Yup, real NOOB here. ... so my question is about what to expect, and if anything in this first brewing evolution is as it should be. I know, don't worry, have a home brew, but since this is my first, I am going to settle on an Old Chub as i write this.
This first brew is a canned Bock mix, but I did a 15 minute boil of some cascade hops before adding the can as I love the hop. On the side, I boiled some cranberries and raisins in water and spiced rum for like, 30 min to kill any alcohol and bacteria on the fruit, then brought the temp down on ice. I pre-mixed the dry yeast in warm water to get it started, cooled the wort, and then brought all of it together along with the higher end malt sugar in the plastic bucket. The idea was to let it ferment with the rum fruit hops for a few days in the bucket, then rack it off to the carboy for another week or so without all the solids. Well, during clean up, I discovered that the floating glass thermometer was broken. Yes, I used it to stir the wort during cooling! The actual bulb was fine, but the glass surround and these tiny metal beads were in the mix! So, I siphoned off the mix to the carboy with at least a half gallon left behind in the plastic which hopefully will have any glass and metal.
The first 36 hours in the carboy were crazy foaming fermentation that blew off the airlock which I replaced with a hose and container of sanitizer. Well, now, after 48 hours, the fermentation has slowed way, way down. I am counting one bubble every 40 - 50 seconds or so. Yesterday it was foaming all over the place.
Room temp is fairly high, between 75-80; I just now opened the vents and turned on the AC to bring the temp down to 70.
I took my first hydrometer reading, 1.020, original was 1.045, which according to my table in Palmer's book "How to Brew" means that I am already at 3.2% alcohol after just under 48 hours.
I of course drank the sample that I pulled for the hydrometer, and it was .. . well, "interesting."
So, questions:
Is such a quick primary fermentation normal?
Did it burn out too quickly? If so, what will happen next?
What can I expect from an alcohol content evolution? Does the alcohol get produced in the early days or later in the fermentation cycle? I plan on 3-4 weeks before bottling. Is there anything I should look for to either move this time up or back? I am shooting for a 6-8% ABV. How can I 'throttle' this?
I know taste evolves over time; I have to assume it gets better of course. What flavors, in these first couple of days, will carry forward?
I know this is a bunch of NOOB stuff, but I am excited as he!! to do this for the first time, much like the first time I rode a bike on my own, or that first time at the Perry Iowa drive in theater with my best friend's sister. Exciting, and the anticipation is such a high!
This first brew is a canned Bock mix, but I did a 15 minute boil of some cascade hops before adding the can as I love the hop. On the side, I boiled some cranberries and raisins in water and spiced rum for like, 30 min to kill any alcohol and bacteria on the fruit, then brought the temp down on ice. I pre-mixed the dry yeast in warm water to get it started, cooled the wort, and then brought all of it together along with the higher end malt sugar in the plastic bucket. The idea was to let it ferment with the rum fruit hops for a few days in the bucket, then rack it off to the carboy for another week or so without all the solids. Well, during clean up, I discovered that the floating glass thermometer was broken. Yes, I used it to stir the wort during cooling! The actual bulb was fine, but the glass surround and these tiny metal beads were in the mix! So, I siphoned off the mix to the carboy with at least a half gallon left behind in the plastic which hopefully will have any glass and metal.
The first 36 hours in the carboy were crazy foaming fermentation that blew off the airlock which I replaced with a hose and container of sanitizer. Well, now, after 48 hours, the fermentation has slowed way, way down. I am counting one bubble every 40 - 50 seconds or so. Yesterday it was foaming all over the place.
Room temp is fairly high, between 75-80; I just now opened the vents and turned on the AC to bring the temp down to 70.
I took my first hydrometer reading, 1.020, original was 1.045, which according to my table in Palmer's book "How to Brew" means that I am already at 3.2% alcohol after just under 48 hours.
I of course drank the sample that I pulled for the hydrometer, and it was .. . well, "interesting."
So, questions:
Is such a quick primary fermentation normal?
Did it burn out too quickly? If so, what will happen next?
What can I expect from an alcohol content evolution? Does the alcohol get produced in the early days or later in the fermentation cycle? I plan on 3-4 weeks before bottling. Is there anything I should look for to either move this time up or back? I am shooting for a 6-8% ABV. How can I 'throttle' this?
I know taste evolves over time; I have to assume it gets better of course. What flavors, in these first couple of days, will carry forward?
I know this is a bunch of NOOB stuff, but I am excited as he!! to do this for the first time, much like the first time I rode a bike on my own, or that first time at the Perry Iowa drive in theater with my best friend's sister. Exciting, and the anticipation is such a high!