My first two batches are fermenting.

[NB brewer]

I just put my first two batches in my fermenting buckets. One is a festa brew red ale and the other is a mangrove jacks apple cider. My plan is to keg 19L of both and to bottle the rest into grolsch bottles.

I will be bottling about 4L of beer and the instructions say to add 1 to 1.5 cups of sugar for priming. If my logic is right I would have to add 4/23 of 1 to 1.5 cups of priming sugar. So .174 to .26 cups of priming sugar. Does this make sense?

Thanks

Jeff

[CorneliusAlphonse]

That is likely correct - what I usually do is wait until I have put it in the keg, so I know exactly how much is left, then I use a bottle priming calculator (I dunno I just Google it). Boil that amt of sugar with a tiny bit of water, mix into what's left, and bottle

Another option is bulk priming your keg but I don't know much about that so I'll let others chime in.

[jacinthebox]

I just did the same thing with my Hefe.....bulk primed 4L using this calculator http://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/ and kegged the rest.

The hefe was carb'd highish (3.8volumes) so 1.8oz for 4L.

[Keith]

I typically used 3/4 a cup on the festa kits.

[NB brewer]

I just checked on my kits and the foam on the surface of the beer kit seems to have collapsed. Is it usual to only require a little over 48 hours to get to this stage? Should I rack it over to the carboy now?

Thanks

Jeff

[Keith]

Jeff, leave it in the primary, secondary isn't necessary, just increases the amount of work you need to do, along with the chances of contamination. I use to give the FB kits 12 days in the primary then bottled with 3/4 cups of Dextrose.

[NB brewer]

Thanks for the info Keith.

[NB brewer]

Well the festa brew Irish red ale is kegged and bottled. The keg is cooling in the kegerator with a purge of co2. Gonna wait until the temp drops to 6-7 °C then put 12.5 psi on it. I sampled it and it tastes great.

The finished alcohol content turned out to be 4.33% v/v with an sg of 1.01310 which is lower than expected. I pulled the sample from the very beginning of the transfer (bottom of carboy). I should have pulled two samples one at the beginning and one at the end of the transfer to the keg. I'm thinking the alcohol % may have been stightly higher toward the top of the carboy. I'll pull two samples next time.

The apple cider is turning out well and i'm kegging that today. It's alcohol turned out at 5.43% v/v at 1.01310 sg. It's going to taste amazing once i add the flavoring pack at kegging/bottling time. I sampled it and i'd drink it without the flavoring pack. Yummy.

The stout i have on should be ready to keg as well. This is turning out to be a fun new hobby.

[Houblon34]

Jeff, did you buy that cider locally? If so, where?

[NB brewer]

I bought it at wine experts on mountain road here in moncton but E and L wine and beer on elmwood drive has it as well. That e and l place is nice spot. Largest selection of beer kits i've seen yet.

[dean2k]

I bought it at wine experts on mountain road here in moncton but E and L wine and beer on elmwood drive has it as well. That e and l place is nice spot. Largest selection of beer kits i've seen yet.

E&L are better for beer all around. They brew it too, so you can actually talk to them about hops or yeasts and they won't look at you like you have 3 heads. Generally speaking, I Don't like wine folks in Moncton.

[Houblon34]

Agreed. E&L is my only go-to place in Moncton for anything home brewing related.

[NB brewer]

The red ale turned out beautifully. Keg has been sitting at 6-8 degrees for two days. I tried it yesterday and it was ok but today it seems soo much better...

[donking]

I will have to go check E&L in Moncton. Good guys brew shop in Riverview where not too friendly for a brew store...