Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Cohiba]

In another thread someone asked how to brew beer using the kits
available in Korea. I have been doing this for a few years and have
made all the mistakes that are possible to make. Brewers in Korea
must also make do with the limited supply of brewing materials you
can get here. Enough said, here is how I do it.

WHAT YOU NEED TO BUY

1/ Start with the basic kit:



Note: This kit does NOT come with glass bottles.

2/ An extra set of PET bottles

3/ The kits. I recommend the Premium Gold kits only. I have had
problems with the cheaper ones.

4/ 2m of 10mm clear plastic tubing, hardware shop

5/ Bleach

6/ A bottle of soap that baby bottles are washed with. It is
anti-bacterial.

7/ Something to stir your brew that is at least 50cm in length.

8/ A bottling bucket. One of those large red buckets with a lid.
It is a little bigger that the fermenter.

9/ One bottle of cheap vodka.

10/ A 200CC measuring cup.

11/ 2 pens or other object that will cause an airtight seal
in the ends of the tube.

12/ Clips, like the ones to close potato chip bags.

13/ Rubber band

14/ 500g of light spray malt.

MAKING THE BEER

1/ Wash the fermenter, bottling bucket and stirrer. Fill both with
a 5% solution of water and bleach. Put the stirrer, airlock and
fermenter lid in the bottling bucket so as to be completely covered
by the bleach solution. Wait 30 min. While this is disinfecting boil 3.5L
of water. Put the kit cans in hot water in the sink.

2/ After 30 min. empty the fermenter and put in some baby soap
and give it a wash and rinse. Open the beer tins and pour contents
into the fermenter. CAREFULLY pour in the 3.5L of boiling water. Stir
for a while. Then add 17L of bottled water stirring as you add each
4L lot. (a bottle in each hand). This should now equal 40 pints.

3.5L boiling water
17L of water
2.6L tin contents

Equals
23.1 L

3/ Wash and rinse the fermenter lid with baby soap. Add the yeast
to the top of the wort mixture. You don't have to stir. Place the lid
on the fermenter and close completely.

4/ Rinse the airlock and add vodka to the line. Insert into the
fermenter.

Thats it. Wait 5-6 days. I have been lazy and waited 3 weeks with
no bad effects.

BOTTLING

1/ Fill the bottling bucket with a 5% solution of bleach and water and
add the tubing, stirrer and pens. Wait 30 min.

2/ Remove the fermenter lid, stick your head in and take a deep
breath. PLEASE DON'T DO THIS. THE GAS IN THERE IS QUITE
PUNGENT. Put the opened fermenter on a desk.

3/ While under water insert the pens into each end of the tubing
and remove and place on the upside down fementer lid. Place the
stirrer there also.

4/ Wash the bottling bucket with the baby soap and rinse. Place
the bottling bucket under the fermenter. Place the tube in the fermenter
with the other end on the floor. Remove the pen at the floor end.
Don't worry the water won't run out. Carefully remove the other pen
at the beer end and close the hole with your finger. Put this end in the
beer and remove your finger. When the syphon empties of the water
put the tube in the bottling bucket quickly. The beer will now transfer
from the fementer to the bottling bucket.

5/ Add 120g of light spray malt and stir constantly.

6/ After the beer is nearly gone plug up the hose at the beer end
with the pen again.

7/ Put the bottling bucket on the desk and have your pre-bleached
and rinsed bottles ready. Put a clip on the bottling bucket and secure
the tube so it reaches the bottom of the bucket. Wrap the rubber band
around the tube to hold it there. Arrange your bottles on the floor
to use the syphon system again.

8/ Remove the pen from the tube and fill your bottles. Pinch the tube
near the top of each bottle. You should be able to fill 14 2L PET
bottles.

AND THAT IS THAT


This is my way of doing this and it seems to work smoothly with
no snags.

[kotakji]

Out of curiosity whats the purpose of the bottling bucket procedure? I have been just adding the second stage malt to the bottles directly and then siphoning directly to the bottles.

[butlerian]

That's an interesting method. No doubt due to a lot of previous experience. However, for people new to this, I'd recommend sticking to the "how to brew" book initially before trying other techniques. But thanks for starting the thread - some good ideas.

[Cohiba]

[Boodleheimer]

so... what do you do with the remainder of the vodka? (it should only take a tiny bit for the airlock!!)

and doesn't vodka evaporate faster than water? shouldn't you keep adding vodka to the airlock as it dries out?

[mack the knife]

[HapKi]

It's been awhile since I've made homebrew. I always remember the hassle of, after the boil, cooling the wort in preparation for adding the yeast. Would take hours, all the while worrying about contamination. Sometimes we'd put the bucket in the fridge, sometimes in the tub with cold water. The best way I've heard is coils of copper tubing with cold water running through them, placed in the wort. Anyways, from boiling to room temp as quick as possible.

[mack the knife]

[kotakji]

[mack the knife]