So I just finished the fermentation stage on my first brew, a Brewer's Best PSA IPA. Brew day was anxiety filled, but I was super attentive and felt like I hit all my targets (steeping temp/time, boil time, hop additions, CLEANLINESS). I kept a pretty detailed log in excel with my times for each step and notes about how each one went. I decided, for two reasons, that I wanted to rack it into a secondary, the two reasons being dry hopping and freeing up my primary for an imperial blonde kit I just picked up (I read 100 threads on secondarys and these seemed like the only two good reasons to do so, that and I'm a little bit impatient to get this first one bottled and don't want to leave it in the primary for a month). I did my OG and FG readings (1.068 and 1.012 respectively, giving me 7.35%ABV, according to the recipe sheet). As I was a little nervous about dumping the sample I pulled for FG reading back in, I decided to drink it, and I gotta say, the damn thing tastes like decent IPA! Albeit flat and a little young, but no "off flavors" or other such things as I have read about so far. So here's my many thanks for all the advice here. Prost!
So the questions:
1. I oxygenated my wort by pouring it back and forth between the fermenter and the brew pot three times and ended up with a ton of foam (I assumed this meant it was well oxygenated). The instructions on the yeast packet said to sprinkle it on, but when I did, it just sat on the foam, so I stirred it in, nervously. Is it better to pull some pitching temp wort out and mix the yeast first and then pitch it or just stir it in?
2. I made a Star-San solution to sanitize my siphon and hydrometer for the racking and wanted to know if I could just pour it all back into my primary as I'm going to be brewing tomorrow and would hate to waste it. Will it still be as effective?
Again, thanks for all the advice. I'll update on the new brew tomorrow.
So the questions:
1. I oxygenated my wort by pouring it back and forth between the fermenter and the brew pot three times and ended up with a ton of foam (I assumed this meant it was well oxygenated). The instructions on the yeast packet said to sprinkle it on, but when I did, it just sat on the foam, so I stirred it in, nervously. Is it better to pull some pitching temp wort out and mix the yeast first and then pitch it or just stir it in?
2. I made a Star-San solution to sanitize my siphon and hydrometer for the racking and wanted to know if I could just pour it all back into my primary as I'm going to be brewing tomorrow and would hate to waste it. Will it still be as effective?
Again, thanks for all the advice. I'll update on the new brew tomorrow.