Just starting, silly question

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msarro

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Hey everyone,
I just started my first brew on friday. It's an oatmeal stout, to which I added a single stick of cinnamon and two cloves of allspice.

Sadly I don't have the OG since I forgot to sanitize my hydrometer, and the brew is now a quarter way across the state at my girlfriend's house.

Given that it went into the closet to start fermenting around 6:30pm friday, and as of now its only bubbling maybe once every 20 seconds... does that seem ok? It seems kind of slow given some of the videos I've seen on youtube which show rapid bubbling. I know that some is better than none, but it still seems a bit strange. If it'll help I can type out the log I kept from the brew for reference, and the recipe.

I was using a liquid yeast.
 
it depends on the yeast type, dry vs liquid, if you used a starter, etc. let it sit for 3 weeks on the yeast, then who cares? after that, bottle it, let it carb, and enjoy
 
You're fine. Many factors determine how vigorous the fermenting might be. And when it is no longer bubbling don't assume it isn't still fermenting. You'll want to leave it in the primary for 4 weeks or so to get a better result, by the way. As a warning, keep an eye on it in case it ferments like crazy and makes a mess in the closet like I did when I started out!

B
 
And... questions aren't silly. You're learning about this awesome pastime!

B
 
Thanks! I'm using a plastic fermenter I got in a true brew kit, and to be safe we have it sitting in a rubber maid container in case of any kind of overflowing should it suddenly crank up to 11. It wasn't a starter, but it was a liquid yeast in a pack that I smacked and let sit for 3 hours until it was inflated... so I guess its kind of like a starter?

If I let it sit for 3-4 weeks, will I get any nasty off tastes from the stuff that settles at the bottom?
 
No - you'll read in some places that this was the thought some years ago; however, once you read around this site you'll see that sitting on the trub will actually improve your beer by extracting some fermenting byproducts.

B
 
Really? So I get more than just the benefits of aging that I'd get from using something like a secondary fermenter? There's some other stuff that gets released?
 
Really? So I get more than just the benefits of aging that I'd get from using something like a secondary fermenter? There's some other stuff that gets released?

Maybe.

One thing is for sure: leaving it in the primary for many weeks (or as some have experimented, many months) doesn't have any negative effect. :ban:
 
main thing is DO NOT bottle it after 1 week like the instructions probably tell you to. ferment 3 weeks. it'll be tasty after you let it carb for another 3 weeks then :D
 
Yes - if you use the search on this site you'll find a number of threads that are very detailed about what happens as the beer sits on the trub. I am not sure of these details othersise I would outline them to you - all I know is... long primary and now for me, no secondary at all.

B
 
Thanks! I'm using a plastic fermenter I got in a true brew kit, and to be safe we have it sitting in a rubber maid container in case of any kind of overflowing should it suddenly crank up to 11. It wasn't a starter, but it was a liquid yeast in a pack that I smacked and let sit for 3 hours until it was inflated... so I guess its kind of like a starter?

If I let it sit for 3-4 weeks, will I get any nasty off tastes from the stuff that settles at the bottom?

In some cases you might have to worry about a little more than just overflow. Fermentation can be vigorous enough to build up enough CO2 to blow the lid of plastic fermentors and actually spray your ceiling. In a closet it could possibly make a mess of clothing and stuff. Beer is sticky!
 
In some cases you might have to worry about a little more than just overflow. Fermentation can be vigorous enough to build up enough CO2 to blow the lid of plastic fermentors and actually spray your ceiling. In a closet it could possibly make a mess of clothing and stuff. Beer is sticky!

Congrats on the first batch! You can leave that beer in the primary for a month or two (at the right temps) and you'll be fine. I lost my first and second air lock due to pressure on new years eve. Nothing says happy new year like cleaning porter and American Amber off of a popcorn ceiling. :) Blow off tubing was ordered this afternoon.
 
+1 I did that trick with a stout in 1992 during grad school.

I'm actually a little concerned about it with the chocolate stout I brewed today. Airlock started bubbling like crazy 5 hours after pitching! Fastest I've ever had a vigorous fermentation start! Lucky for me it's contained in a fermentation chamber I built.
 
Oi vey! I may have to stop at the brew shop next weekend, I won't be able to touch it until friday, and definitely can't get to the homebrew shop until next week!

Until then I'll warn the girlfriend to relocate the clothes. Thanks for the heads up:)
 
Fermentation chamber... ahhhhh to dream.... one day!

B

It's not that expensive to do. I bought a used wine fridge on craigslist for $90 and a Johnson Controls A419 temp controller fro $79. If you're going to stay with the hobby for a while I highly recommend it.
 
For me it's the space. For now it was a kegerator or ferm chamber and I chose option 1. In time I'll build a keezer, get ride of the kegerator and be good to go until I "need" something else!!

B
 
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