Brewing my first ever batch tomorrow

Make sure to remove the chlorine and chloramine (if present) in your water prior to brewing. Really only a concern with municipal water.

If you've read "How to brew" you should be pretty well set with everything else.

 

I'd recommend typing up a procedure. Visualizing the steps and equipment, then writing them out will help keep you on track. Surprises will always pop up, but take some time to really think about what you'll need.

When I started, it was very helpful to use the directions that come with most commercial kits.

 

Good luck. make sure you have a timer and a digital thermometer. It will makes things easier.

 

I agree with the procedure type up just to make sure you don't miss any steps. Use a filter for your water if you can, if not don't worry about it. I never used to and it wasn't a problem, it will only make things better if you do it but it's not the end of the world if you don't.

Make sure to keep an eye on your wort before it comes to a boil or you'll end up with a mess.

 

There are lots of people here more qualified than me that can tell you to skip the secondary. Your supplier will want to load you up, but consider primary only. You can dry hop in primary using a paint strainer bag or just pitch 'em in. General opinion is the secondary is potentially more problems than benefits, especially for a simple brew.

A few other tips: get a squirt bottle (window cleaner) and mix up some Starsan, makes it easier. Practice using your hydrometer before you're sweating over a bucket of wort . . . it isn't rocket science, but learn in advance. For later, consider a small electronic scale to measure priming sugar (Amazon, under 10 bucks) and practice capping a few bottles in advance. Keep accurate notes. Oh yeah, get a good mop . . . good luck and please post a follow-up.

 

Welcome to the addiction of home brewing, I totally agree with above get ready, get it all out and write out the procedure especially the times to add your hops as you'll want three hands, stir, hops and of course beer
RDWAHAHB

 

Unless you know that you can get into the homebrew shop and back home in reasonable time, I suggest that you don't try to brew the same day as your trip to the store. You'll find out that your first session will take more time than you expect.

Just keep organized like with the typed up step-by-step plan that was mentioned above, although the recipe typically gives you a basic stepped plan approach, and all that is necessary is to make notes on the recipe for the various steps in a time line that starts with the steep session and then picks up again with the start time of the boil.

Other key tips:
1. Watch the boil like a hawk for the hot break when the wort bubbles will rapidly rise to the top (and over the side) of your boil kettle if you don't see it coming. Be prepared to stir rapidly or cut the heat. It's a mess to clean up, and you don't need the interruption.
2. Also, after a while into the boil the hops may be stuck to the side of the boil kettle from the wort foaming upward, so scrape it back into the boil so that you get greater extraction of the flavors.
3. If you are using a wort chiller then you should add to your time line to insert it into your boil at least 10 minutes before the end.
4. If you are using refrigerated yeast don't forget to take it out of the fridge so it is at room temp when you need it.

Enjoy your day, and welcome to this maddening hobby.

 

This. I am fairly new to brewing and remember writing a thread pretty similar to this about 6 months ago. The most important thing I learned from batch 1 was to turn the heat down on the stove after I reached a boil. There was no need for it to be on high, and it made a boil over unavoidable. If you are using gas you might have better temp control, but on my electric stove, once it was ready to boil over I was screwed. Second, no matter what anyone tells you, you have to stir the priming sugar in. The siphon action is not adequate. I ended up with 6 - 10 bottles that were carbed to the point of crowning caps, and 30-40 that ranged from flat to lightly carbed.

 

For an American ipa I would cut the crystal 40L to 1/2 lb. When I first started brewing I would use 1 lb in my ipas. It would end up to sweet especially when the hops start to fade. Now I use 1/4 to 1/2 lb of crystal at the most.

 

Yea, I'll go ahead and second this. Make sure not to stir it violently though, because that can introduce lots of oxygen into the system, which is bad at that stage.

 

Have a beer while your cleaning up, not while your brewing.

 

Very excited for you, making your own beer, that's the best beer you brew so far. every batch will get better. the pleasure of learning.

 

Big mistake trying to do it all in one day.

Take your time.
Day1 - procure equipment and ingredients; finalize preparations at home
Day2 - brew
Day55 - success!

Patience and planning are paramount to producing good phomebrew.

 

Since you are using extract go with distilled water .. the minerals needed are already present in your malt.

 

I love this suggestion. I did this too, and it was a huge help. Here's an example from my blog.

Other than that, I think you are golden, given your reading and searching. The last thing I'll say is don't open the fermenter for any reason whatsoever for at least two weeks.

 

Welcome to hell.

 

-Add two thirds of the DME at the beginning of the boil. Add the last third at 15 minutes.
-Seconding the distilled water suggestion. Buy a couple more gallons for your top up water. Get them near freezing so they help cool down the wort as fast as possible
-Agree with reducing the c40 to a half pound. Buy another 2 oz of hops. Add one at flameout. Add the other to the dryhop.
-Don't dare pitch the yeast until you are below 70 degrees. Maintain lower range of suggested fermentation temps.
-Sanitation is absolutely paramount
-Start your next batch two weeks after brewday

 

Not pitching until below 70 is a great point .. and keeping on the low end of the fermentation range is also a great idea.