First "real" brew, Irish red ale.

Hello there everyone!

Just dipping on to say whats up. I got my first "real" brew kit this week and friday I started my beer, an Irish red. I ordered the beginners kit from midwest supply on a good deal.

Anyway, got it all started friday, come saturday it was bubbling away thru the air lock looking good, and now today it seems to have slowed to no bubbling.

Sorta concerned the ferrm stalled but I am sure I'm just being paranoid since it's my first brew (not in a mr beer kit, lol).

Anyway, I guess that's all, I'll keep updating here to discuss how the brew goes.

Cheers!

It's fine I am sure. Depending on temp where the bucket is, fermentation can happen in 24 hours. I would say leave it alone for 2 weeks, then bottle and enjoy.

Hi Shaneoco,

Bucket temp has been between 62 on the cold end and 70 on the high. I figure i'll give it about 2 weeks and then bottle on up! Going to the shop in town here to get some bottles this week.

Cheers!

Keep in mind that while your stick on thermometer is saying 70, it is probably 8 degrees warmer inside. Fermentation creates heat. 62 is good. Try and keep it there if at all possible. Where in Michigan do you live?

I've seen buckets with so much porosity that even with a good gasket they wouldn't push CO2 through an airlock at anything less than full krausen.

Don't worry about it.

Hey -
I got the same starter set from Midwest except I chose the Amber Ale.

Mine pretty much went through the exact process you described -- quickly started fermenting and was bubbling pretty well then stopped by Monday (brewed on Saturday).

Happy to see that it shouldn't be a problem

My one concern is with temperature too -- I think mine is on the high end -- close to 75 in my apartment. Is it worth it for this batch to try to cool it down? It seems like the vigorous fermentation has gone past but would it be good to wrap in cool towels or place into a bin with some ice packs? I imagine I could bring it down a few degrees by using ice packs but is it worth messing with it at this point?



Sorry to redirect the thread a bit. It is good to see so many people with the same issues/anxieties as me!

Hi Joek,

Glad to hear you've jumped in the brew tank with the rest of us. :-D

It was a hard choice between the amber and the red for me, but I am a red fan so I went for it, lol.

I'm not well versed on the temp ranges so unfortunately I can't help ya there.

I'll be off to get bottles on thursday so I have em on hand when it comes time. I figure i'll leave mine going for about 2 weeks before I bottle.

Cheers!

Shaneoco,

I am near the greater lansing parts.

cheers!

I also got the Midwest kit and just did my first brew of the Amber Ale. I followed the directions but I am still having a mild melt down thinking of all the stuff I might have done wrong. If anyone has a minute to address my worries, I would appreciate some feedback.

1) Im worried that my boil was not good enough, even though I had the flame as high as it would go, my boil never really bubbled over like I expected. There was constant movement in the water, but the only way I could really ever get it to "boil" was to cover it for a brief moment. Should I be freaking out about this?

2) After my boil, I had a bunch of green gunk around the edge. I am assuming it was my hops. Is this normal? Or did I mess it up?

3) After I chilled the wort, and added top up water, I took a sample for my hydrometer. I took the measurement but also noticed that there seemed to be a lot of sediment in the wort. Eventually it all settled to the bottom of the hydrometer test tube. Normal?

4?) It smells like hot death in my house. Normal? When does that go away?

Thanks in advance.

HI Spur,

I can share my experience.

1) Im worried that my boil was not good enough, even though I had the flame as high as it would go, my boil never really bubbled over like I expected. There was constant movement in the water, but the only way I could really ever get it to "boil" was to cover it for a brief moment. Should I be freaking out about this? ~ Mine didnt seem to "boil over" unless i turned the heat up and put the lid on, after tweaking it i eventually found the right mix of heat and cover to keep the temp around 155 and not boil over.

2) After my boil, I had a bunch of green gunk around the edge. I am assuming it was my hops. Is this normal? Or did I mess it up? ~I had the same experience. This was the hops.

3) After I chilled the wort, and added top up water, I took a sample for my hydrometer. I took the measurement but also noticed that there seemed to be a lot of sediment in the wort. Eventually it all settled to the bottom of the hydrometer test tube. Normal? ~ I didn't actually take a hydrometer reading (shame on me, im n00b sorry) but did notice sediment. In my case the bag that was included with the kit had a run in it so it allowed a lot of the hops/grain to sift into the wort. I was able to get some of it out. I figure it will settle out in the ferm tank.

]4?)It smells like hot death in my house. Normal? When does that go away? ~ Not sure why it smells like death. Should smell somewhat like a brewery. I had a very pleasant smell lingering after I finished my brew. Maybe one mans pleasant is another mans death? lol. Surely it will go away.

Cheers!

My first 5 gal batch was an Irish red kit from home brew pro shoppe.

I racked to secondary after 2 weeks 5 days. (needed primary for next batch)

I bottled 1.5 weeks after that.

I tasted this past Saturday (2 weeks later) and wasn't impressed. Hopefully more time in the bottle will fix it.

1KD1,

what didn't you like about the taste? What did you notice?

Thanks for sharing your experience!

Carbonation was thin, but in terms of taste... I'm still learning how to describe taste with the proper terminology.

Just seemed light for a red and kind of had a bit of floral taste. Like it was dry hopped with carnations or something. Wasn't what I expected from a red.

It was my first big (5gal) brew and I didn't get a good rolling boil. It was only my third brew total (2 Mr. Beers).

I only filled 46 bottles as well. Seems I lost more to trub than I expected. I did make sure the primary was topped off to 5 gals.

I did the same thing in starting with a mr beer kit, I did about 4 runs in that. my last one was kinda rough cuz I left it for like a month and a half (forgot about it, lol) so it tasted funky.

Shaneoco1981 said:

Keep in mind that while your stick on thermometer is saying 70, it is probably 8 degrees warmer inside. Fermentation creates heat. 62 is good. Try and keep it there if at all possible. Where in Michigan do you live?

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This, I believe, is incorrect. I think the stick-on thermometer does a pretty good job of gauging wort temperature and not ambient temperature. I brewed a wit last week (yeast likes 66-75), turned the ambient down to 68, stick-on thermometer read 76.

TarVolon said:

This, I believe, is incorrect. I think the stick-on thermometer does a pretty good job of gauging wort temperature and not ambient temperature. I brewed a wit last week (yeast likes 66-75), turned the ambient down to 68, stick-on thermometer read 76.

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Can you check your own words please. You state your opinion of the above poster being incorrect and then agree with him in the same post.

1KD1 said:

Can you check your own words please. You state your opinion of the above poster being incorrect and then agree with him in the same post.

Click to expand...

You might want to re-read both comments. He claims that stick-on thermometers don't accurately measure wort temperature. I say they do. That's textbook disagreement.

I apologize. I had only drank one coffee this morning and must have misread that.

Now that I have had some more caffeine, the world seems straightened out and your statement makes more sense.

My stick on thermometer always reads a few degrees higher than ambient temps.

TarVolon said:

This, I believe, is incorrect. I think the stick-on thermometer does a pretty good job of gauging wort temperature and not ambient temperature. I brewed a wit last week (yeast likes 66-75), turned the ambient down to 68, stick-on thermometer read 76.

Click to expand...

Depends on where you put the stick-on thermometer. Plastic does not conduct heat very well, so putting a stick-on thermometer on a plastic bucket will give you a slightly inaccurate reading. Glass is a little better, so you'll get less of an inaccurate reading. Generally, though, a stick-on is going to be at least a degree or two lower than your wort temp, presuming that the ambient is below the wort temp.

TTB-J said:

Depends on where you put the stick-on thermometer. Plastic does not conduct heat very well, so putting a stick-on thermometer on a plastic bucket will give you a slightly inaccurate reading. Glass is a little better, so you'll get less of an inaccurate reading. Generally, though, a stick-on is going to be at least a degree or two lower than your wort temp, presuming that the ambient is below the wort temp.

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Yeah, my point was just that it isn't reading the ambient temperature (and that it was closer to the wort temperature than the ambient). It might be a degree off, but I don't think one degree here or there is going to ruin things. Eight degrees very well may. I seem to recall from another thread that they claimed to be accurate within half a degree if stuck on glass, but I might be mis-remembering

checked my thermometer stick today and it was reading between 59 and 63.

Doctor_Wily said:

checked my thermometer stick today and it was reading between 59 and 63.

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Well right now it's probably reading about the ambient temperature. Over the weekend, it was likely reading higher. But if the ambient temperature is around 61, then even during vigorous fermentation, you were probably around 68-70. Which is fine for most ale yeasts.

So Friday marks 1 week since i started the brew. I screwed up and didn't get an original gravity reading (oh well i guess) but was thinking of opening the lid up and taking a peek inside. Would I be able to take a gravity reading at this point by sanitizing the hydrometer and putting it in the bucket? I am hesitant to do it mainly because I dont want to risk an infection. This is the same reason I didn't take an OG reading. I don't have a cylinder to take samples with and test in; at the top of my list for additional equipment.

Cheers.

You can do it with a well sanitized hydro and hand/arm. The trouble lies in getting an accurate reading at an angle. I'm guessing, I have never tried it. I just use the tube that the hydro came in.

It wouldn't do you much good now. I would just wait another 2-3 weeks before taking a reading.

duh.... I suppose I could use that tube aye? I wasn't sure about using it for a reading so I was hesitant. Sanitize the tube and dip a sample.... I may do that unless someone advises otherwise.

Cheers

I edited my last post while you were typing your reply!

Buy a cheap turkey Baster and sanitize it (or steal one from someone else's kitchen) LoL

Using a turkey baster or actual wine thief, etc will cause less stirring of the beer in the fermenter.

Then dump the wort from the Baster into the hydro tube. It is water tight for short periods of time. I left mine overnight (been drinking) and it leaked a very small amount onto the countertop.

Just a random question I had. Anyone know how long sanitized water can be stored for? I was thinking of making up a gallon in an old water jug I have just to keep it on hand for stuff quick sanitize of equipment and stuff.

So i just checked my SG and it's reading 1.020. No signs of continued ferm (as in no bubbles or anything), a slight bit of scum along the side of the tank that looks like hops gunk. Tasted my sample and it has a good flavor, a bit bitter like hops and an almost slightly olive after taste.

I have read that sanitizer can be store for long periods of time. I leave some on a spray bottle and use it for quick sanitizing.

Fermentation isn't over just cause the airlock doesn't have bubbles coming out. You need to take a hydrometer reading. Then wait 2-3 days and take another reading. If the reading is the same, fermentation is complete. And it is safe to bottle/keg.

Doctor_Wily said:

Just a random question I had. Anyone know how long sanitized water can be stored for? I was thinking of making up a gallon in an old water jug I have just to keep it on hand for stuff quick sanitize of equipment and stuff.

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It depends on the sanitzer: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/star-san-vs-iodophor-fight-3710/

Star-San lasts months, but iodophor breaks down fairly quickly.

Checked the beer today because I wanted to. Took a SG reading. looking at 1.018. I am planning to bottle friday depending on the next reading which I will take friday.

Checked again today and the reading was the same. Decided it was bottle time. Yield was 49 bottles. I ordered 2 new kits tonight and hope to be starting at least one of em on friday.

Cheers

Sounds like you got it under control. Now just got to get that pipeline rolling!

My Final Gravity was higher than it was suppose to be on the recipe sheet so I think things got stuck. Oh well, first brew, it happens. I just ordered 2 more ingredient kits last night and picked up a second fermenter bucket last week. Planning to get at least one of the kits running this week if not both.

Cheers

I would put those bottles in a case then put it in a trash bag just in case. Your fg seems a little high and you might be making some overcarbed bottles. That maybe a little over kill and it may be fine but you never know.

bchurch that was a concern of mine. I have the bottles in the box they came in and I taped up the box. Heres to hoping nothing explodes, that would bum me out

Your fg isn't terribly high so here's to hoping for the best.

Thanks! I'll be sure to update this thread once I try one. I'll try and get a few photos too assuming all goes well.

Thanks to everyone who has been following along!

I bought the Midwest starter kit and chose the Irish Red Ale in February. In early March, I brewed it up. Here's what I recorded:

3/2 - Brew day: followed directions except added 1 cup honey at 30 mins. Started boil with 5 gallons, appx. 0.4 gallons evaporation loss; after aeration and pitching went back and topped off with tap water (unsanitized - lol) to 5.2 gallons. Within 12 hrs rapid airlock activity.
3/5 - slowdown
3/19 - Bottled @ consecutive readings of 1.020 (forgot to take OG, so don't know ABV; est. ~ 4.0% based on recipe instructions). Stored at 67-72 F. Tasting on bottling day: Tastes very good, full-bodied, surprisingly already "like beer" for no conditioning and being murky.
4/7 - Tastes very good, full carbonation, or at least as much as I'd want, great 3/4 inch head with low to moderate retention. Not cloudy, but not clear either.
4/9 - Marked improvement in taste, clarity.
4/15 - Great beer. Very happy with body, flavor, and clarity, but can still taste slightly "tinny" or metallic on the end. Not sure if this is the "extract effect"... still the beer is very tasty, with terrific mouthfeel, aroma, etc. Don't think it's the water... we have good-tasting tap water.

In retrospect, I highly recommend letting this one sit for at least 3 weeks after bottling. Not sure if I'd make it again, being that I'm moving into all-grain, and there are tons of other beers i want to make, but as a first beer I couldn't be more pleased. Everyone who's tasted it says it's great. It was a good confidence-booster to continue brewing.

Hi Grim,

Sounds like the same experience as I. However, my airlock activity dropped off after about 24 hours. I think my temps were too high during this brew.

I see you stuck around 1.020 as well.

I plan to try one that I left out of the rest of the cases in about a week or 2 just to see how things are progressing.

Thanks for sharing your experience!