Fermentation Watch -- First Brew

[MMW]

I know there are many of us newbs hanging around right now with our first brews in various states of the process. I've got beer on the brain So, fellow newbs, what are ya'll doing to pass the time and keep you out of your fermenters/still too green bottles?

*I'm reading more. I've read more about beer in the past couple of weeks than I ever thought I would, and I still have so much to read...it's a good distraction.

*I picked up a 6 pack of Dogfish Head 60 min IPA and another of Spaten Optimator last night, just to change up my beer drinking a bit.

*I'm also planning out my next brew, just a couple of weeks away. Too many good beers, not enough fermenters.

 

[Lordsoth]

Brew another beer. That's what I did to occupy my mind.

 

[rsmith179]

You'll notice that your "free time" is now spent mainly thinking about beer. I found myself buying/reading many different brewing books and have spent countless hours just browsing this forum. You'll find all sorts of information and goodies that will make you want to do more next time. For example, start reading up on yeast washing. Found out about this after my 2nd brew and have been washing yeast ever since. What a great, easy way to save some money on each brew! Plus, it gives you just one more thing to think about and do in between brew sessions.

You also said that there are too many good beers and not enough fermenters. On the contrary... there's nothing stopping you from going up to the LHBS and picking up another $15.00 bucket to get your next batch going. "Unfortunately", I went from 1 single bucket to over 3 bucket primaries, 2 five gallon carboys, and 3 gallon carboys in a little over 2 months. It really helps having this extra equipment laying around, even if you don't have anything to fill them with. At anytime I could start up a new batch and not have to worry about what I'm going to be using for fermentation. Get out there, buy a new fermenter, and get started on the next batch!

 

[MMW]

On the contrary... there's nothing stopping you from going up to the LHBS and picking up another $15.00 bucket to get your next batch going.

There's no "L" in LHBS for me and sneaking large UPS boxes past SWMBO is very difficult. And it's not as simple as picking up another fermenter...that also means more bottles-- I'm working on it, but 50 bottles still takes a while to accumulate...6 weeks until my first batch is ready, let's see, we're drinking about 2 6 packs a week right now, so 72 more bottles. That will give me enough to keep three batches on the bottle.

I'm also devising a way to sneak materials in for a IC and a fermentation chiller-- college lets out here real quick so I'm hoping a decent dorm fridge (or 2!) pops up on CL here pretty quick. Building a chiller ought to take at least a Saturday. (and has the added benefit of hiding beer from the ministry of finance...)

 

[simps984]

You could focus on building/upgrading equipment. For instance, if you're approaching the time when you're ready to go all-grain, a half-day spent building your mash/lauter tun is good fun. That's one idea, I personally spend the time drinking commercial examples of whatever beer I'm thinking of brewing next.

 

[MMW]

hmmmmm...that's a good thought...I could probably hide a cooler

There's an ad in the paper for a $50 freezer this morning, I think I'll go take a look at that too.

 

[android]

watch out for that opimator! it'll get you silly in no time.

make some apfelwein, that's pretty easy to do and you don't necessarily have to use UPS... unless you don't have any wine yeast. and your wife will probably dig it.

 

[sundaybrewingco]

I'm working on it, but 50 bottles still takes a while to accumulate....

What I like to do... Bring some friends over and have a microbrew party. Everyone can get hammered and then you can keep all the non-twist off bottles and boxes. I did that twice and I have more bottles than I will need right now.

 

[MMW]

watch out for that opimator! it'll get you silly in no time.

I just finished a six pack of Salvator...I remember

 

[GodsStepBrother]

i have told all my friends to save their bottles for me, and i have so many bottles i dont know what to do with them. I have also been thinking of going to a local bar near my house that sells grolsch and ask them to save the bottles for me whenever possible. Bottles are everywhere!

 

[pilot45]

1) Drinking more and more craft beer.
2) Saving the bottles from said craft beer.
3) Growing 5 different kinds of hops in the backyard.
4) Hopelessly watching my second batch in the primary and waiting for my first batch (bottled) to be ready to crack open. (this Sunday!!)

 

[MMW]

4) Hopelessly watching my second batch in the primary and waiting for my first batch (bottled) to be ready to crack open. (this Sunday!!)

Bah...mine's been in primary since Saturday. It's excruciating...Maybe I'll end up with more patience AND better beer through this process.

At least you'll have batch #1 to get batch #2 through bottling.

Pilot45? what do you fly? I'm finishing my PPL right now in a 182. :rockin:

 

[LaurieGator]

Wow! This sounds like me waiting for my first batch to finish...

I did a lot of the beer sampling while waiting for my first batch to finish up, then it took 5 weeks to lose the green taste after bottling... BLEH! I love the saying around here "you go to the store to buy beer bottles and they come with FREE BEER!" Tested out a lot of those. It is good to do research

I also did a lot of reading on different beer styles and different recipes. Picked up a few books and tried to learn more stuff...

Now? I have 10 cases of beer in different stages of readiness... My first batch has about 5 bottles left and those are being saved for my parents when they come to visit in July! It went fast! Way too fast! I think it lasted for about 2 weeks then it slowly disappeared, thanks to some wonderful friends who "don't like beer, but this stuff tastes really good".

It is good to have a pipeline! The stuff goes faster than you can imagine!

 

[MMW]

"you go to the store to buy beer bottles and they come with FREE BEER!" Tested out a lot of those. It is good to do research

I keep telling my wife I have to buy both of us the good beer because I need the bottles. That seems to get the Marge Simpson "Hrmmmmmmm" thing going, but it works

I'm reading about everything I can get my hands on right now...even threads about wheat and fruit beers which aren't my thing.