First Brewing Day - Jan 1, 2009

bhethcote · 12-29-2008, 04:23 PM

Well, Christmas has come and gone and I am now the proud owner of a two stage blow-off system and I have 2 English Pale Ale (extract) recipes. I picked two of the same so a little compare/contrast can be done. I think I will do them 2 weeks apart (maybe 3 - depends on work).

I'm not planning on changing anything in the recipes and focus more on the process for now.

I'll be using Palmer's "How to Brew" book as a reference.

If anyone has any tips for the first brew day, I'd certainly be happy to get them.

Thanks - BH

DontTreadOnMike · 12-29-2008, 04:27 PM

Good luck! I'm still a beginner too so I don't have much experience to speak from. All of my problems in the past came from impatience. Don't rush anything and keep your utensils clean.

Happy Brewing!

**Nurmey** · 12-29-2008, 04:49 PM

Congratulations! 2009 just might be your best year yet.

My advice is DO NOT PANIC! Most things that go wrong during the first brew comes from folks panicking because something happens they don't expect and they do something stupid.

Other than that in not particular order:
1. Relax, this is suppose to be fun
2. Sanitize, sanitize, sanitize
3. Be patient...no matter how much you want it, you can't rush good beer

bhethcote · 12-29-2008, 05:03 PM

Here's the details on the recipe:

Brewmaster's Select English Pale Ale
Starting Gravity: 1.058 +/- Final Gravity: 1.010-1.016 +/-
Color Rating: 16
Alcohol: 4.8% +/-
IBU: 42
Dry Yeast: Safale #S-04
6 lbs. Light DME
3 Cups Crystal malt 120L
1-1/2 oz. Centennial Bittering Hops (pellet)
1 tablet Whirlfloc
1/2 oz. Fuggle hops
1 Cup Priming sugar (dextrose)

I have a 16 qt. stainless steel brewpot, so no full boil just yet. I just didn't feel like investing in a wort-chiller just yet.

Marko73 · 12-29-2008, 06:38 PM

What helped me the most on my first brewday is that I wrote down absolutely everything I did. What I did, when and how I did it. I look back now on that stuff and it is super helpful. . .

Good luck and welcome to the 'sickness.'

**BillyVegas** · 12-29-2008, 07:10 PM

Hey man- welcome to the world of brewing.

I just finished bottling my first 2 beers. My advice for the first day of brewing?

Two words.

Wort. Chiller.

That is all. There isn't enough ice in the world or room in your sink to chill down a 7 Gallon pot **** off 5 gallons of hell-wort.

Other than that, mise en place. Get everything together and be ready as your progress.

Thats all I can say... then again, I'm a noob myself.

jds · 12-29-2008, 07:29 PM

Welcome to the obses^h^h^h^h^hHobby.

My advice to new brewers is this:

Take your time, sanitize well. Afterward, take your fermenter, put it in a cool, dark place, and ignore it for two weeks. Don't worry about it, and let the yeast have some time to work at it before you start taking any samples.

**EdWort** · 12-29-2008, 07:47 PM

Be anal about sanitation.

Get ready the night before so you can get a good start in the morning.

Don't crack that first Barley Pop till the burner is turned off.

RDWHAHB.

bhethcote · 12-30-2008, 12:10 PM

Thanks everyone!
JDS - good point on the dark place and that brings up a question: SWMBC has agreed to let me have the primary inside the house (by no means a small victory here), but has asked that I use the bath tub as it would be the easiest place to clean up in the event of any mishap. I am cool with that, the problem is that there is a slight absence of dark in that particular room. There is a decent view, but I think that might be lost on the yeasties. Is it OK to jus place a large cardboard box over it to make it appropropriately (or at least adequately) dark?

Thanks - BH

**cuinrearview** · 12-30-2008, 12:54 PM

Covering it with a box would work fine. Good luck on your first brew!