First ever brew - day before prep

Yakima 728
Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
F

FerroPlasm

Active Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2010
Messages
36
Reaction score
3
Tomorrow my assistant brewer (SWMBO) and I are brewing our first beer: a Brewers Best Smoked Porter. I can't wait. :ban:

I'm wondering what are some key things I can do tonight to make tomorrow go as smoothly as possible. So far, I've done the following:

1. checked kit for all ingredients and read recipe a couple times
2. gathered all required equipment
3. sanitized carboy with star san and covered with saran wrap and foil
4. remaining sanitizer solution placed in 5 gal bucket with carboy cap, 3-piece sanitizer, funnel, hydrometer, thermometer all soaking to sanitize

I also have a couple questions.

The kit comes with 2 lbs of specialty grains and instructs to steep at 150-165 degrees. How much will the grains lower the water temperature? I'm guessing I can safely boil 3 gallons water + 6.6 lbs liquid malt extract, so I'll be steeping in 3 gallons water. Should I heat to the high end, 165 degrees, and assume a couple degree temp drop?

Also, the kit instructs to add "clean water" to the cooled wort in fermenter. Should I (a) use city water straight from the tap, (b) boil water tonight and allow to cool, covered, until tomorrow, or (b) use bottled distilled water?

Finally, the kit comes with 11.5 g Safale s-04 dry ale yeast. The kit instructs to pitch directly into the wort, but I've read it's better to rehydrate in 1 cup previously boiled water 20 minutes prior to pitching. Yay or nay? It's a simple step that I have no problem doing if it's beneficial.

Hopefully I'm not overthinking, but I'd rather be prepared and make sure SWMBO and I have a positive experience and will want to brew again. Oh yeah, recipe below.

Brewers Best Smoked Porter, kit

Fermentables
6.6 lb. Porter liquid malt extract

Specialty Grains
1 lb. smoked
8 oz. chocolate
8 oz. caramel 80L

Hops
1.5 oz. cascade, bittering
0.5 oz. Mt. Hood, aroma

Yeast
11.5 g Safale s-04 dry english ale yeast (best by 10/2012)

OG: 1.058-1.062
FG: 1.014-1.017
IBUs: 30-36
 
Use bottled (not distilled) spring water if your city water isn't any good.

You can heat to the high end, but mine never drops too much on the stove in a covered stockpot.

Just sprinkle that yeast in when the wort has cooled, no real need to rehydrate IMHO

What are you going to do to cool by the way? Ice baths take a lot of ice, so you may want to go to a gas station in the morning and get a few bags.

Just have fun with it, don't stress, and remember, it's ok to drink beer while brewing, even if it's at 8am.
 
FerroPlasm said:
Tomorrow my assistant brewer (SWMBO) and I are brewing our first beer: a Brewers Best Smoked Porter. I can't wait. :ban:

I'm wondering what are some key things I can do tonight to make tomorrow go as smoothly as possible. So far, I've done the following:

1. checked kit for all ingredients and read recipe a couple times
2. gathered all required equipment
3. sanitized carboy with star san and covered with saran wrap and foil
4. remaining sanitizer solution placed in 5 gal bucket with carboy cap, 3-piece sanitizer, funnel, hydrometer, thermometer all soaking to sanitize

I also have a couple questions.

The kit comes with 2 lbs of specialty grains and instructs to steep at 150-165 degrees. How much will the grains lower the water temperature? I'm guessing I can safely boil 3 gallons water + 6.6 lbs liquid malt extract, so I'll be steeping in 3 gallons water. Should I heat to the high end, 165 degrees, and assume a couple degree temp drop?

Also, the kit instructs to add "clean water" to the cooled wort in fermenter. Should I (a) use city water straight from the tap, (b) boil water tonight and allow to cool, covered, until tomorrow, or (b) use bottled distilled water?

Finally, the kit comes with 11.5 g Safale s-04 dry ale yeast. The kit instructs to pitch directly into the wort, but I've read it's better to rehydrate in 1 cup previously boiled water 20 minutes prior to pitching. Yay or nay? It's a simple step that I have no problem doing if it's beneficial.

Hopefully I'm not overthinking, but I'd rather be prepared and make sure SWMBO and I have a positive experience and will want to brew again. Oh yeah, recipe below.

Brewers Best Smoked Porter, kit

Fermentables
6.6 lb. Porter liquid malt extract

Specialty Grains
1 lb. smoked
8 oz. chocolate
8 oz. caramel 80L

Hops
1.5 oz. cascade, bittering
0.5 oz. Mt. Hood, aroma

Yeast
11.5 g Safale s-04 dry english ale yeast (best by 10/2012)

OG: 1.058-1.062
FG: 1.014-1.017
IBUs: 30-36
Click to expand...

Depends on how big your kettle is. You want to have room in case of boil overs so if your kettle can only hold 3.5 gallons of water I would not do 3 gallons. Also use bottled by the gallon or boil tonight. Steeping your grains is not going to cause too much heat loss just be above the minimum a bit before you do steep. Also rehydrate your yeast and make sure your wort is at temp to pitch the yeast
 
When I make kits, I boil 2 gallons of water with all the extract, liquor from the grains, etc. I then have 3 gallons of cold water in the fermenter. After the 1 hour boil, there is about 1.5 gallons or so of wort left that I carefully pour into the awaiting carboy. The downfall of this method is that the wort is pretty thick (high gravity) so the hops are fully utilized. But, I don't really like very hoppy beer anyways, so it works for me. Don't have to worry about cooling at all then.

I agree with MyName.... have fun with it and don't over analyze the entire process.
 
Everyone, I appreciate the comments. I'm certainly not a perfectionist, but I like to be prepared. It's the Eagle Scout in me.

The city water is quite good (Raleigh). Source is surface water, so it's pretty soft and quarterly reports never mention coliforms. Regardless, I'm now boiling 2.5 gallons and will let cool, covered overnight.

I have a stainless wort chiller, so no need to use an ice bath. That's one reason I'd like to use as large a boil as possible. I can cool it quickly. Also, we both love hops, so I'd like to extract as much bitterness as possible. The kettle holds 4 gallons just below the rim. I plan to add extract with kettle off the heat and watch it like a hawk during boil to minimize potential for boil over.

I probably will rehydrate the yeast because it will get me into the habit of doing something with it aside from pitching and get me closer to liquid yeasts and starters.

Edit: Can i cover periodically during the boil to minimize water loss, or will it certainly boil over?
 
FerroPlasm said:
Everyone, I appreciate the comments. I'm certainly not a perfectionist, but I like to be prepared. It's the Eagle Scout in me.

The city water is quite good (Raleigh). Source is surface water, so it's pretty soft and quarterly reports never mention coliforms. Regardless, I'm now boiling 2.5 gallons and will let cool, covered overnight.

I have a stainless wort chiller, so no need to use an ice bath. That's one reason I'd like to use as large a boil as possible. I can cool it quickly. Also, we both love hops, so I'd like to extract as much bitterness as possible. The kettle holds 4 gallons just below the rim. I plan to add extract with kettle off the heat and watch it like a hawk during boil to minimize potential for boil over.

I probably will rehydrate the yeast because it will get me into the habit of doing something with it aside from pitching and get me closer to liquid yeasts and starters.
Click to expand...

Make sure you know how much 5 gallons is in your fermenter that way you can add water as needed.

Just keep tinkering with new ideas everybody likes their beer differently. Find a way to make it the way you like it.

Lastly have fun with it, I'm sure you'll get hooked!
 
Yeah, def don't cover and def do measure your own 5 gallon mark if you can.

Also, 3 gallons in a 4 gallon pot is fine...and its cool that you're going to watch it like a hawk, but be prepared to just lift it off the heat if need be, as boil overs can happen in about 2 seconds with that size boil in that size kettle. After the hot break you dont' have to watch it like a hawk..but I pretty much do just because its so damn cool.
 
Yeah, I realized I forgot to graduate my carboy after I sanitized. So I went ahead and did it a minute ago. I'll just have to sanitize again tomorrow morning. We do have beer at hand to facilitate the process. I hesitate to mention the name, but I will say it won a blue ribbon in 1893. I'll be seeking my redemption later in the day at a local brewery tour, so don't rag on me too hard.

VTBrewer, what's this "hot break" you speak of?
 
Off the top of my head and in no particular order (I hope these are not so obvious to be offensive):

Make a short list of the steps and check them off as you go ... only to help you to relax and have fun. Use a timer between steps that need it. Take notes, to help you remember for fun with reviewing and for the next time.

Practice starting a siphon without using your mouth before the time comes.

Stir the extract off the bottom/inside of the boil pot so it does not scorch.

Watch out for the sneaky boil over ... it will wait until you are not looking. Keep the lid tilted open or completely off if you can.

Have one or two large damp towels around just in case. Paper towels/sponges don't work with boiling hot sugar.

Clear an area and assemble your ingreadients/tools. Clean as you go. Designate a place for things that you want to remain sanitized. I use the bucket with sanitizer fluid.

Don't fill the fermenter to the very top. You need a few inches for it to foam up, else it comes out of your air lock. Place the fermenter in a place where a little mess won't hurt. (Like your friend's brand new carpeting. Man that got me into trouble with his wife).

These are thoughts from my first brews, I had to learn the hard way. I seem to still be learning them over and over.

Most of all ... relax and enjoy. Brewing is just like cooking. Beer is forgiving and will bring pleasure even when you leave room for improvement, like me.
 
hot break - you know how a covered pot of pasta or potatoes will all of a sudden boil over? It is the same thing. At a certain point the proteins (or is it the starch?) in the solution binds together and causes the steam bubbles to make a froth that boils over. Same thing happens with wort and it can be a terrible sticky mess. Watch it carefully and be prepared to stir or lower the heat when it starts to froth up on you. Once the bubbles have subsided, the "hot break" has occurred and you can boil away without fear of boiling over.

Do not cover the pot - 1. it increases the chance of boil over and 2. you need to boil off certain compounds to avoid off flavors.

Avoid using straight tap water. Chlorine causes bad off flavors. Either use bottled water or boil the tap water to drive off the chlorine.
 
Contact time on the sanitized is rather quick... If you have starsan it will work in about one minute, you should sanitize tomorrow, not tonight. Things can get contaminated over night. it is best to sanitize as late in the process as possible.

I make a five gallon tube of starsan on my brew day and soak everything until I use it. Do not fear the foam from starsan, it is your friend and will not hurt your brew.

If you are not using starsan make sure to follow your sanitizer's instructions; not wll sanitizer's are no-rinse.
 
Never have I been more offended. But seriously, all very good advice. I have done all of the above except get some towels ready and I do believe I'm ready to brew. While I'm sure I will still make some mistakes, the information I've found on this forum has been invaluable and the member have been extremely patient and genial helping this beginner. Thank you.
 
About the "hot break" they speak of, keep a bottle of room temp water by your boil... if it starts to boil over just add it

That's what the pros do with pasta and I found on my 2 batches it worked well.. doesnt kill the boil, does kill the foooooooam
 
http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter7-2.html From Palmer.

Ignore the cover it part. I think he took that back before he took back the 1-2-3. But that was all timely. Once it breaks, and you'll know it...you can put on the Pats...oh wait..they have a bye....


Oh...and I don't first hop until after the break. I'll probably get a lot of disagreement on that, but that's when my 60 mins and first hops goes in. Works for me.
 
You are going to have fun. Having a brew buddy makes it even more fun. The first one may seem a little stressful, but nothing really happens all that fast. Just remember to get everything clean, and then sanitized. Keep putting your stuff back in the sanitized solution as you use it. Don't boil your grains, and just hit your temp marks: steeping, boil is an easy one, and cool-down to pitch temp, take a hydro reading here, then pitch yeast. Have fun !!! RDWHAHB

If you have time, I recommend this guys videos to friends just so they see the process and, what things look like at all the stages. I watched the Oatmeal Stout one, enjoyed it

http://basicsofhomebrewing.com/brewvids.html

I'm brewing 2 beers on Sunday, I can't wait.
 
Well, the prep work and advice paid off. Everything went swimmingly other than two minor issues.

First, I only got my OG up to 1.052. I measured at 67 and added a correction (+0.0007 right?) Target was 1.058 to 1.062. Not entirely sure why it ended up low. I took the reading after aerating by shaking the carboy, topping off to 5 gal, and stirring well. Made sure to spin the hydrometer too. My boil was close to 3 gallons. Do the instructions in the kit assume a full boil?

Second, not really an issue but an observation, but I tasted the wort after the hydrometer reading and blech. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it did not taste good. Not sure if I got an aftertaste of star san from sanitizing the hydrometer vessel or what. Now that I think about it, not really sure why I sanitized the hydrometer in the first place...
 
don't rehydrate... it will work fine dry. You just run the chance of contaminating it or killing it in hot water or stunting it if too cold. also i have a friend who brews in raleigh and he came back to Indiana for xmas with a porter he made and it was great.
 
I think the worst thing you can do before your first brew is ask experienced brewers for advice. They will make your head spin. RDWHAHB!!!
 
FerroPlasm said:
Well, the prep work and advice paid off. Everything went swimmingly other than two minor issues.

First, I only got my OG up to 1.052. I measured at 67 and added a correction (+0.0007 right?) Target was 1.058 to 1.062. Not entirely sure why it ended up low. I took the reading after aerating by shaking the carboy, topping off to 5 gal, and stirring well. Made sure to spin the hydrometer too. My boil was close to 3 gallons. Do the instructions in the kit assume a full boil?

Second, not really an issue but an observation, but I tasted the wort after the hydrometer reading and blech. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it did not taste good. Not sure if I got an aftertaste of star san from sanitizing the hydrometer vessel or what. Now that I think about it, not really sure why I sanitized the hydrometer in the first place...
Click to expand...

Wort won't always taste great and you shouldn't be able to taste starsan. I usually don't shake the wort just real aggressive stirring.
 
FerroPlasm said:
First, I only got my OG up to 1.052. I measured at 67 and added a correction (+0.0007 right?) Target was 1.058 to 1.062. Not entirely sure why it ended up low. I took the reading after aerating by shaking the carboy, topping off to 5 gal, and stirring well. Made sure to spin the hydrometer too. My boil was close to 3 gallons. Do the instructions in the kit assume a full boil?
Click to expand...
You're fine. My guess (and it's just a guess) is that maybe you didn't pre-heat the liquid malt extract and therefore it didn't all go into the boil, preferring as it does sometimes to stick to the sides of the can. Don't worry, though. Your beer will still be just fine.

Second, not really an issue but an observation, but I tasted the wort after the hydrometer reading and blech. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it did not taste good. Not sure if I got an aftertaste of star san from sanitizing the hydrometer vessel or what. Now that I think about it, not really sure why I sanitized the hydrometer in the first place...
Click to expand...
Alcohol isn't the only thing yeast adds to a beer. It's not unusual at all for a pre-fermented wort to taste like a sugary mess, because that's what it is. You're right that it's not necessary to sanitize the hydrometer and vessel but in the long run if you get into the habit of sanitizing too much instead of too little you will be a very happy brewer of great beers. You're good.
 
After taking a look at my primary, it looks like my total volume is about 5.1 gallons. I'm thinking I diluted the wort a little too much. I did dunk the extract in hot water for ~ 20 minutes and used a spatula to get it all out. It's ok though, I'll just get a couple more bottles than anticipated from this batch. :mug:
 
I don't think I've ever enjoyed the taste of the unfermented wort. I usually don't like the taste of it pre-bottling either, but I've never had a batch that wasn't good after carbing.
 

Similar threads

F
Converting an extract recipe to all grain
Replies
2
Views
255
IslandLizard
IslandLizard
P
Steep to convert - Steeping grains
Replies
5
Views
350
hottpeper13
H
Tony B
First batch
Replies
10
Views
661
Kornssj
Kornssj
PashMaddle
Brew day #2 is done.
Replies
22
Views
1K
lumpher
lumpher
PashMaddle
First brew day is on the books.
Replies
39
Views
2K
GoodTruble
G
Brewer's Friend 300

Latest posts

Back
Top