First Brew - Did a lot of research but still have a few questions

Okay, I'm hooked to this home brewing lark, but I've got a few questions now that I've had my first brew in the primary fermenter after a week (oh, and sorry for any duplication of newbie questions, I did do a lot of reading on this forum and I couldn't find the exact answers).

I have used a Cooper's India Pale Ale kit with a big fermenting bucket starter kit.

I boiled up 2 litres of water, added the contents of the can to it along with 500g of Dry Malt Extract and 300g Brewing Sugar. Stirred it all up until it was all dissolved then made it up to 20litres with cold water and made sure the temperature was in the 21-27 degrees Centigrade that the instructions stated. I sprinkled on the yeast and stirred it up then sealed up the fermenter with an airlock in place.

After a day or so the fermenter seemed to be working well (plenty of bubbles coming off the airlock etc) but after 3 days it seems to have all finished, and the original hydrometer reading which was around 1.040 originally is now around 1.005-1.010 (the black band on my hydrometer).

I've left it in the fermenter for 4 days after that (total of 1 week) and it hasn't changed. I am just a little concerned that it seems to have completed fermenting so quickly. Also, I don't know what it SHOULD smell like but it sort of smells a little like wine to my untrained nose, but there isn't any noticeable infection on the surface.

The air temperature around the fermenter varied between 15-18 degrees, I put a brew belt on it which kept it around 28 degrees. Maybe that's what the problem is - Too warm (yeast instructions recommended 21-27Deg)?

Does everything look okay as far as you guys are concerned? How long should I leave it in the primary fermenter before transferring it to a secondary fermenter or bottles?

Any and all help very welcome, thank you

3 days for primary fermentation isn't out of the ordinary at all. Don't try to rush it though. Let is sit for 2 more weeks before you even think of bottling.

Congrats...sounds like you made beer.

NATO said:

After a day or so the fermenter seemed to be working well (plenty of bubbles coming off the airlock etc) but after 3 days it seems to have all finished, and the original hydrometer reading which was around 1.040 originally is now around 1.005-1.010 (the black band on my hydrometer).

I've left it in the fermenter for 4 days after that (total of 1 week) and it hasn't changed. I am just a little concerned that it seems to have completed fermenting so quickly. Also, I don't know what it SHOULD smell like but it sort of smells a little like wine to my untrained nose, but there isn't any noticeable infection on the surface.

The air temperature around the fermenter varied between 15-18 degrees, I put a brew belt on it which kept it around 28 degrees. Maybe that's what the problem is - Too warm (yeast instructions recommended 21-27Deg)?

Does everything look okay as far as you guys are concerned? How long should I leave it in the primary fermenter before transferring it to a secondary fermenter or bottles?

Any and all help very welcome, thank you

Click to expand...

It has finished primary fermentation. I hesitate to say what is best but I personally leave my fermentations in the primary for 3-4 weeks. For your fermentation to have completed in that amount of time is perfectly normal, you did a good job! Take the belt off or turn that sucker down. You want 20C ... it is possible that the warmer than normal fermentation produced some off flavors but if you leave it in the fermenter and get the temperature down the yeast will take care of it. Typically you want to pitch the yeast around 20-22C ... The fermentation itself will raise the temperature by 3-as much as 10 degrees so plan for that. When you brew more you will know what your favorite yeast will do and can plan accordingly.

You are fine, lower the temp, keep er' in for another 2 weeks and then bottle. Ask for bottling help before you bottle if you need

Wow, thanks for the replies, you've put me at ease now! I was a bit worried that I'd done something wrong, even after all the research I did beforehand there's always things that pop up afterwards.

Sorry if this is an obvious question but what exactly will happen if I leave it a few weeks before bottling it? If the primary fermentation has finished (ie, the yeast have converted all the sugars to alcohol), what's left for the yeast to do?

Oh, and I've got a 5gal Glass carboy arriving tomorrow - is it okay to transfer the beer over to it now?

Those little yeasties are now gonna go back now and clean up any by products created by themselves which may lead to off flavors. They are some good working buddies !! :rockin:

Don't transfer it, just leave it where it is for another couple of weeks. Transfer to a bottling bucket (unless you are kegging) after a few weeks and bottle. One thing I do with my extended primarying (if that is a word) is move the fermenter up on my work bench. That is literally racking it, putting it up on a rack. I do this after a week on the floor (my floor is concrete and about 3 degrees cooler than the bench so during high krausen I want it on the floor). Then when I'm ready to bottle it has been sitting on the bench for 2-3 weeks and I only have to take the top off carefully. This way the yeast cake isn't disturbed and I can siphon off the clean brew into my bottling bucket.

NATO,

Welcome to brewing and to this site. When you are ready to do your next brew, let us know, we will be happy to offer lots of conflicting advice to make it better.

No need to transfer to secondary IMO.

Leave it in the primary for 3wks - months if you want, then bottle with your bottling bucket.

I once heard on this forum the rule of threes--

MINIMUM of 3 wks in primary, 3 wks in bottle, and 3 days in fridge before drinking. Longer can only help improve flavor and carbonation.

When I brewed with extract kits the lower end kits always gave me a wine smell and taste to. It is suggested to ferment at a lower temperature to not develope estures. Also try a beter quality yeast rather than using the one given under the cap of the extract. The higher end kits worked well for me. I brew all grain now and never have I had a beer smell or taste like wine. Its not your doing, but what I believe to be the quality of the kit. Some parts of the world must like that wine taste to their beer. Stay with the hobby and always try to improve your beer. Better days are ahead.

http://www.homebrewzone.com/esters.htm

NATO,

Welcome! I agree with the 3/3/3 rule but I usually ferment in a carboy (not a bucket). I would just make sure you cool it down once the fermentation is over. I once left a summer brew in a bucket for 3+ weeks at the highrange temps and won't do it again...Also, It's always hard to wait for the first few beers They always say, better beer/wine comes from a full celler...

FYI: My first beer was a IPA kit as well, I did 2 weeks in fermenter and 1 week in bottles...(I couldn't wait)...I thought the beer was great! Would it have been better if I conditioned a little more? Sure... enjoy

This is all great advice, thanks very much for it!

The yeast supplied with the Cooper's IPA kit suggests 21-27C, now I know that the yeast itself will bring the temperature up a bit before using a brew belt heater. Here's a couple of questions:

1. The brew belt suggests that the overall temperature can be controlled depending on how high up the bucket it's placed (lower position = greater heating). This seems to just make sure that the beer above the level of the belt is heated, I assume there's a convection current going on so that the beer is heated evenly?

2. Should I just put the brew belt on at the start to keep the wort at temperature until the yeast take over? What if the ambient temperature is only around 15-16C throughout the whole process?

3. Once the vigorous fermentation (ie, airlock bubbling etc) is over, you guys seem to suggest taking the brew belt off, this seems to have my wort sitting around 17-18C or so, is this okay for conditioning for a few weeks before bottling or should I try to get the ambient temperature up to about 21C?

4. I know a lot of people suggest just leaving it in the primary for 3 weeks or so, however I was thinking that by transferring it to a glass carboy after a week then leaving it for a further 2 weeks or so means I free up the bucket which I can clean for use as my bottling bucket. Is this a good plan or should I just go and buy another bucket?

5. Random question - From my understanding the alcohol content of a beer is dictated by the amount of sugar the yeast have to feed on. I added the kit tin containing malt extract along with 500g spraymalt and 300g brewing sugar. To make a more alcoholic beer is it simply a case of adding more sugars or is it more complicated than that? If more sugars were added when preparing the wort what are the downsides to the higher alcohol content?

Thanks again for all the help. I forsee using kits for the first while until I get comfortable, then going all grain once I'm a bit more knowledgeable. Thanks for the warm welcome to the forum, you'll be hearing more from me as time goes on!