So I thought I would throw a thread out there about my first batch just for fun. Feel free to chime in and tell me what you think.
So the recipe I am using is HomeBrewStuff.com's (my LHBS) Klondike Amber Ale. It is an "extract" recipe but seems a little more like a mini mash to me due to the steeping and rinsing of the grains (including 2 row pale.)
Brew day went pretty well for my first go at it. The recipe said to steep with anywhere from 2.5-6 gal but I only have a 4 gal kettle so I did the 2.5, then heated a gallon for the rinse in another kettle. Managed to keep both pots very close to the target temp of 155 for the 30 min. Ended up much fuller than I expected once combined (it looked good on paper) but somehow managed to not boil it over. I didn't have the extract stirred in well enough before I cranked the heat so I got a little scorching, but otherwise the boil went off without a hitch. I added the whole whirfloc tab per recipe, but after researching it here, only for 10 min instead of the 15 it called for.
I had all the ice from my freezer ready to go in the sink with enough water to cover, but after 30 min. it still wasn't cooling and my ice was gone. I shook off the retardation and filled the sink the rest of the way with cold tap water and it dropped below 80 in about 15 min. Got a good cold-break out of it.
To transfer, I just used a screened funnel in my 6 gal BB and just poured the wort right out of the kettle. It actually worked better than I expected and I barely spilled any. I was pretty freaked out by the break in it and thought I'd done something awful to it. A quick search on “fluffy clouds in wort” calmed my nerves pretty quick. I didn't have a blowoff tube either, so I just put a big fluffy towel under it and put it in the closet with the airlock. With the heater vent in that room closed, it has stayed right between 60-65 in the closet (same reading on the fermometer) so I'm pretty happy with it.
I finally got a chance to check my SG today, which is day 10 of fermenting, and she's at 1.010. FG per the recipe should be 1.013... pretty close I guess. I will check it again on Friday and see what I've got. Unfortunately, I spilled a little while theiving. To avoid the wrath of SWMBO for the room reeking, I had to pull the towel. It got rocked a little in the process, and I'm getting some bubbling from the airlock now so I am thinking at this point I will probably just leave it in primary until the 3 week mark, then go right to bottle.
Well, if you're still reading, that's where I'm at now. I will update in a few days when I get the next SG reading and make the decision to transfer or not.
Feel free to chime in with any input.
So the recipe I am using is HomeBrewStuff.com's (my LHBS) Klondike Amber Ale. It is an "extract" recipe but seems a little more like a mini mash to me due to the steeping and rinsing of the grains (including 2 row pale.)
Brew day went pretty well for my first go at it. The recipe said to steep with anywhere from 2.5-6 gal but I only have a 4 gal kettle so I did the 2.5, then heated a gallon for the rinse in another kettle. Managed to keep both pots very close to the target temp of 155 for the 30 min. Ended up much fuller than I expected once combined (it looked good on paper) but somehow managed to not boil it over. I didn't have the extract stirred in well enough before I cranked the heat so I got a little scorching, but otherwise the boil went off without a hitch. I added the whole whirfloc tab per recipe, but after researching it here, only for 10 min instead of the 15 it called for.
I had all the ice from my freezer ready to go in the sink with enough water to cover, but after 30 min. it still wasn't cooling and my ice was gone. I shook off the retardation and filled the sink the rest of the way with cold tap water and it dropped below 80 in about 15 min. Got a good cold-break out of it.
To transfer, I just used a screened funnel in my 6 gal BB and just poured the wort right out of the kettle. It actually worked better than I expected and I barely spilled any. I was pretty freaked out by the break in it and thought I'd done something awful to it. A quick search on “fluffy clouds in wort” calmed my nerves pretty quick. I didn't have a blowoff tube either, so I just put a big fluffy towel under it and put it in the closet with the airlock. With the heater vent in that room closed, it has stayed right between 60-65 in the closet (same reading on the fermometer) so I'm pretty happy with it.
I finally got a chance to check my SG today, which is day 10 of fermenting, and she's at 1.010. FG per the recipe should be 1.013... pretty close I guess. I will check it again on Friday and see what I've got. Unfortunately, I spilled a little while theiving. To avoid the wrath of SWMBO for the room reeking, I had to pull the towel. It got rocked a little in the process, and I'm getting some bubbling from the airlock now so I am thinking at this point I will probably just leave it in primary until the 3 week mark, then go right to bottle.
Well, if you're still reading, that's where I'm at now. I will update in a few days when I get the next SG reading and make the decision to transfer or not.
Feel free to chime in with any input.
Even though I know it's not going to do anything for a few weeks, I just like to see it.
