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jtkratzer

jtkratzer

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Intro...My name is Justin, I'm an artillery officer in the Marine Corps Reserve and I'm an insurance broker for my civilian job. Fortunately, my wife is pretty pumped about the beer brewing process and helped me out with my first batch.

I had a birthday this past week and got a brewing kit for my birthday. My parents starting making wine some time during the last year and I picked up some corks for them when I was out near the supply store and I commented how the beer brewing kits looked interesting and they ran with the idea for a gift. Well, I started a hefeweizen from a LME store recipe using Hellertauer hops and White Labs WLP380 yeast. Hops were pellets and the store employee said I didn't need to strain the wort when pouring it into the fermenting bucket. Never heard anything about aerating the wort until I started reading here. Oh well, I shook it up a bit to mix it after pitching the yeast, but nothing crazy.

I've been reading a bit on the forum about primarying for 4+ weeks. Sounds good, but I'm impatient to try a homebrew, so I'm looking for something I can brew, bottle, and drink sooner than 6+ weeks from now. Are there good tasting recipes available that can be ready within a couple weeks?

I haven't read much on the forum other than about the longer than 4-7 days in the primary for fermentation, but I have some other questions about the process. When leaving the wort in the primary that long, do I need to check gravity readings at 4 weeks if I want to bottle it then or can it be assumed the fermentation process has gone its course? How do you keep the temperature consistent for fermentation? I don't have a spare fridge or freezer yet, and right now, the bucket is in a closet where it's about 68-70 degrees. I have a room in the house that's not heated, but it's much closer to 58-60 degrees during the day, haven't checked it at night, and then there's the unheated garage. No basement either.

I bought a 5 gallon glass carboy because I originally read that the beer should be secondaried. Should I return it if I don't need to secondary most beers, at least in the beginning stages with simple to brew beers in favor of a 6.5 gallon so I can ferment in that or should I just stick with the buckets?

Thanks for putting up with my questions as I'm sure they've been asked before and I'll dig around the forum some more for answers, but that's for the help.
 
Welcome from just south in Maryland.

As to your quick beer -- many brews can be ready to drink younger. Hefes are the obvious choice as there's really no need to worry about secondary (clearing) as the hefe isn't going to be clear.

Simple pale ales and other lower gravity brews are easily done (even bottling) in ~1 month. Think 2 weeks in primary, 2 weeks to carb and most beers will be drinkable in that time. Most get better with age, so consider that, but the "rule" is lower gravity (total alcohol) and lower hops (non-IPA, IIPA) are generally done quicker.

We used to go with the 1-2-3 (weeks in primary, secondary, bottle) method, but really...a lot of people go 2-2 (primary, bottle).

Winter is the best time for temp control, as your house is generally sitting at the temps needed (65-70) for beer. So long as you don't heat your house to 75, generally anywhere will be fine. Even a little cooler will be ok, might slow your ferment a bit, but will still be doable.

You can keep the 5g carboy and use it for secondary or things like apfelwein/mead. Or you can return it if you want to do more beers without secondary. Buckets are great primary, so I don't see any real reason to spend a crap ton of money on carboys for primary, but the reason we use the 5g for secondary is minimal head space that you just won't get with your buckets.

It really depends on the kind of brews you PLAN on doing and if you think you're going to want a longer term aging/clearing vessel.

Good luck and welcome to the forum!
 
Well, I don't know of many beers I don't like. I'd like to do a Kölsch since I can't get it here and it's a beer I really like from my time in Cologne for a semester of college. I like the wheats and others from Bavaria. Bavaria is where I really got my first taste of beer.

I have an English Pale Ale kit my parents gave me with the kit for my birthday, so that needs cooked up as well.

Never had a mead or scotch ale or anything like that. I'd love to have something ready for Thanksgiving, but if not, definitely something decent for Christmas to share with the family.

I've already started looking at the different kegging options and getting a fridge for the garage.

If all I need is a length of vinyl hose for blowoff, I'll just keep the 5 gallon and probably pick up a few buckets. I'd like to ferment in the carboy to see the process happen.
 
Well, you can use a tube for a blowoff, but be prepared for some potential loss due to it and you may end up with something like 4-4.5g by the time that thing is done.

As much as we all love watching the ferment, doing it in 5g carboy is (long term) just not going to be a good idea unless you scale down batches a little.

If you don't plan on doing much high gravity/high IPA beers, then take that thing back and get some more buckets (so you can brew more). Buying a bigger carboy is an option, but at 5-6x the cost of buckets, why spend so much money right now on something that's just "pretty". There's PLENTY of time for that in the future...trust me.
 
jezter6 said:
Well, you can use a tube for a blowoff, but be prepared for some potential loss due to it and you may end up with something like 4-4.5g by the time that thing is done.

As much as we all love watching the ferment, doing it in 5g carboy is (long term) just not going to be a good idea unless you scale down batches a little.

If you don't plan on doing much high gravity/high IPA beers, then take that thing back and get some more buckets (so you can brew more). Buying a bigger carboy is an option, but at 5-6x the cost of buckets, why spend so much money right now on something that's just "pretty". There's PLENTY of time for that in the future...trust me.
Click to expand...

The 5 gallon carboy I picked up was only like $30. I don't know about the 6.5 gal, but I do like a hopped up IPA. Right now the plan is to just brew beer. I haven't put much time into thinking about exactly what kinds of beers to brew. At this point, I can think of some beers I like once in a while, not something I'd drink a bottle or pint of every day, but there aren't many beers I don't like at all that I know of.

I think I'll just hang onto the 5 gallon and put the 6.5 on my Christmas list. I'm probably going to grab a few buckets tomorrow. I really want to get something else started, hopefully during the week, and maybe a third this weekend.

I was thinking about what is lost to the blow-off...anything that contributes to the beer when it settles back into the liquid?
 
The closet where the fermenting bucket is sitting has the scent of bananas and the gasses coming out of the airlock are beginning to smell more like beer. The yeast hasn't even been in there for 3.5 days yet, but the airlock looks like it's slowing down. I'm not worried about it, I'll check the gravity at some point, but not for at least a few more days. It's just something I noticed when I checked the temp on the side of the bucket this morning.
 
Good call on keeping the 5g for secondary. Eventually you will find a use for it...particularly if you find the urge to brew but not bottle...you can move something into the secondary and open up your brew bucket for a new beer.
 
There is a very active homebrew club in lancaster - they meet @ Lancaster Brewing once a month or so.

Do some googeling and stop by their next meeting.
 
Jaysus said:
There is a very active homebrew club in lancaster - they meet @ Lancaster Brewing once a month or so.

Do some googeling and stop by their next meeting.
Click to expand...

I looked them up on Sunday night. Definitely plan on checking it out.

About this hefe - the more I read about them, I see people are not doing the month long primary, and lots of folks aren't using secondaries. If the fermentation is done in 8-10 days, maybe sooner, but I'll leave it in the primary for at least that long, and I bottle it say on the 9th or 10th, that'd be 10-11 days in the primary, should it be carbonated if properly primed by Thanksgiving? I'd like to have something ready by then, but if it's not going to be good by then, I'll just wait.

I pitched the yeast at 12:35 am on Saturday the 30th. I've been reading threads where hefes have been from the kettle to the glass in 18 days when kegged and force carbed. From the kettle to Thanksgiving is 27/28 days. This is my first batch and I don't want to rush it, but if it's ready, by all means, I'll drink it.
 
jtkratzer said:
I looked them up on Sunday night. Definitely plan on checking it out.

About this hefe - the more I read about them, I see people are not doing the month long primary, and lots of folks aren't using secondaries. If the fermentation is done in 8-10 days, maybe sooner, but I'll leave it in the primary for at least that long, and I bottle it say on the 9th or 10th, that'd be 10-11 days in the primary, should it be carbonated if properly primed by Thanksgiving? I'd like to have something ready by then, but if it's not going to be good by then, I'll just wait.

I pitched the yeast at 12:35 am on Saturday the 30th. I've been reading threads where hefes have been from the kettle to the glass in 18 days when kegged and force carbed. From the kettle to Thanksgiving is 27/28 days. This is my first batch and I don't want to rush it, but if it's ready, by all means, I'll drink it.
Click to expand...

If bottling, it will not be 'ready'... but there's no reason you can't chill down a few and share them with family on turkey-day.
 
The good thing about hefes is they don't need much aging, and generally ferment fast.

If you made it over the weekend, check the gravity on fri/sat and see if it's done. Likely (as long as you've kept this in the mid 60s) it will be done and ready for bottling. If you bottle this weekend, it "may" be fully carbed by Turkey day.

If you do bottle this weekend, make sure they're kept in a good mid-60s temp (colder temps will slow the bottling). 2 weeks in the bottle for most beers should be enough. Chill one down the day before and test to make sure before chilling the rest, but I'm guessing you're probably good.
 
The strip on the outside of the fermenting bucket has been ranging from 66-72. I haven't taken the time yet to search for methods for temperature control. I know my garage isn't insulated and it probably gets too cold out there with the highs recently being only in the 50s and the nights have started dipping into the 20s. Inside, the house warms up to the mid 70s from the sun during the day and then I heat with wood/heat pump. The closet where the fermentation bucket is typically stays around 70 or below.

So, I guess now is a good time to start figuring out temperature control. I have a room I don't use upstairs that stays cooler since it's above the garage. I could keep the blinds closed to keep the sunlight out and set the baseboard thermostat to keep it at a minimum temp.

Or is there a better way with more controllable results where I won't have to pay out the a** for electric baseboard heat?
 
I have a closet downstairs under the steps, it is under gound level and there is no heat in the closet (the rest of the room is heated though). works pretty good. it stays about 60-65 in the summer and 55-60 in the winter. i use it to store my wine. Hello from Southern lanc county
 
Just picked up two more buckets and airlocks and another recipe...I have an English Pale Ale and a German Altbier next on the list. I'd like to get these into the buckets by this weekend.

I think I'm going to give the hefeweizen a total of two weeks in the primary, check the gravity, and bottle it when it's done and it sit for around 3 weeks to carbonate.
 
Welcome to the obsession...errrr hobby...from Northern Lanc Co. Sounds like you are jumping right in!! The obsession part only gets worse which means the hobby only gets better. Hope that first hefe turns out well for you and it sounds like you are well on your way to establishing a pipeline!
 
pava said:
Welcome to the obsession...errrr hobby...from Northern Lanc Co. Sounds like you are jumping right in!! The obsession part only gets worse which means the hobby only gets better. Hope that first hefe turns out well for you and it sounds like you are well on your way to establishing a pipeline!
Click to expand...

I brewed my English Pale Ale tonight and I'm waiting for it to get down below 75* to pitch the yeast. I did better than last time with the temp of the water/wort totaling 5 gallons. After mixing the water and wort, I was at 110*. Certainly better than the 150+ on the hefe over weekend. I had the water in the fridge all day after boiling and 4x1 qt. ziplocs of boiled water in the freezer. Still not enough. I guess I'm going to need to get a wort chiller. I also strained this wort and was surprised at the volume of hops that came out of the wort. I did not strain the hefeweizen per the advice of the LHBS. I don't think there were as much hops (1.5 ounces) in the hefe compared to the pale ale.

I stopped by a hardware store today on my way home from work to look at getting the supplies to make my own chiller, and 25' of 3/8 copper was over $50. The chillers at the LHBS are only $25 more than that.
 
I made my own chiller and it ended up costing more than those available at LHBS, whoops!!! At least that way it has more romance. Getting your wort down to lower temps is most important for avoiding losing your hop flavor/aroma, not as big of a deal otherwise. After having to go buy ice I quickly decided to rock an immersion chiller. My experience with wheat beers is a rather vigorous, quick fermentation, which means if you get the same gravity reading a couple days in a row (you're probably already good) go ahead and bottle.

On a side note, I'm also from PA and did some work in Lititz when Listerine ended up in the water supply!!!!
 
tippetsnapper said:
I made my own chiller and it ended up costing more than those available at LHBS, whoops!!! At least that way it has more romance. Getting your wort down to lower temps is most important for avoiding losing your hop flavor/aroma, not as big of a deal otherwise. After having to go buy ice I quickly decided to rock an immersion chiller. My experience with wheat beers is a rather vigorous, quick fermentation, which means if you get the same gravity reading a couple days in a row (you're probably already good) go ahead and bottle.

On a side note, I'm also from PA and did some work in Lititz when Listerine ended up in the water supply!!!!
Click to expand...

I remember the Listerine "scandal." Not an issue anymore, but if it is, I'll have a minty ale and hefeweizen.

I'm definitely going to get a chiller. The LHBS guy said to give it like 2 weeks in the primary. I didn't think it would need that long since it's supposed to be cloudy/hazy, but what you said about the fermentation is identical to my experience. It went from a bubble popping in the airlock every second to now it's about 28-30 seconds between blips. I know that's not a perfect indicator, but it's certainly a noticeable change.

I'll probably give it a few more days and check the gravity this weekend. That'd be a week. I'll check it Friday and then again Sunday and if the gravity is the same, maybe I'll give bottling a shot on Sunday. I'll need to buy bottles for this first time around until I get the keg system in place.
 
They'll carbonate faster at room temperature (I only make this distinction since I've known people to prime their brew and then immediately stash them in the fridge). Weizens are definitely a style that are ready to drink quicker than most. The carbonation can sometimes run a little high on them, but there are also examples of them that are less effervescent -- really it's up to your own personal taste. I like to taste them as they age, maybe one bottle every few days to see how they're coming along. But they'll definitely be enjoyable.

In the meantime, just keep reading and learning as much as possible. I like to think I'm consuming the beer, but I've found that it's most likely the other way around. Some advice: keep good, detailed records of your brews; ask questions if you're unsure about something; don't be afraid to experiment with styles and recipes; keep it clean, keep it sanitary; and always, always have fun with it. Welcome and cheers!
 
I've been taking some pictures along the way and I have Word document with each brew, kind of like a journal with all the details I can think of that would affect the outcome.

The English Pale Ale started showing signs of fermentation less than 12 hours after pitching the yeast. It's not going nuts like the hefeweizen did on the second or third day yet, but the float in the airlock is definitely getting some gas into it.
 
OK, got everything ready to transfer the hefeweizen to a secondary for a few days since I didn't strain the hops out before fermentation, but it's not done yet. Still has krausen on top and the gravity is at 1.019.

76094_496821252323_554472323_7692061_3933110_n.jpg


It's looking good and the flavor is going to be amazing.
76094_496821257323_554472323_7692062_2481351_n.jpg




Now that I had all my sanitizing solution, racking cane, hoses, and everything ready to go, can I hold on to the solution or should it be dumped and mix fresh when it's ready to rack to the secondary?
 
I pulled another sample this evening about 10 minutes ago. Temp was 64*. Krausen is gone, but the gravity didn't drop, still 1.019. I'll check it again on Friday morning and if it hasn't changed, I guess it's ready to bottle. Here's what it looks like 4 days after the last picture:
149535_498882207323_554472323_7727106_1235887_n.jpg


The sample in the tube to check the gravity smells amazing.
 
Still 1.019 today so I bottled it, put the bottles in a box, and put the boxes in a closet. I'd like to crack one on Thanksgiving to see how they're doing, but I'm expecting them to need another week or so after that.

I used the full 5 oz of priming sugar to get a good level of carbonation for the the hefeweizen.
 

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