Few Questions

1) When taking hydrometer readings do I siphon the beer out my primary into my flask? If so do I siphon from the middle or where? Take temp readings in the flask as well?

2) When I put the beer into the 2nd carboy do I keep checking my hydrometer reading or just wait 2 weeks as my instructions read before bottling?

3) How do I drop the temp 1 to 3 degree per day without a regulator for my chest freezer? Is this necessary to drop temp in 2nd carboy until 35-42 degrees?

4) Been noticing pics of brew stands. Blichmann, Brewmagic, etc. What is the benefit of a brewstand? or what is the point of a brew stand.

Thanks for the help!

1. Invest in a wine thief or a turkey baster. Just pull a little beer out, read, taste, and throw out. Do not put it back in the carboy!

2. Either or. I usually just leave it for 2 weeks, but thats cuz im lazy. Most will tell you to take a few gravity readings a couple days apart and if it hasnt changed, then proceed to bottling.

3. Im not sure how you would do that without a regulator. And it is not necessary. Cold crashing improves clarity and helps yeast and sediment settle to the bottom. Your beer will be perfectly fine if you skip this.

4. Brew stands are for all grain brewing. You do not need one if you're sticking with extract brewing. If your curious about all grain, check out youtube for instructional videos. You can do all grain without a stand too. The stand is for convenience.

instinct2 said:

2) When I put the beer into the 2nd carboy do I keep checking my hydrometer reading or just wait 2 weeks as my instructions read before bottling?

Click to expand...

You should only transfer to the secondary when gravity has stabilized at or near final gravity. If your instructions gave you a time (like 1 week), ignore this! After gravity has stabilized, there is no benefit to continue taking gravity readings.

Just so you know, transferring to the secondary is entirely optional.

1) When taking hydrometer readings do I siphon the beer out my primary into my flask? If so do I siphon from the middle or where? Take temp readings in the flask as well?
A graduated cylinder is a little easier to work with so your hydrometer isn't floating around everywhere. If the beer is mostly done, it won't matter where you take the sample from, it should be uniform. Temp readings can help because there is a correction factor to apply to the hydrometer if the beer temp isn't around 60F

2) When I put the beer into the 2nd carboy do I keep checking my hydrometer reading or just wait 2 weeks as my instructions read before bottling?
As most on here will say, secondary is optional. Unless you need your primary, or are dry-hopping/adding fruits or additional flavors, it adds another step for infection.

3) How do I drop the temp 1 to 3 degree per day without a regulator for my chest freezer? Is this necessary to drop temp in 2nd carboy until 35-42 degrees?
I assume you are doing a lager, in which case you would need to have some sort of regulator to control it. I think there are some pretty cheap ones on ebay.

Thanks for the help everyone. This site is really helping with the first brew!

A graduated cylinder is a little easier to work with so your hydrometer isn't floating around everywhere. If the beer is mostly done, it won't matter where you take the sample from, it should be uniform. Temp readings can help because there is a correction factor to apply to the hydrometer if the beer temp isn't around 60F

Do I take the temp inside the flask?

As most on here will say, secondary is optional. Unless you need your primary, or are dry-hopping/adding fruits or additional flavors, it adds another step for infection.

I've noticed that most on this site are against the second carboy. Should I take my unused 5 gallon back and get another 6 1/2 gallon or should I keep the 5 gallon?

I assume you are doing a lager, in which case you would need to have some sort of regulator to control it. I think there are some pretty cheap ones on ebay.[/QUOTE]

This is what I'm making. www.homebrewers.com/product/1028/Brewers-Best-German-Oktoberfest.html 10-14 days first carboy. The fermentation has really slowed today. There was a 1 1/2 head on it yesterday and it was basically all gone this morning. The airlock is bubbling every 20 seconds instead of every second as yesterday as well. We brewed last Saturday.
1) When should I start take readings?
2) How many do you normally take 1 a day?
3) Once its the same 2 days in a row I should start bottling?
4) How long in the bottles until I can finally drink this damn thing
5) Should I put all the bottles in the fridge?
6) How long does a homebrew last in a bottle?

Sorry for all the questions. Again thank for the help!!!

Anyone?

This is what I'm making. www.homebrewers.com/product/1028/Brewers-Best-German-Oktoberfest.html 10-14 days first carboy. The fermentation has really slowed today. There was a 1 1/2 head on it yesterday and it was basically all gone this morning. The airlock is bubbling every 20 seconds instead of every second as yesterday as well. We brewed last Saturday.

1) When should I start take readings?
- Yeast are not on a time schedule Time is on your side, but lack of it is not. Patience is a key. Give them at least two weeks (minimum) to take your first reading.

2) How many do you normally take 1 a day?
- No. If the first reading you take meets the anticipated FG take another reading a few days later. If they are the same, fermentation is complete.. but it is not yet time to bottle.

3) Once its the same 2 days in a row I should start bottling?
- Not yet. After the yeast have eaten the fermentable sugars they are still hungry and will start eating the byproducts they produced in fermentation. They start cleaning up after themselves so to speak. This helps reduce off flavors.

4) How long in the bottles until I can finally drink this damn thing
- I keg so take this for what it's worth. The norm is 3 weeks at 70F. Higher gravity beers will take longer.


5) Should I put all the bottles in the fridge?
- Put a few in after the 3 week period. The longer you leave it there the more of the CO2 will dissolve into the beer. A pipeline brings patience.. again for the most part time is on your side. It's tough when you first start out.

6) How long does a homebrew last in a bottle?
- I don't know.

Sorry for all the questions. Again thank for the help!!![/QUOTE]

- Don't you worry about asking questions on this forum. We all started out in pretty much the same place. Sounds like you have done some research already just knowing the important questions to ask..

Thank you for the help Dan!! In your opinion should I move to my second carboy to get the brew off the sediment? or is it ok? While waiting for the anticipated FG.

I'm going into my homebrew shop tomorrow to get another brew kit and thinking about getting a bottle washer. What else could help my brewing or make it easier for me?

This is what I currently own. http://www.greatfermentations.com/Deluxe-Brewing-Kit/productinfo/GF020/ and a wort chiller.

Again thanks for the help everyone!

instinct2 said:

Thank you for the help Dan!! In your opinion should I move to my second carboy to get the brew off the sediment? or is it ok? While waiting for the anticipated FG.

Click to expand...

Please leave you beer alone, no need for secondary - for real!

I typically leave my wort in the primary for 3-4 weeks. No off flavors, no yeast autolysis. This is pretty much the norm for most brewers these days and the results are spectacular.