"Hello, World," or "Did I Ruin My Brew Already"

Hi,

I'm new to the forums and thought I'd send out a general hello.

I started brewing mead last Wednesday (9/1/2010) and was initially using a balloon because my airlock arrived with a crack. Did I ruin that?

Also, I started brewing my first load of beer today. My brew book said "pour in the malt extract (and sugar if you're using it)," which I interpreted as dump in the priming sugar. Reading on to the bottling step, I now realize I wasn't supposed to do that. Did I ruin this batch?

Thanks and nice to meet you,
dwint

Nope. I'm assuming it's a little 5oz packet of bottling sugar. That's really not enough to make a difference in the brew. When people do sugar additions to a beer, it's often measured in pounds, not ounces. You'll raise your abv a few tenths of a percent is all. But now you have to go and buy some more corn sugar for priming or figure something else out.

You're going to have to try harder than that to ruin your beer.

And instead of a balloon, just cover the carboy with a piece of sanitized aluminum foil. That'll keep anything from getting in while letting CO2 out and it's a bit more reliable than a balloon.

The balloon should be ok, if it was sanitized. I would replace it with an unbroken airlock as soon as possible.

As for your beer, it'll be slightly higher abv than expected and you'll need to get more priming sugar before you bottle, but otherwise you're good.

you've just made a Belgian

I forgot to mention, I went to the brew shop on Friday and replaced the airlock/picked up the beer brewing supplies. I have to pick up bottles anyway (didn't want to carry too many breakables on the bus) so picking up more sugar shouldn't be a problem.

You will be fine. Let us know how it turns out....

I messed up again! I poured the wort (trub and all) into the fermenter even though the booklet recommended siphoning to get only the liquid. I figure I'll be siphoning again so there shouldn't be too much damage, but I am a novice.

Ruined yet?

I don't siphon going into the fermenter- I pour it all in. It's worked for my first 300 batches or so.

You want to aerate your cooled wort anyway, so pouring it into the fermenter helps with that. Don't worry about it.

yea youre fine man.

RDWHAHB stands for RELAX dont worry have a homebrew

learn it. love it. know it. practice it.

You're making it complicated. You could just bottle off of the top of the trub if you really wanted to simplify. The last couple bottles get some floaties in. Save them for yourself and don't serve to guests.

I'm thinking you'll be fine.

BTW - look at the bottom of the page or related topics.... You'll be amazed.

+1 to just pouring it in. I pour through a kitchen strainer to get the big chunks of hops and stuff out, but most of it just passes though and into the fermenter. Break material is good for the yeast and settles out in the end.

ChshreCat said:

I pour through a kitchen strainer to get the big chunks of hops and stuff out. . .

Click to expand...

I never thought of using a kitchen strainer. Tonight is brew night so I will definitely be using one now.

It also aerates really well going through the strainer. You have to stop and empty the strainer a few times before you can get 5 gallons through it, but it's not bad. Just have someone there to hold the strainer so it doesn't fall in. I know from experience.

I didn't even bother with the strainer on the batch I brewed today. Since I used Irish Moss as a clarifying agent I have no doubt that I'll be able to leave behind the yucky trub when I rack it to a secondary.

I paniced about at least half a dozen things on my first brew. To this day that Pale Ale was in the top 3 that I have brewed (yes I have brewed more than 3 batches). Enjoy!

It came out so well. It's unbelievably delicious. I am so pleased

Kool!

If home brewing was as hard as your thinking it is then half of us wouldn't be doing it. As one of the replies says "Relax, don't worry, have a home brew"(or in your case of your first brew, have a good Sam Adams or equiv. so you can have 12/24 non screw off bottles to start your bottling collection). I didn't buy a single bottle, as most of us haven't. It's easy to collect beer when its your hobby! I use a 2 stage fermentation process only because I like clear beer. I siphon the beer from the first stage of fermentation into the second stage and siphon again into the bottling bucket and I ALWAYS have VERY clear beer.

I won't answer the other questions on the bottling sugar adding to the wort because its been answered over and over again. Your fine, its simple to brew! Just remember to always sanitize after the boiling point and use liquid yeast and your beer will be amazing everytime!

PS, Just got done bottling my last batch of beer (going to kegging for now on...saves so much more time!, it was a "Rogue brewry Hazelnut Brown Nextar") It smells amazing! I will for now on add the flavor extract (if the beer comes with it, duh) at the fermentation step; Much more flavor and smells amazing!