Should I pitch now?

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kroach01

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Hello everyone,

I just brewed a simple hef and am debating pitching now or waiting until the cold break has settled. Or if it even matters. Will be pitching WLP 300.
I brewed this about 4 hours ago and chilled it down to room temp in about 10 minutes.
I will be putting this in my bathtub with frozen water bottles down to about 65, so I'm wondering if I should let it settle out overnight or pitch it now and RDWHAHB. I know hefs are generally turbid so it may not matter as much for hefs, but I was also wondering if the answer changes for other styles of beer.
Also, this looks peculiarly dark for a hef. I only used Breiss Bavarian Wheat DME and a bit of light specialty steeping grains. I added the DME to the last ten minutes of the boil. Is it just the volume of liquid in my 6.5 gal carboy making it look dark?
Here's a pic of the unsettled proteins

:mug:

IMG_0203.jpg
 
I just brewed a hefe this weekend, and it looks dark too, a lot like that picture. I have no idea why, but this is only batch #3 for me.

GRAINS
1 lb light Munich Malt, 12 oz Crystal 10L, steeped for 20 minutes at 150F

MALT
3.3 lbs wheat LME, 3 lbs wheat DME, added at the boil
 
I just brewed a hefe this weekend, and it looks dark too, a lot like that picture. I have no idea why, but this is only batch #3 for me.

GRAINS
1 lb light Munich Malt, 12 oz Crystal 10L, steeped for 20 minutes at 150F

MALT
3.3 lbs wheat LME, 3 lbs wheat DME, added at the boil

Now that mine started fermenting (about 40 h later...), it does look lighter. I think a reason may be that my carboy (6.5gal) is large and doesn't allow much light through therefore it appears darker. Even so, it just looks dark. I have a feeling that it will be much lighter when it is bottled.
I'm hoping that's the case with you? How long did you boil the extract? I hear that boiling the extract for a while will cause the wort to darken. I add the extract to the end of the boil and let it boil for a few minutes. Then again, mine apparently appears as dark as yours. Do you have pics? Post your method.
The fermenting wort smells amazing, though. I started fermenting in the mid 60s (clove) and have let it go up to 70 (banana) and back again (I have to put it in my bathtub while at work for 12-14 hours, so it gets up there by the time I get back). Since the yeast and some protein is dissolved it looks lighter, but not what I was expecting.
 
It always looks darker in the carboy due to the length/width of liquid you're looking through. In a glass it will be noticeably lighter in color.
 
kroach01 said:
... so I'm wondering if I should let it settle out overnight or pitch it now and RDWHAHB. I know hefs are generally turbid so it may not matter as much for hefs, but I was also wondering if the answer changes for other styles of beer.

It doesn't matter, once active fermentation starts everything inside the fermenter churns at a remarkable rate; it's pretty cool just staring at it while it works its magic.
 
I've found the color of the OG in the hydrometer sample is usually about the same as the final product. Fermentation colors in buckets are misleading and always look darker than the expected SRM. Don't know about carboys but suspect the same. The proteins and yeast in suspension will block light and make the fermenting wort look darker than the finished beer.

And yes always pitch as soon as you have lowered wort to desired temp and have aerated.
 
kroach, I boiled the extracts for 60 minutes. I was following a recipe from my LHBS. Basically, steep the specialty grains at 150F for 20 minutes, bring to a boil, add extracts, boil for 60 minutes. There were a couple of hop additions, one towards the beginning of the boil and one at the end.

I am fermenting in an opaque bucket, and don't have pics from earlier in the process, but my wort color looked just like yours.

Fermentation temps are within a couple of degrees of 66F all the time. I know this yeast wants to be a bit warmer, but I've been told that if you have a hard time maintaining an optimal temperature, a steady temperature is the next best thing. The yeast did start within 24 hours, and fermentation has been quite vigorous compared to my previous two beers--at least in terms of krausen formation and airlock activity.

At this point, whatever happens, happens.
 
Hello everyone,

I just brewed a simple hef and am debating pitching now or waiting until the cold break has settled. Or if it even matters. Will be pitching WLP 300.
I brewed this about 4 hours ago and chilled it down to room temp in about 10 minutes.
I will be putting this in my bathtub with frozen water bottles down to about 65, so I'm wondering if I should let it settle out overnight or pitch it now and RDWHAHB. I know hefs are generally turbid so it may not matter as much for hefs, but I was also wondering if the answer changes for other styles of beer.
Also, this looks peculiarly dark for a hef. I only used Breiss Bavarian Wheat DME and a bit of light specialty steeping grains. I added the DME to the last ten minutes of the boil. Is it just the volume of liquid in my 6.5 gal carboy making it look dark?
Here's a pic of the unsettled proteins

:mug:

Remember too that the color always comes out much darker in extract brews than with all grain brews. It has to do with the process of making the extract.. That's why a lot of people will add at least half of their malt in the last 10-15 mins which is what you did :)
 
Frodo said:
It doesn't matter, once active fermentation starts everything inside the fermenter churns at a remarkable rate; it's pretty cool just staring at it while it works its magic.

Haha, I spend way too much time staring at bubbles as flying chunks of yeast/protein and sniffing my airlock.
 
Horseflesh said:
kroach, I boiled the extracts for 60 minutes. I was following a recipe from my LHBS. Basically, steep the specialty grains at 150F for 20 minutes, bring to a boil, add extracts, boil for 60 minutes. There were a couple of hop additions, one towards the beginning of the boil and one at the end.

I am fermenting in an opaque bucket, and don't have pics from earlier in the process, but my wort color looked just like yours.

Fermentation temps are within a couple of degrees of 66F all the time. I know this yeast wants to be a bit warmer, but I've been told that if you have a hard time maintaining an optimal temperature, a steady temperature is the next best thing. The yeast did start within 24 hours, and fermentation has been quite vigorous compared to my previous two beers--at least in terms of krausen formation and airlock activity.

At this point, whatever happens, happens.

Sounds like it went well, send me some bottles and I can give some input :cool:. I think it will come out great! I have read a lot that boiling the extract for a full hour makes the wort darker. I'm not sure if this is true, but many seem to think so. I add the extract with about 15 mins left in the boil for that reason. Again, I have no proof this is true but people seem to be convinced and I saw no harm.
 
cooper said:
Remember too that the color always comes out much darker in extract brews than with all grain brews. It has to do with the process of making the extract.. That's why a lot of people will add at least half of their malt in the last 10-15 mins which is what you did :)

Hah, should have read this before posting.
I think I will keep doing this, and of course pitch immediately when in range. Thanks guys.

Random question.. Do you get a better malt taste/profile when going to all grain? I'm noticing that I can't really get great and distinct malt profiles with extracts. I mean, it's pretty good but the malt flavor just doesn't taste... Distinct. I think my technique is good and I have done over 15 brews.
 
Hah, should have read this before posting.
I think I will keep doing this, and of course pitch immediately when in range. Thanks guys.

Random question.. Do you get a better malt taste/profile when going to all grain? I'm noticing that I can't really get great and distinct malt profiles with extracts. I mean, it's pretty good but the malt flavor just doesn't taste... Distinct. I think my technique is good and I have done over 15 brews.

I think so. For me going all grain was that next step and it opened up a whole new set of possibilities and things to learn and theories to test. Make sure you get a PH tester though when going all grain and test your mash PH to make sure it's in the proper range around 5.5 at room temperature. There's loads more advice I could give on going to all grain but it might be better to head over to the brew science area and read the primer on brew water to get you started, I'm by no means any kind of expert.
 
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