First brew session, carboy real cloudy

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abarhan

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First batch done and fairly successful from what I can tell. I used a plate chiller and noticed all of the cold break in the fermentor. Should I transfer to fresh carboy sans the cold break and continue or just leave it? I added the Nottingham ale yeast by just sprinkling it, after reading the forums people seem to go both ways, with and without waking them up, should I be worried about this not starting? I have also read some posts about dry hopping, is it better in secondary or keg? If in the keg should I do a secondary at all or just go from primary to keg with my dry pellet hops? I will out of town for about three weeks so I need to do one or the other and let it sit and do its thing, what is a better option? Last question, since I can't watch it every day is it better to leave blowoff tube in the entire time and for go the airlock since I can't check the water level?

-concerned first timer
 
First batch done and fairly successful from what I can tell. I used a plate chiller and noticed all of the cold break in the fermentor. Should I transfer to fresh carboy sans the cold break and continue or just leave it? I added the Nottingham ale yeast by just sprinkling it, after reading the forums people seem to go both ways, with and without waking them up, should I be worried about this not starting? I have also read some posts about dry hopping, is it better in secondary or keg? If in the keg should I do a secondary at all or just go from primary to keg with my dry pellet hops? I will out of town for about three weeks so I need to do one or the other and let it sit and do its thing, what is a better option? Last question, since I can't watch it every day is it better to leave blowoff tube in the entire time and for go the airlock since I can't check the water level?

-concerned first timer

1. Just leave it.
2. dont worry, just keep it at a cool 62 degrees.
3. Ya can dry hop either way, what ever is easier for you. Ya can primary for a month, wont hurt anything
4. Yes, blow off tube..always better to go blow off then to scrape the ceiling.
 
1. Just leave it.
2. dont worry, just keep it at a cool 62 degrees.
3. Ya can dry hop either way, what ever is easier for you. Ya can primary for a month, wont hurt anything
4. Yes, blow off tube..always better to go blow off then to scrape the ceiling.

^^^^ +1 to all of this.
 
Well 48hrs in the kraussen falls, is it done already?

The beer is not done yet. There is much debate on here about when the beer is "done." Right now it sounds like the fermentation has peaked and is now slowing down. To tell when fermentation has stopped you can take gravity readings (ideally on consecutive days.) Or just wait about two weeks and you can be pretty sure that a normal gravity beer will be fermented. Many brewers will advocate allowing the beer to wait longer or shorter.

Since you have a carboy, you can watch the process. You have identified the cold break, and krausen. You will also notice that as the beer reaches its final gravity that the yeast will slowly settle to the bottom and become dormant, we like to say "fall asleep" sometimes. As this process occurs the beer will take on a more true color and become much more clear. I wait for this process to occur before transfering or dry hopping. Remember, if you bottle too early the beer will be overcarbonated and could potentially explode the bottles.
 
I've dry hopped right in the primary fermenter with good results, although I added the hops before the yeast had settled and that caused me problems with it clogging the bottling wand as the hops hadn't settled as fast as they should due to the yeast action. I would do it again that way except that I would use a bag for the hops.

It won't matter much whether you rehydrate the yeast or just dump it into the fermenter. It will rehydrate in the fermenter and either way it will find the sugars and start eating.

The fast part of the ferment is when the wort forms krausen and when it slow down the krausen falls but it is far from "done" as the yeast still has sugars to find and eat and then it goes on to eat some of the other compounds that it creates during that real fast part of the ferment. Don't rush your beer as you won't like what it does.

When your beer really is done, all the cold break material will be compacted in the bottom of the fermenter along with the hops and yeast and you will rack above it when you transfer to your keg. The longer you leave it in the fermenter the tighter the yeast cake will become and the less yeast will be sucked up in the siphon.
 
Little update, the blow-off bubbles have slowed to 1 every 30 seconds. I am leaving on vacation for 22 days on the first, should I rack it to a secondary right before to dry hop and condition of just leave it alone. Attached are the photos of current fermentation.

Airlock vs. Blow-off- I live in south Texas will a (3 piece) airlock dry out in 22 days? Is there any danger in leaving the blow-off in place for the duration, I have read that it acts as the same as a airlock just more water.

Can I have more than one blow-off tube in the same bucket of water? I have a batch of Caribou slobber I am going to brew tomorrow and was going to just add the blow-off to the same vase of water.

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There is no reason you cannot put more than one blow off in the same bucket.

Let the batch that is almost done sit for a couple weeks then transfer to keg or bottle it.
 
You can also dry hop right in the primary if you want. There's no need to rack to secondary. It's personal preference really. 22 days seems longer than most dry hop schedules I've seen so its up to you whether you do it now or when you get back from vacation. Most dry hop schedules I've seen are 5-7 days long. Maybe others have done longer dry hops and can chime in.
 
I would recommend waiting to dry hop until you return. Leaving the dry hops in there that long could lead to some vegetal flavors.

Also, if you're using pellets don't dry hop in your keg. Use a secondary or toss them in the primary when you get back. I personally prefer racking onto them in a secondary.
 
if you want to use the airlock and are afraid of it drying out. instead of putting water in it put some cheap vodka. it will not evap and as an added benny if anything get in there for any reason the vodka kills it.
 
Good advice so far, once the "active" phase of fermentation is done the airlock should have very little activity so leaving liquid (vodka, star san, water, etc..) will be fine. I have had (I use cheap Tequila) my airlock bubble for 3 weeks and the alcohol is still in it.
Come to think of it, I wonder if I am having a problem with my beer since I have never had a beer "off gas" for 3 weeks before. Oh well, time will tell!

One of the hardest things about brewing I have learned is patience! Time does tend to heal most wounds in brewing.

Good luck!
 
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