Couple of newbie questions

This past weekend I brewed up my first batch of homebrew (an extract based Nut Brown Ale). It is fermenting away well, and I am really excited (it smells amazing). It is a 5 gallon batch. (You can see it bubbling at )

As I ponder the the next steps, I have a couple of questions that I would appreciate clarification on.

I was originally only going to do a primary fermentation, and then bottle. However, I have decided to do a secondary fermentation, and then bottle directly from that. I am using Better Bottle Plastic carboys.

1. For the secondary, I plan on getting a 5 gallon (not 6.5 gallon carboy). Is that the correct choice?

2. Is it ok if I bottle directly from the secondary fermenter?

3. I am planning on getting a hydrometer. How do I get the sample from the wort in a carboy?

4. Is there a particular type of siphon I should get to move the wort between primary and secondary carboys? I want whatever will be the easiest to use.

5. Anyone have experience with http://www.northernbrewer.com? I was planning to get the materials from there.

6. the wort is ready to move to secondary when the hydrometer reading has been stable for 3 days. Is that correct?

Thanks for any help and input. The forum has been a great resource so far (I read through it every night).

mike

mikechambers said:

1. For the secondary, I plan on getting a 5 gallon (not 6.5 gallon carboy). Is that the correct choice?

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Yes...5 gallon for secondary

2. Is it ok if I bottle directly from the secondary fermenter?

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No, you defeat the purpose of secondary as a clearing tank, you have to mix the beer with a priming solution and in order to do that you'd stir up the sediment you patiently waited to fall down. Rack to a bottling bucket with a spigot and get a bottling wand.
The common way is to mount a flexible tube to the spigot on the bucket and then use the wand like a pencil, but I find that it wastes beer, so I mount mine on the spigot with a piece of hose and 2 clamps, then I can fill at eye level.

3. I am planning on getting a hydrometer. How do I get the sample from the wort in a carboy?

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Get a winetheif or a turkey baster and hydrometer test jar...make sure to sanitize the theif/baster

4. Is there a particular type of siphon I should get to move the wort between primary and secondary carboys? I want whatever will be the easiest to use.

Click to expand...

It's called an autosiphon...costs about 10 bucks, it works like a pump.

5. Anyone have experience with http://www.northernbrewer.com? I was planning to get the materials from there.

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Northern Brewer's one of the best known, also look at Austin Homebrew

6. the wort is ready to move to secondary when the hydrometer reading has been stable for 3 days. Is that correct?

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Correct!!!

Awesome. I love this forum.

One other quick question.

For the hydrometer. Do I need a hydrometer, and a hydrometer tube?

Im buying from here:

http://www.northernbrewer.com/hydrometers.html

mike

mikechambers said:

Awesome. I love this forum.

One other quick question.

For the hydrometer. Do I need a hydrometer, and a hydrometer tube?

Im buying from here:

http://www.northernbrewer.com/hydrometers.html

mike

Click to expand...

The hydrometer tube is the test jar....but you'll still need something to get the beer out of the fermenter and into the tube....a lot of people use turkey basters, others use winetheifs.....You can also use the winetheif as the test jar....just draw off the sample and drop in the hydrometer..I used to do that, but I had a hard time reading the hydro in the theif...so I got the breakdown test jar they show on the page...I use the theif to draw the sample and put it in the test jar...

Perfect! Thanks!

Placing the order right now.

mike

I like the bottling wand idea. I might try that on the next go around. Are those zip ties for hose clamps?

jcarson83 said:

I like the bottling wand idea. I might try that on the next go around. Are those zip ties for hose clamps?

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They're like these only white...I got them from my lhbs



You don't want to ziptie it, unless you want it as a permanent attachment...I remove mine and store it in the bucket...

Oh while we're talking bottling, I added a dip tube to the inside of my bucket, and I only leave behind about 3-4 ounces of beer...



Just get a stopper that fits into the bottling spigot and andd a bent piece of tubing...can be copper like mine, or even plastic.

Sweet. Thats another pain of having to tilt the bucket while filling the last sixer.