Wanna be startin' somethin'

Today I started Hermano properly. The kit came with a nifty DVD so I watched the first few chapters and even took notes before beginning. For those who haven't yet watched the video in my last update, here is a quick summary of what I've done today.

The entire kit

1. Cleaned everything thoroughly
2. Mixed the ingredients
3. Added water for volume and to regulate temperature
4. Added yeast
5. Tested for the Original Gravity of the beer

The DVD recommended using hot water only in the first instance to clean & sanitise the equipment. This, coupled with our weekly daily showers promptly ensured we ran out of hot water halfway through the process.

Hot water and sugars

Mixing was reasonably straightforward as I used water just off the boil to ensure the sugars dissolved thoroughly. Once the main ingredients are added, the aim is to increase the volume from 2½ litres to 20-23 litres whilst regulating the temperature between 21°-27°C. My lack of hot water meant I had to use the kettle to do this. This led to a slight problem as the addition of near boiling water took the temperature from 23°C to 29°C at around 19L. I was able to get the temp down to 27°C right at 23L, but this might lead to a slightly lower alcohol content due to volume & dilution.

At this point I added the yeast and put the lid on. It stays like this for quite a while and I should start to see bubbles forming on the surface to indicate fermentation has begun. I need to keep the temperature consistent within that 21°-27°C range until I bottle the beer, which will be in around 10-15 days. I have decided to store in my kitchen to ensure the current weird weather we're getting doesn't have too much effect.

Before I could relax however, I needed to test the Original Gravity (OG) of the beer. This is important as it is used when calculating the ABV of the brew as well as a measure for successful fermentation. Testing is simple enough, done by drawing a small sample from the tap into the tube that comes with the kit. What can be a problem is if said tube doesn't have a firmly affixed base. With my first sample safely deposited on the Kitchen floor, I drew a second sample carefully and measured the OG. It came out at 1.033, with the instruction guide looking for 1.034-1.038. I suspect I'm at the lower end due to filling right to 23L. It's certainly not a show stopper I think, but it might mean Craig & I end up drinking beer that is weak and bad-tasting. It is meant to be Mexican though, so he might not notice...

The next step is to check we've started fermenting in 12-24 hours. After that I need to remove the collar on day 3 and check the Specific Gravity (SG) on day 6. Each of these tasks are quite small so I'll condense into one update in just under a week.

Fingers crossed!