First Brew - BM's Centennial Blonde

[sburggsx]

Ok, I tried this as my first brew ever today. I followed the extract recipe as follows:

Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 6.57 gal
Estimated OG: 1.044 SG
Estimated Color: 3.2 SRM
Estimated IBU: 16.8 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
5.00 lb Extra Light Dry Extract (3.0 SRM) Dry Extract 83.3 %
1.00 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 16.7 %
0.25 oz Centennial [9.50%] (45 min) Hops 7.8 IBU
0.25 oz Centennial [9.50%] (20 min) Hops 5.1 IBU
0.25 oz Cascade [7.80%] (10 min) Hops 2.5 IBU
0.25 oz Cascade [7.80%] (5 min) Hops 1.4 IBU
1 Pkgs Nottingham (Danstar #-) Yeast-Ale


I used the quantities as listed, but here's a couple of places I think I made a mistake. (or need clarificiation)

A) I steeped the cara-pils starting at about 160 degrees down to 154 degrees for 30 mins. Was this remotely correct?

B) I started with a little over 6.5 gals, brought it to 160ish and steeped, then brought to boil and added the liquid light malt extract (pils extract I think). This I believe brought me up to close to 7 gals boil. Should I have taken the half a gal of LME into my pre-boil volume?

C) Thinking I was heavy on the water volume I kept upping the gas on the turkey frier hoping to boil off more. Was that the right idea?

D) I had marked the BK with dents at the 5 gal mark and got no where close to that on the boil, but when transferring to the fermenter I was right at 5 gal.

E) Using an "uncalibrated" hydrometer I was at 1.030 OG at ~83 degrees. I chilled the sample down to about 58 degrees and it looked like it was right at 1.040. I'm assuming that was correct.

F) I took the 83 degree wort to the basement and hoped it would drop in temp a bit but it didn't so I went ahead and pitched the Nottingham at 83-85 degrees.

 

[RugenBrau]

First of all relax......

A You are ok...I don't do extract very often but when I do I throw my grains in at the start and leave them in till the temp hits 165


B Either way is ok..I would have counted in the boil but you corrected it the right way with C.

C. OK

D I am assuming you were high and that was probably because of the expansion of the boil

E. You are ok. Make sure yoou calibrate your thermometer also.

F. Havent used Nottingham in a while. Might be a little high but I'm gussing you will be ok. Don't panic, nottingham can take a while to get going

 

[1Mainebrew]

Try getting a wort chiller. It will make brewing a lot easier for pitching temps.

 

[RugenBrau]

I just cheked the specs and you are a little high on the pitching temp. You could have just waited. I think your ok but keep us posted.

 

[sburggsx]

Thanks for the replies. I'm not freaking out about this at all, I'm just looking for massive holes in what I did.

I didn't bother to mention the chiller part, I have a home made counter flow chiller that worked GREAT. Unfortunately my hose water is about 83 degrees.

The only reason I pitched the yeast was reading that back of the pack of notty it said to start with a 86-92 degree starter. I was already below that so I just went for it.

 

[1Mainebrew]

you might get more esters because of the high pitching temperature, but I'm sure it will be very very tasty! Keep us posted.

 

[sburggsx]

I just checked the airlock and it's bubbling like mad. I must have done something right!

 

[RugenBrau]

Patience is one of the most important lessons.

 

[asidrane]

I just checked the airlock and it's bubbling like mad. I must have done something right!

Good work, now forget about is for a few weeks and then take a gravity reading.

 

[sburggsx]

Ok all the bubbling stopped two days ago. I just watched for a 5 min stretch and nothing. I know the answer everyone is going to give is "WAIT LONGER" but I'm thinking of racking to a secondary. Several reasons; one I was fermenting in my bottling bucket, on purpose. Another is because I want to move it to a carboy so I can see it!! Third, obviously to get a FG reading. Since it's a bottling bucket getting a FG reading would be pretty simple. Maybe I'll do that before making the decision on moving to a secondary.

Considering this is my first batch I'm anxious to get it into bottles. Thinking of 7 days primary, 7 days secondary then bottle. Too fast?

 

[RugenBrau]

If your kegging....no problem. If you want to bottle it you are only going to know by reading your hydrometer. It might not be bubbling but action might still be going on in there. Read some of Revvys post under fermentation.

 

[Germelli1]

It is a low gravity beer, so I would take a gravity reading to be sure then bottle it up. Long conditioning on low gravity beers can actually be detrimental, and my regular beers rarely go longer than 10 days in the primary anyway.

 

[sburggsx]

I took a FG reading today, mostly because the suspense was killing me. Since I fermented in my bottling bucket this was a very easy task. I got a reading of 1.004 at 70 degrees and after cooling down to 60 degrees it read about 1.006.

The first sip or two out of the hyro tube was NASTY. But after that you could tell it had a pretty decent taste. It was what I imagine "green beer" tastes like but it still wasn't bad.

The question now becomes: do I take another sample in a couple days and if it's the same, bottle? Or do I rack to a secondary to free up my bottling bucket and let it go for another week or two? I really probably need to give it two more weeks...... This is also giving me enough confidence that I need to get another batch fermenting soon!!!

 

[sburggsx]

Ok, moved the beer from the primary to a secondary after 19 days. The gravity reading I did was sloppy but I'd call it 1.004. Tasted the hydro sample and it was pretty good. Let my 10 yr old daughter taste it (because she's extremely curious about all this) and she wanted to drink the whole thing!

No, I didn't let her but it does say something for the taste! Even the wife tasted it and didn't make the normal bad-shrimp face. Now to get some bottles so I can start the carbing. I can't wait.

 

[edie]

my 2....... give it 7 days and then bottle it up. waiting for it to carb up is gonna be tough so in the mean time get started on another batch!

let us know how it turns out.

 

[sburggsx]

It's been a long time... basically it didn't seem to carb very well so I've been letting it sit. I guess I was hoping something magic would happen. Here's a pic taken tonight. After the initial bubbles on the sides and minor head it is pretty much flat.

I used 3/4c of priming sugar in 16 oz of boiling water poured in the bottom of the bottling bucket. Beer added to top and bottled. Any suggestions on what went wrong?