First attempt at home brewing

[jhomburger]

Hi all I am new to this forum and new to the science of home brewing. I made my first attempt with a wit ale. It has been in the carboy for one week(1/4/14). I have attached some photos of what is going on. I was wondering at what point I should start taking readings to determine if it is finished and ready for bottling.



I appreciate all help and input and thanks in advance.

-jay

 

[freisste]

If you are in a rush, you could start testing after a few days. However, it will not hurt your beer at all to sit for several weeks without disturbing it. Many say this results in a better beer where the yeast can clean up.

My recommendation: start thinking of what you want to brew next. Do some planning. Figure out what went wrong this time and what you can do or buy to make it smoother. Then brew. By the time you have that done, it will probably be time for this beer to move into bottles.

Then repeat the plan, except at the end of it, put a few of your first batch bottles in the fridge. Couple days and they are ready to drink.

This is called the pipeline. Always have beers at each stage so you aren't in a hurry to do something with a batch.

 

[josh940711]

I'd give it at least two weeks before considering checking. I've read a lot of kits want you to bottle after a week but keep In mind they want you to buy more kits.

 

[ChrisMT]

I try and leave my beers in primary for about a month, some a week less, others a couple weeks more. Then straight to bottle.

 

[loucurr]

+1 on waiting and planning the next brew. I usually let it sit for two weeks then secondary for two weeks then bottle/keg.

 

[dmashl]

Get yourself another fermenting bucket, brew another beer in that one. when that one has been sitting a week, go to bottle the 1st one. I actually have 3 beers in fermentation(2 in buckets and 1 in carboy) at all times, I primary for 2 weeks and rack to carboy for a week then bottle, and am usually drinking off 3 bottled batches. A pretty nice rotation. I brew once week. rotate my buckets.

 

[jhomburger]

Thanks all for the great advice. I do sincerely appreciate it

 

[Braufessor]

yeah - just get in the habit of leaving your beer alone for 2-3 weeks. Every time you mess with it, you introduce the opportunity to infect it or cause problems. It looks exactly like it should. The yeast are doing their job.
+1 on getting another fermenter (buckets are cheap and easy to use) - that way you don't feel rushed to cut primary fermentation short, and you can get another beer going.

 

[Cyclman]

You can see the darkening at the top of the beer, that's the yeast falling out of suspension. Wait until the beer's almost all that color, it's then ready to bottle. Cold crashing it can accelerate this.