First timers brew

[Kokamantratarius]

Hi!

Lastnight was the first time I have attempted brewing. I browsed this site last night but didn't get a chance to register. Look forward to learning what knowledge is out there and hopefully brew a drinkable beer.

Yesterday afternoon I started the process by sanitizing my equipment with iodine and water, 1 tsp with 2.5gal of water. I wanted to use filtered water (don't know why just sounded like a good idea) so I made sure to sanitize my brita minus the filter and my container. After I had 2gal of water I sanitized my stainless pot and began to boil the water. I also began to heat up my malts with warm water.

While the water was heating up I began to filter 2gal of water for my glass carboy to absorb any heat from the wort. I sanitized the carboy, funnel, plastic mixing ladel, fermentation lock, etc. After the water was filtered I put the 2gal of water into the carboy and placed fermentation lock on to keep and debris in the air from getting into carboy (sounded like a good idea).

When the water began to boil I turned off the burner and added the 2 malt extracts I used (bock malt and briess sparkling amber malt) . After it began to boil again I added .5 oz of crystal hop pellets (I think thats what I used) and boiled for 10mins and then added the other .5oz of pellets and boiled for another 5mins.

I took the wort off the burner and sanitized my funnel again and then added the hot wort to the cold water already in the carboy. Then the waiting began. I resanitzed my fermentation lock and then put the carboy into the garage to cool down to the right temperature to add the yeast. It took severl hours for it to drop down to between 75-78 degrees. I brought the carboy back into the house and removed the fermentation lock to be sanitized again while I added the yeast.

After I added the yeast I reapplied the fermentation lock (used vodka for the liquid inside the lock) and set in a corner of the living room where it will have enough heat (right now it is at 72-74 degrees).

I didnt notice any action in the carboy lastnight and was told not to expect it so I didn't. This morning I woke up and checked it out and the yeast is now floating on the top and there is a bubble every 7 seconds or so in the fermentation lock.

If the results thus far are not what they should be please let me know also any tips or advice on what I could or should do different on my next batch after I bottle this one. I had a great time making this batch last night I really hope I didn't screw it up. But cheers none the less

Drink up.

 

[z987k]

Only thing I noticed is you only boiled for 15minutes total... Seems really short.

 

[Kokamantratarius]

Well, the book I bought said to boil for 45mins, I was planning on it but when I went to the homebrew supply store I was told to bring the water to a boil then add the malts, then when it began to boil again add the first .5oz I think I boiled the malts for about 10mins at a low boil before I added the hops, I wanted to get it to a nice rolling boil that couldn't be stirred out.

I was told that with more complicated brews to boil for longer but this one wouldn't need that long of a boil time. But hopfully this one turns out. As soon as I bottle this batch I plan on making another, about how long would you recommend for a simple batch?

 

[z987k]

Everything I've ever read including the directions that came with my first kit said to add the malt, bring to a boil again, add the bittering hops then boil for 30-60mins depending on how you want it to turn out. Then add the aroma hops 2-10mins before the end of the boil. The really short boil probably didn't allow for the bittering hops to do much.

Maybe someone here with more experience than I will jump in.

 

[Kadmium]

Ok, my guess is that the malts you had were probably pre-hopped with bittering hops. The short boil was probably only for the aroma and flavour hops to come out. Next time, I would cool the hot wort down quickly in an ice bath. Then pitch the yeast. Its not a good idea to leave warm wort sitting around with no yeast. But its not a bad thing sounds like your brew should be awesome. Use the 1-2-3 method on your first brews. 1 week primary, 2 week secondary, 3 weeks in bottle.

 

[AleHole]

The first batch I ever brewed was very similiar to this one. Since you did not steep any grains all you really need to do is a 15-20 minute boil to pasturize the extract. You may have wanted to boil a bit longer since you made hop additions but I think your beer will be drinkable. One note though. Do not EVER add boiling water or wort to a glass carboy without cooling it first. A good way to do that is to fill your sink, tub cooler, ect with a bunch of ice cubes and water and put your pot in the ice bath for an hour or so gently spinning the pot every few minutes to reciculate the wort in the pot for even heat distribution. If you don't cool your wort first you risk breaking your carboy.

 

[Kokamantratarius]

Great thanks for the tips. The waiting for the wort to cool was killing me...I got up to check it hoping for a miracle cooling but a miracle cooling was never achieved. Next batch I will definatly use an ice bath.

I was told the batch I made should take 6 weeks to fully settle, drinkable after 3-4 I think but 6 weeks is what I plan on waiting. I have a kegerator full of hefe and some other micros in the fridge to keep me company while I wait for my homebrew.

I just got home a few mins ago and checked on it first thing. Temp is at 70-72, yeast culture is on top and looks to be growing and I am seeing a bubble in the fermentation lock every 2-3 seconds and seems to be speeding up a tad bit.

 

[AleHole]

One thing about this hobby you must learn is patience. Cooling wort in an ice bath takes a bit of time. The first gadget I bought was an immersion chiller and can't imagine brewing without it.

You could probably bottle after 10 days or so if you are not using a secondary fermenter. If you have a hydrometer just take readings 2-3 days apart and if there is no change you can bottle. I would not let it sit in a primary much longer than that. If you transfer to a secondary you do not have time constraints, you can leave it in there for a few weeks. Some people let bigger beers stay in there secondaries for months. If you leave it in your primary for to long you may get off flavors from sitting on the yeast cake for to long. Once you bottle it should take 2-3 weeks for carbonation to set in. Your beer will be much better if you wait 4-6 weeks to drink after bottling.

 

[Kokamantratarius]

Patience...I plan on staying my patience by going to the homebrew shop and buying another carboy and some ingredients and making another batch! Although I may wait a bit and make sure my first is drinkable, the anticipation is not fun at all.

 

[Kadmium]

Patience...I plan on staying my patience by going to the homebrew shop and buying another carboy and some ingredients and making another batch! Although I may wait a bit and make sure my first is drinkable, the anticipation is not fun at all.

You are now a full blown addict... welcome

 

[Kokamantratarius]

Had first taste of my brew. Last saturday is when i brewed, pitched yeast around 9:30pm ish, sunday morning I woke up and the yeast had risen and I had a bubble every 5-6seconds, it increased through out the day. Monday morning I had a bubble every 1-2seconds and it maintained a bubble every second or so till thursday when I got home it had completely stopped.

Original gravity was 1.046, final gravity as of today is 1.020, I tasted the sample from testing the gravity and I was very very pleasently surprised. For totally flat 6 day old beer it was drinkable. I must say that I was afraid that it was going to be discusting and not worth the trouble of drinking, so relativly speaking from what I was expecting from how it actually tasted it was excellent but truthfully I like a more bitter beer mine is a little sweet (that is my next project an IPA) but I am hoping with some age it will gain more body and lose a little of the sweetness, but it is DARK and heavy, there is no sign of light when I shine a flashlight through the carboy.

Thanks again for the tips I will apply them on my next batch. Here is what I am using.

7.5lb Briess Amber malt extract
1lb Crystal Malted Barely
.5lb Victory Malted Barely
1.5oz Northern Brewer Hops
.5oz Columbus Hops
Wyeast #1098 British Liquid Yeast