Hey folks! Just wanted to say hello and introduce myself, and thank you for some great advice. I brewed my first batch (an English Brown Ale) in the first week of Jan. Thought it turned out a little flat, as I assumed I messed up the addition of the primer, but took a sample bottle to my local home brewing shop and he said it tasted just like his recipe called for! that was nice to hear. it seems some of my bottles are a bit more carbonated than others. secondly, i drink nothing but IPA's at this point, so hitting an ESB style Brown Ale was probably part of it.
anyway, I'm on my second batch, and i went with a big IPA recipe. i took an American Pale Ale kit and modified with using both a LME and DME, and then also using 4 packets of hops!!! I'm hoping it comes out as big as I tried to make it.
a couple new twists this second time.
#1 - my lid blew. as i was working in my basement, it blew and frankly scared the hops out of me. that was a crazy fermentation, and i learned after reading here to use a blow off tube going forward. i'm a little concerned because i had to hit the road, so i had the wife take off the airlock on 2 occasions so the pressure would reduce a bit. plus i had her keep the airlock clean. so, i transferred my beer into the carboy today after 7 days, and noticed the lid in one little area, was not "snapped" shut per se. i'm hoping air didn't get in and ruin my batch.
#2 - when i removed the lid, there was a lot of dried squishy "foam" i guess, from when the beer was fermenting so heavily. i guess that's normal? it was caked pretty good. anyway, i sanitized my carboy, auto-siphon, stopper, and airlock, then racked it. i have no idea as to the secret of siphoning. i just put the tube in there, not touching the bottom, and start pumping. i have a 6 gallon carboy, so i guess i'm 3/4 full. hope that's not bad. it smelled like beer, if not a little funky. but that's IPA, i hope.
anyway, i guess all i can do is wait and see how it turns out. either way, i love this new passion, and am very thankful for this website! i hope to dial in a custom IPA recipe and bottle and label it for Labor Day. that's the goal.
ok, thanks again!
anyway, I'm on my second batch, and i went with a big IPA recipe. i took an American Pale Ale kit and modified with using both a LME and DME, and then also using 4 packets of hops!!! I'm hoping it comes out as big as I tried to make it.
a couple new twists this second time.
#1 - my lid blew. as i was working in my basement, it blew and frankly scared the hops out of me. that was a crazy fermentation, and i learned after reading here to use a blow off tube going forward. i'm a little concerned because i had to hit the road, so i had the wife take off the airlock on 2 occasions so the pressure would reduce a bit. plus i had her keep the airlock clean. so, i transferred my beer into the carboy today after 7 days, and noticed the lid in one little area, was not "snapped" shut per se. i'm hoping air didn't get in and ruin my batch.
#2 - when i removed the lid, there was a lot of dried squishy "foam" i guess, from when the beer was fermenting so heavily. i guess that's normal? it was caked pretty good. anyway, i sanitized my carboy, auto-siphon, stopper, and airlock, then racked it. i have no idea as to the secret of siphoning. i just put the tube in there, not touching the bottom, and start pumping. i have a 6 gallon carboy, so i guess i'm 3/4 full. hope that's not bad. it smelled like beer, if not a little funky. but that's IPA, i hope.
anyway, i guess all i can do is wait and see how it turns out. either way, i love this new passion, and am very thankful for this website! i hope to dial in a custom IPA recipe and bottle and label it for Labor Day. that's the goal.
ok, thanks again!