My first batch

[beercharles]

Hey all, i just worked up my first batch sunday night and after going through the directions (and following as best i could) i have a few questions yall might can answer.

This was a beginners kit. Crystal english grain, amber malt complete with recipe and instructions


When im doing my intial boil should i cover my pot or leave it open or does it matter?
Also same question for when im steeping the wort and when i do my second boil.

The directions said to wait till the wort got to between 70-80degrees before pitching the yeast, but it was gettin late and i only got it down to 83degrees before i pitched the yeast, is this goin to be much of a problem? I made the specific gravity adjustment to the chart. ( SG was 1.044 after the adjustment)

My plan is to draw this off into my carboy for a 2 stage brew- the directions sayafter 3-4 day the hydrometer should read half original reading, i assume this means it should be around 1.022 or thereabouts?

ok im sure i have tons more questions, but thats all i can think of at the moment. thanks for any help you can give im really excited about my new hobby and look forward to a lot of great beer once i figure out what im doing that is


C

 

[BeanPot Brewery]

I'll try to answer your questions the best I can.
1: Do not cover during boil unless you want to redecorate your kitchen...covering almost guarantees a boilover and it is no fun to cleanup.
2: Pitching at 83 degrees will likely give your beer a more "fruity" taste from esters in the beer. When you finish your boil, did you put the pot in an ice bath to help the cooling? You generally want to get your ales down to 68-70 degrees before pitching yeast (since the fermentation) will heat it up a degree or two)
3: I would transfer to secondary carboy after a week, provided hydrometer reading is OK.

 

[gonzoflick]

Beenpot answered your questions pretty well and they were some of the first I had with my first batch. I just wanna add welcome aboard and stick around here cause these guys/gals are great with helping a newcomer (like myself) out. I'm on my 6th brew now and it keeps getting more fun/interesting in part because of the awesome feedback I get on here.

***NOTE: THIS IS NOT A LAME PLUG FOR HOMEBREWTALK.COM****

 

[beercharles]

Awesome guys thanks for the help, i look forward to many batches of great brew and good times.

Beer for all!!!

C

 

[jar]

I'm not sure what you mean by two boils with a steep in between. Can you describe what you did?

Another reason not to cover during the boil is that dimethyl-sulfide boils off during the boil, and if you cover the pot, it'll condense and drip back in. You want to avoid this as DMS causes a 'creamed-corn' off flavor that you definitely don't want.

 

[Radarbrew]

Kinda sounds like a steep to boil, shut down, add extract then boil to finish. If so, there may be a stronger tannin effect from the grains? Anyhow, other than that, let 'er rip, and see what happens. Sounds like a good start for a first batch, welcome to the obsession!

 

[Atrus]

Kinda sounds like a steep to boil, shut down, add extract then boil to finish. If so, there may be a stronger tannin effect from the grains? Anyhow, other than that, let 'er rip, and see what happens. Sounds like a good start for a first batch, welcome to the obsession!

If he got the kit from the Sam Adam's promotion from beer-wine.com, then I think you're right. I currently have my 1st batch of beginner's amber in secondary.

Directions called to crack grain, put in muslin bag. Bring pot to boil, steep bag for 5 mins, remove bag, bring to boil again, and add extract and hops.

If this is the same kit, I just racked the carboy last Friday after a week's fermenting in primary. Had a pitcher's worth left over, so I put it in the fridge and let the trub settle (pulling from the bottom of the primary stirred up some). Anyway, flat beer, could tell the taste wasn't fully developed, but man it was good in my opinion! My beer-guzzling buddy agreed, he really liked it despite it being green and flat!

 

[beercharles]

OK i racked to a secondary today ( glass carboy), that gives my beer about a week in the primary. i checked my SG after 4 days and it was 1.017 today it was about the same. so can i assume that i will see fermentation activity fire back up in the secondary? doesnt look like to much is happening at the moment and finished SG ( according to instructions on my kit ) should be 1.008- 1.012. gonna check it again in about 4 days.

I took a sip of the brew from the sample i took my readin from and it seemed ok, so im very excited about how this will turn out. tryin to be patient but im dying to boil up a new kit i got in this week which is a German brew

and thanks for all the help guys, and since i dont have a homebrew to drink yet, im relaxing, not worrying (much) and drinking a domestic

C

 

[Yuri_Rage]

You may see a small spike in fermentation activity after racking it from the primary, but it should settle pretty quickly. Most of the fermentable sugars are already used up, but you should see your specific gravity slowly continue to drop as fermentation finishes in the new container.

 

[beercharles]

THanks yuri thats what i needed to know

C