Total newbie here, I have one batch under my belt and dont have the time to list all the comical errors I enjoyed through the whole process. But not to be deterred I am looking forward to many more batches with much better success. I do have a few questions I hope to have answered first. Here they are.
During early primary fermentation carbon dioxide is produced in huge quantities, so opening the bucket to pull samples for a hydrometer reading doesnt create much of a chance of allowing oxygen in, but later in the secondary fermenter when carbon dioxide production is about over dont we stand a chance of contaminating with oxygen if we open it too often to get the 2 days in a row of the same hydrometer reading?
Is it true that a secondary fermenter should be used that allows the least amount of head space to reduce the chance of oxygen contamination? Such as a 5 gal. carboy used with a 5 gal batch of brew? If this is true then I shouldnt use a 6 gal. bucket with 5 gals of brew?
I think I read somewhere that using a small amount of new wort instead of priming sugar before bottling will create a better longer lasting head, is this true?
Can a clean hydrometer simply be left in the wort in the fermenting bucket, instead of wasting beer each time a sample is removed for a reading?
Is it better to use store bought bottled water to add to the wort in the fermenter or boil tap water from home? Or in the case that we dont really know what is in bottled water should be boil store bought H2O too?
If the Krausen created during primary fermentation is somewhat of a by-product of yeast activity, would it be better to allow it to exit through a blow off tube, then to have it dissolve back into the wort?
Thanks!
During early primary fermentation carbon dioxide is produced in huge quantities, so opening the bucket to pull samples for a hydrometer reading doesnt create much of a chance of allowing oxygen in, but later in the secondary fermenter when carbon dioxide production is about over dont we stand a chance of contaminating with oxygen if we open it too often to get the 2 days in a row of the same hydrometer reading?
Is it true that a secondary fermenter should be used that allows the least amount of head space to reduce the chance of oxygen contamination? Such as a 5 gal. carboy used with a 5 gal batch of brew? If this is true then I shouldnt use a 6 gal. bucket with 5 gals of brew?
I think I read somewhere that using a small amount of new wort instead of priming sugar before bottling will create a better longer lasting head, is this true?
Can a clean hydrometer simply be left in the wort in the fermenting bucket, instead of wasting beer each time a sample is removed for a reading?
Is it better to use store bought bottled water to add to the wort in the fermenter or boil tap water from home? Or in the case that we dont really know what is in bottled water should be boil store bought H2O too?
If the Krausen created during primary fermentation is somewhat of a by-product of yeast activity, would it be better to allow it to exit through a blow off tube, then to have it dissolve back into the wort?
Thanks!