Beginner Needing some Advice

Hello all,

I am a noob....I have tried one batch that got infected and brewing again this Sunday and want to run my process by you all and get some advice.

Here is my recipe...a peach summer ale.

1 lbs. Honey Malt
6.6 lbs. Liquid Light Extract
.75 lbs. Light Brown Sugar
1 oz. Northern Brewer (Whole, 8.00 %AA) boiled 60 min.
.5 oz. Sterling (Whole, 7.50 %AA) boiled 30 min
.5 oz. Sterling (Whole, 7.50 %AA) boiled 15 min.
4 pounds Organic Frozen Peaches
White Labs American Ale Yeast

Last brew I added I poured my wort into the carboy and added tap water. I think my issue was adding tap water when the wort was below 160 deg. This time I am going to try pouring the wort into the carboy when it is above 160 and then adding bottled water until it is at 5gal. Thoughts?

My other questions.....when should I add the peaches? In the primary or the secondary?

To ensure sanitization....how should I add them? Should I add a campden tablet?

Any other advice is welcomed. I am tired of buying beer and really want this batch to rock. I am opened to all suggestions.

Thanks!

Jim

One thought: Is your carboy glass or plastic?

If it is glass, DON'T add the hot wort to the carboy. You will crack the glass, unless it is a Pyrex type of glass that resists high temp cracking.

Also, if you want to cool the wort in the carboy quicker, put your bottled water on ice or in the fridge. Then it will be a lot cooler than the wort and bring the temp down for pitching.

Good luck.

How do you know the first batch was infected? I can't comment on the peaches, but using bottled water instead of tap is definitely better. You can help cool your wort off by throwing the bottles in the freezer for about 30-45 minutes before adding. Your recipe looks pretty sound though...

Thanks for the replies.

My carboy is glass and last time I put the brew pot in a sink of cold water.

I know it was infected by the putrid smell and taste. It was sour almost like a vinegar. I had a feeling even before bottling that is was bad, but bottled anyway. Gotta go back, empty those and clean really good.

Thanks!

Jim

Peaches- I've never used peaches but I've used fresh strawberries. We added them to the secondary.

Our process was to rinse the berries with water, pull off the leaves, re-rinse with water, then gently dip into Star San for a few minutes. Then we quartered the berries after sanitizing our cutting boards, knives, and hands with Star San.

I think we probably would have made better use of the berries by pureeing them or cutting into smaller pieces, but the larger chunks made it easy to get the berries out. We definitely got some sugars out of them though.

I'd think your best bet is to boil the additional water, let it cool, add it to the carboy, cover. Then make your wort, let it cool, and add.

Don't pour hot wort! Cool it in an ice water bath first, and then pour it into the carboy when it is under 90 degrees. One of the reasons is that you don't want to aerate hot wort, but aerate cooled wort.

Have you used honey malt before? That sure seems like a lot to me. It is intensely sweet, and it won't ferment out all that sweetness. Also, it should be mashed, so you'll have to do a partial mash to use it. It can convert itself, but is best used with 2-row to ensure complete conversion.

Not sure if I am understanding if this is your second attempt at brewing or just this brew. If it is your second attempt at any brew, I would recommend starting with something a little less complicated until you get the basics down. Adding fruit and grains that require a mash ups the difficulty and gives more opportunity for failure. Perhaps start with a more simple recipe get the basics down and then branch out to more complicated brews. Just my .02 because everyone wants to enjoy the brew they make and undrinkable brews just lead to frustration.

Bottled water is definitely a better alternative than tap (this is what I use with no problems). Otherwise, boil the water and cool it down before using as tap water. In any event, adding a hot liquid to your carboy will result in a broken carboy and wort all over the floor.