My beer is NOT ruined!

Well it has been a sad and exciting weekend. My first batch of Mr. Beer brew is now gone. I've got the second Mr. Beer batch, a Hefeweizen that I substituted DME for the booster and used a better yeast, carbing and conditioning in the bottles.

So, I decided it was finally time to christen that five gallon equipment kit I purchased a while back. I brewed up a VERY easy extract, only one bittering hop addition, dark amber kit from the local LHBS. I can't tell you how much all the reading on here and starting out easy with Mr. Beer helped. I did a partial, three gallons, late addition, boil, chilled in the sink with lots of ice as I'd read here. I aerated and topped off the fermenter and when I went to take my SG reading I had a problem.

"Hmm, 1.020 is not right, this beer is supposed to be in the 1.042-1.046 range."

I stared at the hydrometer tube and suddenly my HBT training kicked in.

"You sir, forgot to mix the wort with the top off water!"

I mixed it all together took a second reading...1.046 on the nose! :rockin:

I love it when a plan comes together, thanks to everyone for getting me off on the right foot so far!

Congrats -- sounds like it's going to be a good one!

nibiyabi said:

Congrats -- sounds like it's going to be a good one!

Click to expand...

I hope so!

After about four hours I'm seeing airlock activity. So, it looks like it's off to the races. I'm using dry yeast for this first batch, but I did rehydrate. Of course, I do know that airlock activity isn't the best gauge to determine the end of fermentation, but, at this early stage, it seems to indicate things are going well!

Well, all I can say is, "I'll be rigging a blow-off tube with EVERY beer from now on!"

Shooter said:

I love it when a plan comes together, thanks to everyone for getting me off on the right foot so far!

Click to expand...

Da da da daaaa! Da da daa!

I pity the fool who don't stir their wort!