Couple of questions...

I transferred my first attempt at home brewing today into a secondary fermenter. It is an Irish Red and it just seems too dark and had a very strong smell. So my questions have to do with the brewing process.

First: I had my specialty grains in the pot while I was bringing the temp up to 155 and I let them sit there for an additional 20mins once the water reached 155. Should I have added the grains after the water temp reached 155 instead of having them in the pot while I was bringing it up to temp?

Second: Once everything was brought to a boil I added 1oz of Cascade hops. After 45mins I added 1oz of Fuggle for the last 15mins of the boil. When I added the Fuggle I did not remove the Cascade from the boil so the Cascade was in the boil for a full hour. Did I do this correctly? Should I have removed the Cascade after 45mins before I added the Fuggle?

Thanks in advance for any help.

BRX98GT said:

First: I had my specialty grains in the pot while I was bringing the temp up to 155 and I let them sit there for an additional 20mins once the water reached 155. Should I have added the grains after the water temp reached 155 instead of having them in the pot while I was bringing it up to temp?

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Nope, your procedure sounds fine. You could wait to add them if you want, but it makes no difference.

BRX98GT said:

Second: Once everything was brought to a boil I added 1oz of Cascade hops. After 45mins I added 1oz of Fuggle for the last 15mins of the boil. When I added the Fuggle I did not remove the Cascade from the boil so the Cascade was in the boil for a full hour. Did I do this correctly? Should I have removed the Cascade after 45mins before I added the Fuggle?

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That's exactly how you do hops. You don't remove them when you add others. The bittering hops are in there for a full hour. The later additions create aroma and flavor of hops.

How long has the beer been fermenting? It's most likely just young. Give it two weeks in the secondary and then bottle it. Let it sit for a few more weeks and enjoy. Cheers

As far as the color goes, the full 5 gallons will look darker than a single glass. And if it tastes good, who cares about the color.

Sounds about as textbook as you can get. Congrats! Give it some time

It was in the primary for about 9 days and I plan on leaving it in the secondary for 3 weeks or so.

Thanks for your replies everyone...I feel much better about this batch now.

are you brewing extract and steeping grains? what was the size of your boil and what are you using to boil your batches? stovetop or propane burner.

Remeber that it is a tricky business to get a light colored home brewed ale. It can be done but it takes great care and some possible flavor compromises.