Brew Day for Tooheys Classic Dark Ale

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I've made up this set of steps for brew day for a Tooheys Dark Ale kit, with Amber DME, Dextrose and an OLD style Infusion Pack.

Brew Day

Ingredients

• Tooheys Classic Dark Ale Extract Kit
• Amber DME
• Dextrose
• Yeast
• OLD Infusion Pack

Equipment

• Cup
• Diluted Iodophor in a Spray Bottle
• Large Pot
• 2L Saucepan
• Fine Colander or Sieve
• Fermenter + Lid
• Airlock
• Grommet
• Tap
• Long Spoon
• Can Opener
• Fork
• Cling Wrap
• Pyrex measuring cup
• Hydrometer and Sample Tube

Process

Place the Extract Kit in a sink with hot water to soften the contents.

Start heating 3-4L of water and continue while it's getting to the boil.

Wash and leave to drain:

• Fermenter + Lid + Rubber O'Ring
• Airlock
• Stopper or Grommet
• Long spoon
• Fork
• Tap

Sanitise the following by spraying with diluted Iodophor and leaving to drain:

• Fermenter + Lid + Rubber O'Ring
• Airlock
• Stopper or Grommet
• Long spoon
• Fork
• Tap
• Sieve (If grain bag not used)
• Extract Kit
• Can Opener
• Work Area
• Cup

Prepare Yeast:

• Put 1 cup of warm water into the sanitised cup.
• Sprinkle Yeast into the water.
• Use the fork to break up the Yeast and make sure it's all submerged.
• Cover it over with cling wrap.
• Leave somewhere out of the way.

Once pot has boiled:

• Remove the pot from the heat.
• Measure out any dry ingredients.
• Add DME and Dextrose while stirring.
• Leave to cool.

Infusion Pack:

From the Absolute Home Brew instructions on the Lager/Draught Infusion Pack.

• Heat 2L of water to 70^oC in a saucepan.
  • Or Boil 1200-1300ml of water then add 700-800ml of cold water you should get about the right temperature.
• Take the saucepan off the heat and add in the grain and hops while stirring.
• Cover with lid for 15 minutes.
• Stir and re-cover for 15 minutes.
• Pour the liquid off into the DME/Dextrose Solution through a sieve to catch the grain and hop fragments.

If pellets or grain are used without a grain bag, pour the solution through a sieve or colander to catch the larger hop/grain particles

Prepare the Fermenter to take the wort:

• Fit tap to fermenter and close it.
• Put 10L of cold water into the fermenter.

Begin combining everything in the fermenter.

• Open and pour the Extract Kit into the Fermenter while stirring so it dissolves. Scrape the inside tin to get all of the contents out, then add a small amount of hot DME/ Dextrose solution to dissolve what remains in the tin and pour that into the fermenter as well.
• Pour the DME/Dextrose solution and the Infusion Pack solution in into the fermenter.
• Take a sample of the wort and measure the specific gravity. Record it.

Pitch the Yeast:

• Check temperature and make sure it's below 25 degrees Celsius.
  • If below: Pitch re-hydrated yeast solution.
  • If above: Put lid on fermenter and leave to cool for a bit. Once below 25, pitch the yeast.

Prepare for Fermentation:

• Fit rubber O-Ring to the lid and then securely fit lid to the fermenter so a good seal is formed.
• Agitate wort in the fermenter making sure that yeast is mixed in. Do this by kneeling in front of your fermenter with the tap facing away from you. Rest the base of the fermenter against your knees then gently rock toward you so it makes a splashing sound.
• Fill airlock with clean water or steraliser solution.
• Fit the airlock to fermenter lid. If the fermenter has a grommet as opposed to a stopper, be careful not to push the grommet through the lid and into the wort.
• Store fermenter in a place out of sunlight between 18-22 degrees Celsius. This will vary depending on the yeast you use!

Comments

Logs

20/04/2008:

This was my very first home-brew. I got a bit over eager and didn't check the temperature before I pitched. The beer has off flavors and banana esters.

• Per Recipe above
• OG: 1046, 30^oC (Corrects to 1049 for 30^oC)
• Pitched: 20/04/2008 ~18:30

25/04/2008 10:00:

• SG: 1022

26/04/2008 17:00:

• SG: 1018

27/04/2008 15:00:

• SG: 1016

03/05/2008 15:00:

• SG: 1016

04/05/2008:

• Bottled.
• Bulk Primed 1.25 cups dextrose.

14/05/2008:

• Slightly Carbonated...
• Still has banana esters + off flavor, less than when bottled though.
• Will leave a few weeks and taste again, tip out if still crap. Need bottles for next brew.

25/05/2008:

• A little carbonated. Can't really tell how much visually. Can't see through it!
• Off flavours not so bad now.
• Banana esters still present but weak.
• It's drinkable now.