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George7845 · 05-20-2010, 11:42 AM

Finished my first brew last night, the kit i used was american wheat extract version. Started by heating up top off water (sanitizing my well water) then bringing main pot to boil. What i come to realize is that extract malt is THICKER than molasses. Next time i will preheat in pan haha. Then i brought back to boil, added hop pellet stage one, stirred every like 15 minutes, then in last 15 minutes i added stage 2 pellets.

Prior to this i found out my top off water wasnt cooling fast enough... So i put it in freezer with aluminum foil over it which i sanitized to be safe. Then i found out 3 gallons of hot wort does not cool very fast and will easily melt through a small-medium bad of ice very fast. In the end i ran out of cooling methods, no bathtub, only shower and sink, and cold water isnt that cold... So i asked some guys in chat and i ended up just putting star san soaked rag over airlock hole and letting it cool over night. Seven hours later cooling at 65 degrees i pitched yeast this morning after aerating really well. I didnt take temp , maybe i should have but i assumed it would defiantly be cool by then. So that is where my first brew is at, hopefully my airlock will be going good by the time i get home from work! So ladies and gentlemen , think my first rough brew will turn out good?

George

storunner13 · 05-20-2010, 01:02 PM

It should hopefully turn out for a first batch, as long as your sanitization practices were good. It sounds like you were diligent in sanitizing your equipment so you should be pleased in 5 or 6 weeks. If you keep it up, you'll definitely get better at the process and learn a lot from each new batch. I know I have. To get that extra malt extract out, pour a little hot wort into the container and shake it around to dissolve that last bit of extract.

Also, don't be too surprised if your airlock isn't bubbling, even after 3 days. Sometimes you won't see activity for 3 days, or even at all. Just to warn you (so that Revvy doesn't come roaring in with a response to another post) an airlock is just a CO2 release valve, not a fermentation indicator. If you're nervous its not fermenting, wait 3 days, and then get a gravity reading. That's the only indicator of fermentation. I once had a brown ale that bubbled maybe 10 times throughout fermentation. But finished lower than my other batches (and tasted better!)

Keep reading the forums, there is a lot of great info on here to make you a better brewer!

Zamial · 05-20-2010, 01:05 PM

Grats on your 1st brew. Patience is key, as now begins the long wait... I think your beer will turn out just fine so no worries.

A few pointers for batch 2.

- Liquid or dry malt extract does not need to be boiled long, many add it in the boil at the last 5-15 minutes.

- Never dump the extract right in the middle of the boil pot, it will normally sink and scorch on the bottom faster than you can stir.

- cooling should be done much faster than over night to stop bacteria from growing. I suggest starting with a water bath then move to the ice. Ideally it will be at pitching temp in under 2 hours, the faster the better!

RDWHAHB!

specialized · 05-20-2010, 02:43 PM

[QUOTE=George7845;2070261What i come to realize is that extract malt is THICKER than molasses. Next time i will preheat in pan haha.[/QUOTE]

I put the LME container into a hot water bath for about 15 minutes and then pour into my wort water. This makes it flow faster without having to clean another pot. After I dump the container I take some wort and swish it around the inside of the container to get everything that stuck to the sides. You don’t have to worry about contamination as you'll most likely boil everything for an hour.

JJL · 05-20-2010, 02:47 PM

Congratulations on your first batch. As crazy and haphazard as the process of brewing your first batch probably seemed, it only gets easier.

One tip on cooling a partial boil batch. If you are able, buy 3 gallons of drinking water. Chill them as cold as you can without freezing them. I usually stick mine in the freezer when I start brewing. Dump 2 gallons of water into the primary firat, and then Pour/siphon the hot wort on top of it. Then top off to 5 gals with the other jug of water. This will put in the correct temp range for pitching every time. It may not be the ideal solution, but if you don't think you are going to be able to put togehter a sufficient ice bath, this is a viable alternative for chilling.

George7845 · 05-20-2010, 08:53 PM

yeah i like that idea jjl, it sucks i didnt have enough ice, but i also didnt think you had two hours to cool, thought it had to be more like 1/2 hour, but now i know, and learned alot from first brew, thnx for the tips guys, much appreciated

.

Zamial · 05-20-2010, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by George7845

...i also didnt think you had two hours to cool, thought it had to be more like 1/2 hour...

This is a misinterpretation of my statement, You really need to cool from boiling to pitching temps AS FAST AS POSSIBLE!!!! Under 30 min is optimal but 2 hours is a must.

As this is your 1st batch I would not sweat that you did not follow this but in the future you really should...GL

George7845 · 05-20-2010, 11:33 PM

yeah i just hope its good, would suck to wait a month for crap, but we will see

Gremlyn · 05-21-2010, 12:10 AM

There are some people that swear by no chill brewing... I'm sure it'll turn out to be beer

Justibone · 05-21-2010, 12:23 AM

If you didn't plan ahead and cool some water, you can put it in the sink and run cold water, drain, more cold water, etc. It takes about an hour to do it that way.