First batch doubts.

Well, boiled up my first batch last night. I've got my doubts.

It was an Oktoberfest Lager kit from Midwest, but instead of lagering, I bought a German Ale Wyeast pack and used that so that I can ferment at room temp. I made it on my stove top, and could never get the temp up above about 203. (I have no idea whether it was my 30q aluminum kettle, or what.) It was a slow simmering boil rather than a good roller. For my next batch, I will use my camp chef on the patio.

I managed to cool the wort down to 80 degrees (3 gallon boil which reduced to about 2.5gal.) by mixing it with the cool water in the primary and letting it sit in an ice bath, in about 35 minutes. (I'm going to get a wort chiller.) I then pitched my yeast pack, which I had only smacked about 1 hour prior.

So I did a bunch of stuff wrong, and now I'm wondering if it's gonna even be drinkable.

Any thoughts?

All you can do is wait. You definately did some things a bit different than convention and you'll have some ideas on how to do it differently next time. Relax, Don't worry and have a Commercial Brew while you are waiting. (RDWHACB)

It doesn't sound like you did very many things wrong unless there's a lot more you didn't share with us. Just give it some time in primary (1 week) and secondary (2 weeks) and bottles (3 weeks). It won't be quite like a real pilsner, but but it will probably be a decent homebrew.

I haven't used smack packs, so I can't comment on those, but from what I hear it will still have yeast that can work. Is is bubbling in the fermenter yet?

From what I can recall, the rolling boil is most important to coagulate proteins (please someone more knowledgeable correct this) and in an extract kit it isn't such a big deal since the extract was already boiled. Use the camp chef next time, but don't worry right now.

35 minutes isn't the most ideal time for a cold crash, but it sure isn't ridiculously long. It takes me around 25 min to cool my wort, and I'm making decent brews. Again, don't worry.

You didn't do anything wrong....Your beer will be fine.

Kungpaodog said:

From what I can recall, the rolling boil is most important to coagulate proteins (please someone more knowledgeable correct this) and in an extract kit it isn't such a big deal since the extract was already boiled. Use the camp chef next time, but don't worry right now.

35 minutes isn't the most ideal time for a cold crash, but it sure isn't ridiculously long. It takes me around 25 min to cool my wort, and I'm making decent brews. Again, don't worry.

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Well, the rolling boil is for the hops. You want to extract bitterness from the hops, and that only happens when the wort is boiling. If it was boiling, you should be absolutely fine.

A wise brewer once told me...water boils at 212 degrees whether it is "roiling" or not....it's still boiling.

Nothing was that wrong, and you already know what the problems wre so you can fix it next time around. The only thing I can think of happeneing, is it may be a little bit on the sweet side because the hops didn't get their bittering potential out without the rolling boil. You don't have an Oktoberfest though since it's not lagered, so I would think of it as an Alt maybe?

Thanks for pointing that out, Yooper. I was thinking more that he (or she) probably shouldn't worry if there was a soft boil and not a volcanic boil, it will still be extracting alpha acids.

And boiling water will not always be at 212, depending on altitude. Here in Colorado my wort boils at about 203 degrees F.

Yeah, I'm at altitude. It was a simmering boil (rolling, but the bubbles were submerging rather than popping. No real head ever developed.) at 203 F.

I'm male, btw.

Ok here's my biggest dumb mistake. I have a three-piece airlock, and until posting my first message, it didn't occur to me to put liquid in it to actually make it an airlock. So it's been sitting there with free air exchange since last night. I called home and had my wife fill it 1/2 full with vodka (mainly because it's sanitary.)

Is that gonna cause me problems having the air exchange for 16 hours?

Yes, it's ruined. Bottle it and send it to me for disposal.

Do I win?

JDJ said:

Yeah, I'm at altitude. It was a simmering boil (rolling, but the bubbles were submerging rather than popping. No real head ever developed.) at 203 F.

I'm male, btw.

Ok here's my biggest dumb mistake. I have a three-piece airlock, and until posting my first message, it didn't occur to me to put liquid in it to actually make it an airlock. So it's been sitting there with free air exchange since last night. I called home and had my wife fill it 1/2 full with vodka (mainly because it's sanitary.)

Is that gonna cause me problems having the air exchange for 16 hours?

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you're fine. The hope here is that the yeast was putting off enough CO2 to keep any air from really getting in.

GroovePuppy said:

Yes, it's ruined. Bottle it and send it to me for disposal.

Do I win?

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Duck! here comes Evan!!

Ok, I got home, checked it, and it's bubbling every 3 to 5 seconds. I guess that's pretty vigorous huh?

I'm now thinking positive. I think it's gonna be good!

Revvy said:

A wise brewer once told me...water boils at 212 degrees whether it is "roiling" or not....it's still boiling.

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It depends at what altitude you're at (above sea level, that is). I've brewed at 6000 feet, and where I live now I'm at 2000 feet.

JDJ said:

I'm male, btw.

Ok here's my biggest dumb mistake. I have a three-piece airlock, and until posting my first message, it didn't occur to me to put liquid in it to actually make it an airlock. So it's been sitting there with free air exchange since last night. I called home and had my wife fill it 1/2 full with vodka (mainly because it's sanitary.)

Is that gonna cause me problems having the air exchange for 16 hours?

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Well, you definitely don't have to announce your gender to get advice! Or, do you? I can tell you this- if you tell everybody you're a female, they'll be extra nice, though!

Since you had fermentation going on, and it was only open to the air 1/2 day, it'll be fine. Even not filled, the hole is covered so that bugs can't crawl in there, so you'll be fine.

YooperBrew said:

Well, you definitely don't have to announce your gender to get advice! Or, do you?

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Someone asked.

I think the tank was full of CO2 once the ferment started, (it's heavier than air isn't it?) And I shouldn't have any problems.

JDJ said:

Someone asked.

I think the tank was full of CO2 once the ferment started, (it's heavier than air isn't it?) And I shouldn't have any problems.

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Oh, I'm just teasing you about the male gender admission. I'll give advice to you, even if you are a man!

You're correct- co2 is heavier than air and will cover the fermenting wort like a blanket as well as off-gas, so you really don't have anything to worry about.

telemarc said:

It depends at what altitude you're at (above sea level, that is). I've brewed at 6000 feet, and where I live now I'm at 2000 feet.

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For the third time today...Water boils at the correct temp for the altitude one is at REGARDLESS of whether or not it is ROILING or just bubbling...

THAT IS ALL I WAS GETTING AT....A BOIL IS A BOIL...and that is all that matters.

If the yeast were pumpin' out a good amount of CO2 then in theory there should be enough outward pressure in the fermentor to keep the bad air out. However, as early as you were into fermentation I doubt that is the case. Really the only thing you can do is take really good notes, press on, taste, and if something is off learn from your mistakes. That is the joy of homebrewing.

JDJ - What you did was make a batch of beer, only mistakes I count is when the beer taste horrible like my first batch.
Welcome to homebrewing, and to the forum, I'm sure it turn out great, just give it time, don't bottle too early, clean everything, and give it at least three weeks in the bottle.
Welcome to the addiction.

I checked it at bedtime last night, and it was bubbling away like mad. One or more bubbles per second. Yay!

I'm excited.

Now. When should I take my first hydrometer reading? A week from the boil? A certain amount of time from when active bubbling stops? When the head collapses?