved in some boiling water to sanitize) - this way the beer being racked onto the priming sugar should distribute it fairly evenly without too much stirring to introduce oxygen. A brief swirl to make sure it's even and then autosiphon + bottling wand into your bottles. Shouldn't matter what bottles you use honestly - Grolsch bottles with the ceramic flip tops have been my go to despite their green glass necessitating more careful storage in terms of light struck beer... Amber PET with screw caps seems dead easy as long as you aren't a plastic-phobe or desire glass for "classyness" reasons. Crown caps require a special capper.

[LeafMan66_67]

With bulk priming, patience is key. When I bottled, I found that carbonation at room temp or slightly lower took around three weeks.

[jacinthebox]

calculate how much priming sugar you need for your batch using this tool http://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/

I'm not sure how much comes with those kits

[ErictheGreat]

calculate how much priming sugar you need for your batch using this tool http://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/

I'm not sure how much comes with those kits

I don't think the kits come with priming sugar. You can get pre bagged 4oz corn sugar at Noble Grape or buy in bulk at Everwood Ave Brew Shop or bulk barn.

[jacinthebox]

calculate how much priming sugar you need for your batch using this tool http://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/

I'm not sure how much comes with those kits

I don't think the kits come with priming sugar. You can get pre bagged 4oz corn sugar at Noble Grape or buy in bulk at Everwood Ave Brew Shop or bulk barn.

That's what I feared...a quick brewer's friend Calc says for 21l of wort (assuming u lost 2l of volume to trub) @20c and 2.4 volume ud need 5oz

[Duke71]

No the kits do not come with the dextrose,but i purchased some.Thanks for all the tips and hints guys.Great forum.What's your guys thoughts on bulk priming vs bottle priming this batch or for future batches of different types?

[CorneliusAlphonse]

I always bulk primed, just dissolve the sugar in a bit of water, boil a couple minutes to sanitize, throw it in a bucket and siphon your beer on top of it, then mix gently n siphon into bottles. Like the others said though, patience is key - it takes a solid 3 weeks before the carbonation is really ready. Sometimes I would drink after 2 weeks but it always got better as you wait a bit longer.

what yeast does the lager kit come with? i've never tried brewing a lager using dry yeast.

[Duke71]

Yeast: Saflager S-23 that's what came with the kit,although i'm in Alberta i'm trying to maintain the proper lager temps seeing that it's cool enough where i'm fermenting right now.

[chalmers]

What are your bottling temps and carbonating times?

By "bulk priming", I assume you mean adding your bottling sugar to the entire batch of fermented wort in a "bottling bucket", and then bottling? The key there is to ensure all of the sugar is well dissolved in hot water before adding your beer to the bucket, and then mixing both solutions well before bottling.

http://howtobrew.com/book/section-1/a-c ... ttling-day" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'd suggest taking a few bottles and bringing them to a warmer spot in your house (25C+), and let them sit for a minimum of two additional weeks. Then chill one bottle overnight, and drink it. If it's good, then that tells you all is well.

[MitchK]

S-23 is what came with the festa continental pils that I enjoyed - I used the lager method on brulosophy for it:

http://brulosophy.com/methods/lager-method/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I have a mini fridge with a temp controller my clearbrew bucket will fit in, so that's how I did all the control/steps. If you just get close-ish by moving it around or whatever you should be fine.