Another first brewing day! ALT Bier

Well, I thought I posted during the boil, but can't find my post...???

Got the Turkey fryer built and cleaned yesterday in preparation.

Set up the brewing table, made 5 Gal no rinse sanitizer and cleaned all the equipment.

Read and re-read the instructions until I had a plan.

Started to heat 3.5 gal on the Turkey fryer and 2.5 gal on the stove...

Then a change in plan as I read the instructions one last time. Loaded the grain into the grain bag and put it in the 120 deg water on the stove (I was going to use this to flush the grain in the big tub on the Turkey fryer).

Got it 1o 155 and turned off the heat... turned my back and then re-checked the temp... ooops 160. I hadn't taken the tub off the burner, just turned the burner off. So I quickly checked the temp on the 3.5 gal on the turkey fryer (135 can climbing) I decided as it had taken 15 min to bring the grain up to 155 +, to move the grain to the Fryer then pour in the 2.5 gal from the stove and try and get the temp back down.

Bingo! Perfect 155 again and held it there for another 25 min.

Removed the Grain bag and turned up the heat. I added the dry and wet extract stirring it in and making sure all of the liquid extract is scooped out of the container.

10 min later a Nice boil... then I made my second mistake and turned my back to get the floating thermo as I thought the dial thermo was off.

Turned off the heat and it calmed right down.

Adjusted the burner and found the perfect mix to maintain boil. and added the first Hop bag.

Took a break and had some M&M's for a late lunch.

15 min left added the Irish Moss bag. and started to get ready for the chore of cooling it in the snow piles.

3 min remaining, completely removed the lid (which was open 2" and only used to keep the rain/sleet out of the kettle) Added the Last bag of Hops.

Boil over, burner Off, Fuel off, then removed the Kettle and placed it in the snow piles on the deck. while stirring, I packed more snow around, moved the kettle and repeat.

27 min from full rolling boil to 75 deg and I started to siphon into the primary. 1.5 gal in the primary I pitched the yeast and continued to add wort while taking a sample with the wine thief and got my OG.

OG 1.049/50 where the instructions said (Est. OG 1.051) Close but not perfect but hey it's just my first time.

Just as I got to 5 gal the hail started and I had to run get the lid and cover the kettle with it's lid. 5.5 gal in the primary and pinched off the siphon and locked the lid taking it inside with a temp of 75 deg.

Added Tanguere (sp?) to the air lock as an alcohol barrier and put the primary in the cabinet. 62/3 deg and 12 days from now then it will be time to move to the carboy for secondary.

Total time today 4;15 through cleanup.

A Great Day!

Now what is Wort supposed to taste like? It was a little sweet, but other than that I couldn't tell much other than I didn't want to swallow it.

So are my errors, minimal or something else?

Congrats on the first brew. It doesn't look like your mistakes are serious at all and you have noooo need to worry about anything. Please don't use the 12 days in your instructions as the final number; take care to look at the activity of your brew to judge completion of fermentation (and use your hydrometer for the final judgement!). Tell us how everything turns out!

Iam assuming you did an extract with steeping grains? If so don't worry your heating mishaps were no big deal. As long as you don't get them to 170 or above. Thats when you start releasing tannins.

Lots of people when steeping grains, Fill your pot wioth water, drop steeping grains in pot place on stove and heat up to 160-165, then shut off and remove grains, Stir in extract, bring to boil, add 60 minute hops adn go from there!

I see your BIG mistake...

You weren't drinking beer while making beer. Might as well throw this batch out..

KIDDING, sounds like a good brew experience man.

Sounds awesome. A couple of friendly suggestions:

If you're going to ferment at 62 (good idea), you might want to try to get your wort down to 62 before you pitch.

Leave it in primary at least 3 weeks. Be patient!

Sounds like you had fun. And one note, if you took your OG reading when the wort was 75* and got 1.049, it's "true" gravity should be spot on because your hydrometer should be calibrated to read at 60*.

It only gets better from here!

Thanks!
I'm excited... expectant father kind.

I pitched the yeast at 75 because the instructions said so.... hmm I'll have to make a note of that recommendation and see what happens.
Hydrometer calibrated to 60 deg.. (write down in log)

All great info for my newbie brain to log!
Thanks Guys!! This site is the BEST!

Update:

Nearly 28hrs in and a nice bubbling going on, It's slowly building from the 12 hr point (when I first noticed the pressure building in the bucket).
All is well... however having it in the Carboy box... precludes my observation of the activity in the pail.... Hmmmm The curious want to see it =)

I'll update as I go. Current plan is 12 days in primary then 14 more in secondary followed by Kegging and a Few bottles (just to share).

Thanks to all that post great info on this site, I have learned VOLUMES!!! here. Fact is I spent ALL day yesterday here reading and posting. What a way to spend a Holiday!!! Woo Hooo!!!

Ok, I got curious and lifted the pail out of the carboy box. Nice krousen (sp?) forming on top, and a nice 1/2 inch sediment layer forming on the bottom. NICE!
I took a picture of it for future ref. Alas I don't have PayPal to upgrade my membership so I can post pictures.

you can put your pictures in flickr or some other photo hosting service and then insert the URL and it will show up in the post.

Fist OG was 1.049/50 @ 75 Deg... and as a reply indicated with the temp conversion should have been spot on 1.051 per instructions.

So after much debate as the bubbling has slowed dramatically today, I took the bubbler off and Thieved off 4 ounces or so to take a reading.

It's now down to 1.023 @ 65 Deg, the instructions indicate FG ov 1.011 so it still has a way to go.

However as its S-04 I have read that some have problems getting S-04 down that low. The Un-chilled and still massively cloudy, like a good Heff!!, sort of tasted like one too, wasn't bad, very smooth leaving no after taste. Not a lot of mouth feel though. Hopefully that will develop as it continues in the Primary. 9 more days..

Patience patience patience... OMG how this is trying my patience. I think I will have to go in and get a Heff kit and another primary tomorrow from the LHBS as this waiting is Killing me! I need something to do.. and no I'm not cleaning the house!