having problems with mi first brew

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aeromarco

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Hi guys.

Just started brewing this last weekend and i am having a few problems.
I just hope some of more experienced brewers can help me.

i did the batch sunday. the recipe is a wheat beer, like Erdinger.
i had problems with filtration. the beer started fermenting great in the first hours after addding the yeast (already started).
The wort was at 30ºC (86ºF) when i added the yeast, is it to much?
In the first day of fermentation there where lots of bubbles in the bubbler, on the second day, which is today, there is a buble every 15 seconds. its a big difference. the temperature of the fermenting bucket is 69.8ºF.
i know i can measure teh alchool in the beer by taking a sample and measure the density (the density was 1052, wort as a 30ºC(86ºF)), but i have a problem, i have sediments in the bottom of the fermenting bucket, and this sediments are high and over the bucket tap.

Can anyone tell me if i am having problems with fermentation?

Pardon any wrong terms, just started and still learning the language of brewing.
 
aeromarco said:
Hi guys.

Just started brewing this last weekend and i am having a few problems.
I just hope some of more experienced brewers can help me.

i did the batch sunday. the recipe is a wheat beer, like Erdinger.
i had problems with filtration. the beer started fermenting great in the first hours after addding the yeast (already started).
The wort was at 30ºC (86ºF) when i added the yeast, is it to much?
In the first day of fermentation there where lots of bubbles in the bubbler, on the second day, which is today, there is a buble every 15 seconds. its a big difference. the temperature of the fermenting bucket is 69.8ºF.
i know i can measure teh alchool in the beer by taking a sample and measure the density (the density was 1052, wort as a 30ºC(86ºF)), but i have a problem, i have sediments in the bottom of the fermenting bucket, and this sediments are high and over the bucket tap.

Can anyone tell me if i am having problems with fermentation?

Pardon any wrong terms, just started and still learning the language of brewing.
Click to expand...

Temperature when adding the yeast should generally be in the range recommended on the yeast for fermentation. 86 is very high. Won't ruin your beer, but could produce off flavors.

As for taking a gravity measurement, you say that the sediment in the bucket (trub) is so high that you can't get a measurement? Could you clarify this point?
 
aeromarco said:
Hi guys.

Just started brewing this last weekend and i am having a few problems.
I just hope some of more experienced brewers can help me.

i did the batch sunday. the recipe is a wheat beer, like Erdinger.
i had problems with filtration. the beer started fermenting great in the first hours after addding the yeast (already started).
The wort was at 30ºC (86ºF) when i added the yeast, is it to much?
In the first day of fermentation there where lots of bubbles in the bubbler, on the second day, which is today, there is a buble every 15 seconds. its a big difference. the temperature of the fermenting bucket is 69.8ºF.
i know i can measure teh alchool in the beer by taking a sample and measure the density (the density was 1052, wort as a 30ºC(86ºF)), but i have a problem, i have sediments in the bottom of the fermenting bucket, and this sediments are high and over the bucket tap.

Can anyone tell me if i am having problems with fermentation?

Pardon any wrong terms, just started and still learning the language of brewing.
Click to expand...

Welcome to the brewing obsession.

As for your brew: your yeast was pitched way too high...you want to pitch and hold the temps between 62F-70F, depending on the yeast. With the higher ferment temp you can create off flavours. With the higher temps you probably sped up the fermentation process, but normal ferment can range from 2-7 days. JUST LEAVE IT BE FOR ANOTHER 2 WEEKS.

The sediment in the bucket is trub and yeasty goodness and that is all normal.
 
The others addressed the high pitching temperatures issues, you pitched with the temp too high. As for the sediment, that is normal. You will need to siphon the beer out of the bucket when you are ready to bottle. Do you have a separate bottling bucket or were you planning on bottling directly from the tap?
 
that sediment in the bottom of the bucket, i believe is called trub, is about 5cm high and the hole of the bucket tap is lower than that. i believe if i try to open the tap it will be clogged. i didn't tryed yet because i don't know if i can move the bucket. at this moment it is on the floor, and to open the tap i should put it in higher place.
 
Just leave it alone. It's fine. You pitched too hot, but then moved it to a cooler spot to ferment. Not ideal, but not the end of the world.

As for the "tap" - forget about. It is useless in the fermenter.That tap is going to just let all the junk flow with the finished beer. If you don't have one already, you'll want to pick up a siphon.
 
i have another bucket, i can siphon the beer to that bucket. my main issue know is to know if the behaviour of the fermentation is normal or if i ruined the beer by having pitched too high.
 
aeromarco said:
that sediment in the bottom of the bucket, i believe is called trub, is about 5cm high and the hole of the bucket tap is lower than that. i believe if i try to open the tap it will be clogged. i didn't tryed yet because i don't know if i can move the bucket. at this moment it is on the floor, and to open the tap i should put it in higher place.
Click to expand...

Ahh, ok. An invaluable tool is a beer thief. It is a plastic tube that works almost like a drinking straw. You tap your finger on a small hole at one end, and it draws the beer up into the thief. You can then pour it out into a vessel where you can take a hydrometer reading. That way, you can retrieve the beer from the top of your bucket without opening the valve. You should sanitize the thief with a good sanitizer before using it.

I'm assuming of course that you have a beer thief, or a home brewing store where you can purchase one (cheaply).
 
aeromarco said:
i have another bucket, i can siphon the beer to that bucket. my main issue know is to know if the behaviour of the fermentation is normal or if i ruined the beer by having pitched too high.
Click to expand...

Not ruined. You seem to have your fermentation temperature under control. You may notice a slight off taste, but you may not. Either way, it should be very drinkable.
 
you didn't ruin it. It's fine, might have some off flavors, but its fine. I pitched too high a few times when I first was getting started, you might get some fruity flavors that you didn't expect, and something that tastes a little like rubbing alcohol. But, you brought the temp down which is good - it will still be beer. :) Plenty of people ferment in buckets with spigots, but I think that they really aren't ideal for fermentation for a variety of reasons, one being the issue that you're dealing with.
 
i don't have a beer thief, and no brewing store either. i live in Portugal and there are few home brewers, i buy my tools online. but i will look for that tool.

Another thing. my beer is in the fermenter since last sunday. how many time do i need to let ir ferment?

By the way, thanks a lot guys. I am relieved. I will post the results latter.
 
A beer thief is helpful but isn't really necessary - I have one and have only used it a couple times. You can take a gravity sample by opening the bucket and using a sanitized object (a glass measuring cup works great, or a ladle) to take out a sample. Generally you should let an ale stay in the primary fermenter for a couple weeks or longer. The only way to tell when it is done fermenting is to take a gravity samples a day or two apart, if the gravity is stable between the two readings, then fermentation is complete.
 
You don't need a beer thief if you are fermenting in a bucket. When you need to take a sample, just take the lid off and use a sanitized measuring cup, ladle etc.

For a timeline, just leave it for 2 weeks or so before you start testing gravity. An important thing to know is that beer doesn't like to be rushed, but it doesn't mind waiting. You can let it sit in that fermenter for months and it will be fine.
 
billl said:
You don't need a beer thief if you are fermenting in a bucket. When you need to take a sample, just take the lid off and use a sanitized measuring cup, ladle etc.

For a timeline, just leave it for 2 weeks or so before you start testing gravity. An important thing to know is that beer doesn't like to be rushed, but it doesn't mind waiting. You can let it sit in that fermenter for months and it will be fine.
Click to expand...

True. I'm so used to my carboy, I didn't even think about the obvious wider bucket opening.
 

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