Hellow from SC

[6894Kevin]

I pulled the trigger and bought a brew kit and pot from a new brew shop that just opened in Greenville SC. I also picked up a nut brown ale from true brew and am planning on first brew day this Friday!!!

Any suggestions on double fermentation on that style of brew. My kit came with a plastic carboy and a plastic bucket with a spout on the bottom. Confused on which I should ferment first in.

Thanks for an awesome site and phone app.

Kevin

 

[USAFSooner]

Ferment in the one without a spout. If you really want to secondary you can rack it from the first bucket to the second after you sanitize, clean the first and rack it back.

 

[6894Kevin]

Ferment in the one without a spout. If you really want to secondary you can rack it from the first bucket to the second after you sanitize, clean the first and rack it back.

Ok so why would I transfer everything from the plastic carboy to the plastic bucket and then back to the carboy? The bucket has a lid and a place for an airlock.

My thought was to do the 2nd fermentation in the bucket with the spout because it would make bottling easier.

 

[USAFSooner]

Yes but if you secondary on the one with the spout you will have a yeast layer at the bottom that you don't want to bottle. If you try to add priming sugar you have to mix it in and stir up all the stuff at the bottom of the fermenter. Moving it back to a clean fermenter without the spout means you can rack the beer off the top of the crud that will form in secondary.

 

[6894Kevin]

Yes but if you secondary on the one with the spout you will have a yeast layer at the bottom that you don't want to bottle. If you try to add priming sugar you have to mix it in and stir up all the stuff at the bottom of the fermenter. Moving it back to a clean fermenter without the spout means you can rack the beer off the top of the crud that will form in secondary.

Ahhhhhh, my light bulb just got power!!!

So if I want to do a double fermentation I need a second carboy to make it easy. I spoke to the guy at my local brew supply store and he suggested a single fermentation and rack to the bucket when adding priming sugar and to ease bottling.

Thanks for showing me the light. I really want this to go down with out any hiccups.

 

[USAFSooner]

You have a couple options:

1. Is what I said above. Secondary in the primary after you clean it out. No addl equipment to buy this way.

2. Let it ferment longer in primary. Like 3 weeks and rack to bottling bucket and prime and bottle. No addl equipment this way either. Letting it sit longer will let it clear but may not be as effective as racking it off the yeast and trub.

3. Get a secondary fermenter like a carboy or even a 5 gal bucket from Lowes (they are food grade by the way). I use the 5 gal glass carboy route personally. A five gallon better bottle and a bung shouldn't be all that much. Glass is a tad more expensive.

4. Forget primary and just bottle after a week or so.

 

[Cyclman]

For your first batch, make it easy. Ferment in the carboy. 3 weeks, or when you hit the recipe's final gravity for 3+ days, rack it to the bottling bucket, leaving the trub / yeast behind, add priming sugar and bottle.

Welcome to the group, from CO!

 

[USAFSooner]

For your first batch, make it easy. Ferment in the carboy. 3 weeks, or when you hit the recipe's final gravity for 3+ days, rack it to the bottling bucket, leaving the trub / yeast behind, add priming sugar and bottle. Welcome to the group, from CO!

I tend to agree. KISS principle on your first couple batches

 

[6894Kevin]

For your first batch, make it easy. Ferment in the carboy. 3 weeks, or when you hit the recipe's final gravity for 3+ days, rack it to the bottling bucket, leaving the trub / yeast behind, add priming sugar and bottle. Welcome to the group, from CO!

Ok 3 weeks it is!!!

As for calculating the OG and the TG I'm at a loss still

How do I know when I've reached final gravity????

I love this site and thank you all for the welcome and the help

 

[USAFSooner]

You need a hydrometer. You measure the gravity of the wort before pitching the yeast. The kit should give a OG number. Then you measure when you think its done and get a final gravity. The kit should tell you what that number should be.

Example if FG is supposed to be 1.008 you don't want to bottle when its 1.020 and want to wait until it's closer and is the same reading for a couple days. For a brown ale it will easily be done at three weeks

 

[6894Kevin]

Thanks for the explanation. !!

I brewed my 1st batch and I hope I didn't **** it up!!! I brewed the batch and started to cool it when I noticed a pack of aroma hops still sitting on the counter. So I brought the batch back to a boil and added the hops for 2 min like the directions said. And cooled it down again before finishing.

Will me boiling cooling and the boiling and cooling again screw it up?????

 

[WileE65]

-RDWHAHB... Relax, Don't Worry, Have A Homebrew... -Papazian
I'm sure it'll be fine... Now the key thing to remember is to stay on your temperatures. Mash temp, (or steeping temp for extract) and ferment temps can be important for making a good beer.
You definately need a hydrometer and a Good thermometer. I like This one.
So you get your stuff form G&G on Mauldin Rd? They're a lot of help to a newer brewer. They also have a local brewclub there. And there's the Upstate Brewtopians.
Congrats on your first brew!

 

[USAFSooner]

You'll be fine. I would have done the same thing.

 

[6894Kevin]

-RDWHAHB... Relax, Don't Worry, Have A Homebrew... -Papazian I'm sure it'll be fine... Now the key thing to remember is to stay on your temperatures. Mash temp, (or steeping temp for extract) and ferment temps can be important for making a good beer. You definately need a hydrometer and a Good thermometer. I like This one. So you get your stuff form G&G on Mauldin Rd? They're a lot of help to a newer brewer. They also have a local brewclub there. And there's the Upstate Brewtopians. Congrats on your first brew!

I steeped at 155 and used a digital to maintain temp before I pitched my yeast at around 70. I used a turkey fryer thermometer and a good digital.

I got my kit and ingredient kit from Greenville hop house. I didn't know there was a place on maudlin rd. I live in Clemson and would enjoy a group maybe I'll check out G&G

Thanks all for the help.

 

[6894Kevin]

Came home to this!!!

Should I just let it run it's course????. I don't have any tubing for a blow off tube and it's 330am so can't go get any.

 

[6894Kevin]

??????????Just got up and it's still flowing out of the top what should I do??????????

 

[USAFSooner]

Use the hose from your siphon

 

[madman960]

Welcome to the site.

Good luck on first brew. I am in Beaufort SC.

Bill

 

[6894Kevin]

Use the hose from your siphon

Thanks man. I wasn't thinking to clearly after a 14hr shift and woke up after 5 hrs sleep.

 

[6894Kevin]

All better

 

[6894Kevin]

????? Is it ruined ?????

My wife and I just got back from a long weekend and she turned the AC off. I checked my carboy and the temp was reading 65 in the middle of the day. I'm almost certain it got below 60 in the house. I'm not seeing any bubbles in the air lock it's been setting since Oct 25th.

 

[6894Kevin]

Bottle day!

 

[madman960]

Congrats on your first brew. Let us know how it turns out.

 

[PSGD]

Congrats neighbor! I'm nearby in Seneca. I've only been brewing a year but may be able to help you in a pinch. I buy most everything from Thomas Creek Brewery's homebrew shop.
Moe

 

[6894Kevin]

PSGD- Have you ever been to the the brew house in Anderson. I hear they have a brew club.

 

[PSGD]

I haven't been there. Is that the growler haus? There is a new homebrew shop opening in Anderson at some point. Anderson vine and bine.

 

[6894Kevin]

I haven't been there. Is that the growler haus? There is a new homebrew shop opening in Anderson at some point. Anderson vine and bine.

Yeah the growler haus !!! I've been meaning to go by there. I've gotten all my brew stuff from Greenville Hop House because I work in Gvl. It's good to know Anderson will have a place I'll keep my eye out for them.