First time brewing ...;)

Well first time, I tried to do a yeast starter but I didn't leave it more than 6 hours.
I pitched my yeast at 78` and closed it. The fermentation went for about 3 days and then 1 bubble every minute.... The 4th day I decided to transfer to the 2 nd fermenter I going to leave it for about weeks and lets see. I'm
Working on Irish Red Ale please if you have any comments let me know ...
Thanks

Well, at 6 hours the yeast had probably "woken up", but it isn't enough time to produce new cells. Also if you're going to do a secondary 3 days is WAY too soon to transfer. 2-3 weeks is more like it. Also depending on the strain, 78 degrees is pretty warn.

The airlock was not bubbling I figure that could Transfer any tip for the future...!
Do I need to dump it...?

bottlebomber said:

Well, at 6 hours the yeast had probably "woken up", but it isn't enough time to produce new cells. Also if you're going to do a secondary 3 days is WAY too soon to transfer. 2-3 weeks is more like it. Also depending on the strain, 78 degrees is pretty warn.

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+1 to this. When I did my first extract brew I followed the directions to the dot. I let it ferment for 1-2 weeks primary and then let it sit in secondary for a week.

All that said, your beer will be good and you will be happy. Transferring after three days is not the best idea but, at worst, your beer will not ferment out as far as is ideal. Probably fine though since there are lots of yeast still in solution. The guideline is at least several days after the airlock activity stops. Generally you would like to keep the temp down to about 68-70 with the typical yeast you would use for red ale. However, you will probably not notice any major flaws. As they say in the hobby, RDWHAHB (relax, don't worry, have a home brew).

You don't have to wait 1 - 2 weeks for primary. 4 days can be plenty as long as the fermentation was complete. If you have a healthy fermentation that can be plenty of time. What really matters is the gravity, not the amount of time it sits or even the airlock activity (or lack thereof). Watching the airlock is not a real measure of fermentation, you need to check the gravity. Just because the airlock isn't bubbling does not mean it isn't fermenting, the only way to tell is with a gravity measurement.

I leave mine in secondary for 4 to 6 weeks MINIMUM and then another 3 to 4 weeks in the bottles and a lot of times even longer depending on the style or if something isn't right. Trust me, its worth the wait. I've had plenty of brews I thought were no good until I let them sit for an extra month or two.

I am in accord with the majority here - way too soon to be checking gravity, let alone transferring. The secondary is not a good idea IMO unless you have reason, as mentioned, like dry hopping or fruit or whatever. Don't use your airlock as a barometer for activity, use time and gravity readings - generally, after 10-14 days you can start reading the gravity and see if it's done fermenting. Remember, fermentation is not the only thing the yeast do. And obviously, you are going to want to wait til the starter has had time to work next time.

Brewitt said:

All that said, your beer will be good and you will be happy. Transferring after three days is not the best idea but, at worst, your beer will not ferment out as far as is ideal. Probably fine though since there are lots of yeast still in solution. The guideline is at least several days after the airlock activity stops. Generally you would like to keep the temp down to about 68-70 with the typical yeast you would use for red ale. However, you will probably not notice any major flaws. As they say in the hobby, RDWHAHB (relax, don't worry, have a home brew).

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Thanks for your help.

Congrats! You made beer. Now just leave it there for at least a week and preferably 2 before you consider bottling.

Some process improvements for future batches:

1) Temperature control. This goes a long, long way towards making consistently good beer. Each yeast has a preferred temperature range. Find out what it is for your yeast and then keep the fermenter in that range. If you have a nice, cool room - great. If not, a simple plastic tub filled with cold water can do the trick.

2) Patience. Nothing good comes from rushing. Sometimes you get away with it, but it certainly isn't a benefit. Plan on 2 weeks in the primary. If it is done sooner, great. (ie final gravity is stable)

billl said:

Congrats! You made beer. Now just leave it there for at least a week and preferably 2 before you consider bottling.

Some process improvements for future batches:

1) Temperature control. This goes a long, long way towards making consistently good beer. Each yeast has a preferred temperature range. Find out what it is for your yeast and then keep the fermenter in that range. If you have a nice, cool room - great. If not, a simple plastic tub filled with cold water can do the trick.

2) Patience. Nothing good comes from rushing. Sometimes you get away with it, but it certainly isn't a benefit. Plan on 2 weeks in the primary. If it is done sooner, great. (ie final gravity is stable)

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Bill thanks for your help

Thanks guys for your help I have an other question.
I kept my yeast to re- use it should I pitched the beer one more time ..? Or leave it as is? Also if I was to pitched it again what would be the method?