Getting started, Need input and correction

I have read hundreds of posts and worn out the search function, it seems there's more than one way to skin a cat, and not many beginners that are kegging.

My plan is to start out with simple, partial boil, extract brews-stouts and wheats. I will be kegging, I have a kegerator, so the draft stuff is not new, but the corneys are.

The way I understand it, I can start with a simple extract recipe, follow the boil directions, pour it into cooled water in the corney, add the yeast and ferment, force carb, pour the first glass of sediment out, and have tasty beer?

I pulled that together from many posts so I'm sure I'm missing something.
Is it really possible to go from boil to corney?

You could go from boil to corny but it is not adviseable. During primary fermentation the yeast population will increase dramatically. When they are finished fermenting most of the yeast will drop out to the bottom of the fermenter. Also any hop material and cold break material that got into the fermentor will drop out to the bottom. So you will have a substantial collection of trub on the bottom of the keg.

After several taps there will be a cleared space around the dip tube and you will not draw much more trub out of the tap after the first several taps, however after a period of time, and there is a lot of debate on how long that is, but eventually the yeast will autolyze (basically die and decay) and some of the other debris can begin to break down as well and throw bad flavors into your beer.

The correct way is to let the primary fermentation complete in a separate fermentor. You need to at least wait several days after the gravity stops dropping. Then move to your keg. Some people go to secondary after primary, but this is personal preference and not necessary.

thanks, for the primary does it matter whether i use a bucket or carboy?
(with airlocks)

It does not matter. Bucket or carboy is fine as long as it does not have any scratches in it to harbor bacteria and you sanitize. If you use a bucket just make sure it is a food grade bucket. Generally the recycle code will be #1 or #2 on food grade buckets.

Indeed, ferment in a separate container and then rack to the carboy after fermentation is complete. Many folks around here will leave the beer in the fermenter for up to a month before racking it to a corney keg, forgoing any sort of "secondary fermentation" (which is more often than not just a fancy term for "additional time to allow the yeast to drop out of suspension").

If you're doing a fruit beer or an IPA where you want to add raspberries or dry hops or whatever to the beer after the primary fermentation is complete, you will want to do that in a glass carboy or plastic food-grade bucket, then rack it to the carboy - you don't want that nasty stuff (and it does indeed turn nasty) in your keg, clogging up the works.

so besides the kegerator and corney stuff, the brew pot, and a carboy or two, is there anything i need or anything that will make my life easier or batches better?

my wife is pretty exited about this also so i am trying to make sure i have everything i need to make it a good experience for her (and me).

Lots of little stuff:

hydrometer - measure the specific gravity

thermometer

racking cane or autosiphon and plastic tubing - for moving your beer from the carboy to your keg

Good luck!

when searching about a hydrometer, it seemed like many of the seasoned vets did not use one, but instead just left it in the fermenter a little longer. is that safe/full-proof?

lknbigfish said:

when searching about a hydrometer, it seemed like many of the seasoned vets did not use one, but instead just left it in the fermenter a little longer. is that safe/full-proof?

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They use them, they just don't take a lot of samples. If you leave it long enough, it should be done fermenting, but you really should check the gravity to make sure it's done.

Of course, there are people that use a refractometer instead, but they're still checking the gravity.

Don't forget sanitizing solution, one of the most important steps from what I've been reading.

I'm new here too, obviously,
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but I would think you can get a good beer without knowing/measuring the gravity.

As far as fool proof, or safe? HA! Safe, sure. Fool Proof, I guess not.

Jay

can you leave it in the fermenter to long?
i am planning to start with 2 batches/2 fermenters/2 kegs, once the first two batches are done and in the kegs, could i start on the next batches and just leave them in the fermenters until we empty a keg?

sorry for all the questions, i really appreciate the replies.

whoneedsabeer said:

Don't forget sanitizing solution, one of the most important steps from what I've been reading.

I'm new here too, obviously,
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but I would think you can get a good beer without knowing/measuring the gravity.

As far as fool proof, or safe? HA! Safe, sure. Fool Proof, I guess not.

Jay

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yeah, it seems sanitizing is key, i'm trying to decide what solution.
what have you decided on?

lknbigfish said:

when searching about a hydrometer, it seemed like many of the seasoned vets did not use one, but instead just left it in the fermenter a little longer. is that safe/full-proof?

Click to expand...

Aaaahhhhh, I am not so sure you got an accurate impression. It is a step in the process that is taken for granted and not usually debated, so it is not always mentioned specifically in many cases. However, nearly everyone of us use one repeatedly during the brew process.

As for a refractometer, I love mine and for me is indispensable. But, others may not find it to be much more than a fancy conversation-piece if they aren't doing all grain.

lknbigfish said:

can you leave it in the fermenter to long?
i am planning to start with 2 batches/2 fermenters/2 kegs, once the first two batches are done and in the kegs, could i start on the next batches and just leave them in the fermenters until we empty a keg?

sorry for all the questions, i really appreciate the replies.

Click to expand...

That's exactly what I'm planning on doing. I'm not too sure about leaving it in the bucket or carboy fermenting until you free up the kegs. I'd be interested to see what others have to say about that, I would think too long with all the dead yeast and gunk might throw some off flavors into your beer. I guess it depends on how long it's going to take you drink down your first kegs.

I'm pretty set on Star Sans at this point. I'm planning on keeping an extra keg full of it, and a spray bottle.

Have you decided on where you're going to be getting your equipment yet?

bull8042 said:

Aaaahhhhh, I am not so sure you got an accurate impression. It is a step in the process that is taken for granted and not usually debated, so it is not always mentioned specifically in many cases. However, nearly everyone of us use one repeatedly during the brew process.

As for a refractometer, I love mine and for me is indispensable. But, others may not find it to be much more than a fancy conversation-piece if they aren't doing all grain.

Click to expand...

thanks for clearing that up, it's a lot to take in.

whoneedsabeer said:

That's exactly what I'm planning on doing. I'm not too sure about leaving it in the bucket or carboy fermenting until you free up the kegs. I'd be interested to see what others have to say about that, I would think too long with all the dead yeast and gunk might throw some off flavors into your beer. I guess it depends on how long it's going to take you drink down your first kegs.

I'm pretty set on Star Sans at this point. I'm planning on keeping an extra keg full of it, and a spray bottle.

Have you decided on where you're going to be getting your equipment yet?

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there is a guy on craigslist near me that is getting out and is selling a ton of stuff. he is set up for all grain and got everything from midwest. I just need to figure out everything i need from him.

whoneedsabeer said:

That's exactly what I'm planning on doing. I'm not too sure about leaving it in the bucket or carboy fermenting until you free up the kegs. I'd be interested to see what others have to say about that, I would think too long with all the dead yeast and gunk might throw some off flavors into your beer. I guess it depends on how long it's going to take you drink down your first kegs.

I'm pretty set on Star Sans at this point. I'm planning on keeping an extra keg full of it, and a spray bottle.

Have you decided on where you're going to be getting your equipment yet?

Click to expand...

the gunk might taint it after a while, i guess it may work better to move it to a secondary to get rid of some of the gunk. can a pro out there clear this up? how long is to long in a secondary?

I'm no pro but I've left a beer in the primary (on the yeast cake) for a few months with no problems.

lknbigfish said:

the gunk might taint it after a while, i guess it may work better to move it to a secondary to get rid of some of the gunk. can a pro out there clear this up? how long is to long in a secondary?

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I don't think there is a "too long" in a secondary. Leaving brew to condition in a secondary vessel is called "bulk aging".

The only time they talk about too long is with the primary fermenter and that has to do with the yeast dying (which takes a long time, like many months).

If you rack your beer off of the yeast cake in lets say, 4 weeks and transfer it to a secondary you can store it in there indefinitely I believe, as long as you keep it from light and major temperature fluctuations.

A lot of people use long primary fermentations (months) without secondary fermentation. All that yeast helps to clean up a little quicker. You can leave the beer in the primary for quite a while without too much worry. Read up on autolysis. Just don't get paranoid about it. It's rare. Keep everything away from light and sanitary and your beer will almost certainly keep over a year in a secondary. Don't underestimate a hydrometer. Yes, it is possible to make good beer without them but they're cheap and you don't have to guess your SG and you know when your fermentation is done. Start developing good brewing habits from the get go.

whats the easiest way to get an accurate temp reading from a fermentor in a water bath?

lknbigfish said:

whats the easiest way to get an accurate temp reading from a fermentor in a water bath?

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Get a stick on thermometer for your bucket/carboy. The water doesn't need to completely submerge the fermentation vessel. Just make sure you stick on the thermometer above the level of your water.

Here is a link to one:
http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?cPath=178_67_65&products_id=998

great, i am about to order from them anyway.

lknbigfish said:

great, i am about to order from them anyway.

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Perfect!