First batch.

[Sirspongy]

I am new to the brewing world and my first batch of Nut Brown Ale seems to be doing fine so far, after 15 days. I did not see too much activity the first 7 days, although I know it was fermenting. On the 8th day a pretty vigorous reaction began which lasted about 3 days and has since slowed down.

One thing I noticed during this intense fermentation period was the appearance of a few white 'things' floating near the surface. There are maybe around 20 of them and they are not that large, maybe a couple millimeters in size. Over the last few days they appear to have multiplied. I am wondering if maybe they are something from the bottom of the carboy or they actually grew.

I have had little luck in finding much information about this issue. I asked my local brewery supply store owner and he assured me it is fine. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Carne de Perro]

Are the floaters fuzzy or do they look like sea foam/scum?

 

[disaffected]

Can you post a picture?

And, welcome to the forum.

 

[Sirspongy]

No, no fuzzies on the floaties and about the foam/scum, they do not look like foam at all. They just look like fat, over-sized yeast.

I had another question about this batch. I did not take the gravity reading of my batch at the beginning but I used a kit which says it should be 1040-1044. I just tested it and it reads 1012. Does that mean it is probably done or very close to it? I drank what I had siphoned out to test with, and it tasted fine. I know it is not ready to drink but I am wondering if it is time to bottle.

To recap it was a Muntons Nut Brown Ale kit I used. Estimated OG. of 1040 - 1044 but I am not sure what the real OG. of my batch was since I did not test it. I figure it must be the listed OG. or higher since I put 1 cup of corn sugar, 2 pounds of light malt extract and 1 ounce of Willamette hops on top of the kit. Now I am not sure how the OG. on the kit is estimated but I am figuring it is just the can of syrup.

It spent 2 days in the primary fermenter (Plastic bucket) and then 13 days, as of today, in the glass carboy. Now the instructions say when the gravity remains at 1008 it is ready to bottle but taking the added ingredients into account I am guessing a higher FG. will occur.

On a side note I am trying to decide what my next project will be and I am leaning toward either an Oatmeal Stout recipe or the Barkshack Gingermead recipe. I am shooting more for the Oatmeal stout because I am not sure I can start the mead and be able to finish it within the secondary fermenter stage without having to transport it to my new place. If anyone has some really good Oatmeal stout recipes they should send me them, please. I do have Beersmith and all the recipes so no need to send me any of those. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[boo boo]

Chances these are yeast particles. Relax and have a beer.

Next time, leave the beer in primary for a week before racking to secondary. you removed the beer from the main body of yeast. This isn't a good idea. Chances are that it wasn't finished brewing and you removed your wort from the more flocculent primary yeast and had to continue with the yeast in suspension in secondary.
Usual rule of thumb is 1 week in primary, 2 in secondary, check gravity and then if gravity is close to terminal gravity and remains the same for at least 2 consecutive days, then it is ok to bottle. Leave your bottles in a warm area for a week or so before moving to a cooler spot to carbonate and bottle condition your brew.

 

[Sirspongy]

Thanks for that information. I was actually following a recipe from my local brewery supply store. The owner wrote it out for me so I was thinking he knew what he was talking about. I was thinking leave it in there longer but being an amatuer I just followed the directions.

As for the current gravity. It is getting pretty close to what the FG should be, if I am not mistaken. I have noticed fermentation still happening after I just checked it so I know it is not quite done yet. I am a very impatient person by nature so brewing beer is probably not my one of the smartest moves but hopefully when I get some batches under my belt it will help to forget about the batches I have going at the time.

I just started a very bold mead experiment. I love mead so I had to start some. It is only about 2 gallons but it is purely experimental, like I said. I will let you all know how it is going.

 

[Sirspongy]

Checked the mead that I started last night and it is fermenting away. The first gravity reading I took before I pitched the yeast was 1.20 so I added some more water to it and brought it down to 1.10. I was reading that the higher the gravity the harder it can be for yeast to do their job. I aerated it and it almost made my airlock catch on fire because of the activity (exaggerating).

 

[Carne de Perro]

You brought it down to 1.10? I've never heard of a batch of anything starting at 1.20, 1.10 is really high as it is. Keep the updates coming, you've got my interest. (BTW, maybe you mentioned this, did you do a starter?)

 

[Sirspongy]

Well I actually did not use water in the recipe at all. I used "All Natrual Apple Juice" in place of water. This is the reason why I had such a high starting gravity. Yes it started at 1.20 so I added about a half gallon of cold water to bring it down to 1.10. It has been fermenting like mad for that last day and continues. I did not use a starter in the sense that most use a starter. I added extra yeast and being that the batch was not as large as the normal 5 gallon batch it did the trick that a starter would, unless I am missing the concept of a starter. Any input is 100% welcome. I really would like to know about anything that I am doing wrong. I will not be offended in anyway. I enjoy constructive criticism.

 

[Carne de Perro]

Adding more yeast is always an option, though an expensive one. You have the general idea of a starter right though. (Increased cell count) As far as the rest of your mead goes...I'll leave that to someone who's made it before.

 

[NurseNan]

I am a very impatient person by nature so brewing beer is probably not my one of the smartest moves but hopefully when I get some batches under my belt it will help to forget about the batches I have going at the time.

I just started a very bold mead experiment. I love mead so I had to start some. It is only about 2 gallons but it is purely experimental, like I said. I will let you all know how it is going.

If you are an impatient person, the mead will make you crazy!! Mead, by nature, takes time....time to ferment, time to age, time to mellow....at least you'll have the beer to occupy you while you wait the months (years?) that it takes for the mead to be drinkable. The same is true about cyser (cross between mead and cider) which is what you made. Just give it plenty of time, and it will be great.

 

[Sirspongy]

Could anyone estimate how much gravity 2 pounds of light malt extract, 1 cup of corn sugar and 1 ounce of hops would add to a 1040 estimated kit gravity? I never really got much input on that aspect of my question.

 

[Sirspongy]

I just bottled my Nut Brown Ale. Took about 2 hours doing it myself. I got 49 - 12 ounce bottles out of it. I had a half a bottle extra so I just drank it. It was good. Better than Samuel Smith even though mine was not carbonated yet. I think the extra cup of corn sugar I added to the wort gave it that extra cider taste that I like or it might just be because it is "green" still. I put the bottles in a large rubbermaid tub while they condition in the bottles, just in case of an explosion. I will have to try very hard to not drink it in the meantime.

I also transfered my Cyser over to a glass carboy. It is still visibly fermenting although not like it was the first 4 days. All the air introduced during the siphoning got the yeast all excited.

I have ingredients coming in the mail in a few days to start what I am going to call a "Chonilla Oatmeal Stout" or "Vanoco Oatmeal Stout" (Chocolate and Vanilla Bean Oatmeal Stout).

Primary - Vanoco Oatmeal Stout (Coming Soon)
Secondary 1 - Ginger Cyser
Secondary 2 - Trub and Yeast
Secondary 3 - Empty
Conditioning - Nut Brown Ale