Newbie Question about Timing

[GeoBeer]

Ok - here goes....so I started my first batch last Sunday (NB Nut Brown Ale). I never saw any bubbling in the airlock (think ( have a leaky lid). Yesterday I opened the lid and it looks like there is a bit of bubbling going on, but not the frothing that I've seen talked about. The stuff sure smells good! I took a hydrometer reading and it came out as 1.01. I took another reading this morning (sunday) of 1.01. Looking at the beer, it seems that there are at least as many bubbles on the surface now as Friday, maybe more. Also, the smell of the batch has gone from "sweet" to a bit more tart, like the smell at a brewery. Right now I plan on leaving it in the primary for another few days and then bottle. Does anyone disagree?? Thanks for any input.

 

[Yooper]

Sounds like it's done fermenting. I would leave it for two weeks (total) before bottling, just to give it time to clear a bit if you're not doing a secondary.

How does it taste? It should taste like flat beer.

 

[GeoBeer]

That seems like it's the way to go w/o a secondary. I just tasted it - doesn't taste very good - definitely flat, but not very good. Is that bad?

 

[Yooper]

Well, I don't know if it's bad or not. It should taste pretty ok- flat and young, but ok. Let is sit another week, without opening it and keep it under airlock. Try to keep it at 65-68 degrees and not think about it until next Sunday.

(I know that's going to be hard!)

 

[GeoBeer]

I guess I'll just have to put it away and leave it alone. My fiancee tasted it and said it was similar to the "young" beers she had tasted at the brewpub she worked at - so that makes me feel a bit better. Thanks for the input!

 

[sweet_corn]

Is one lesson learned from brewing.

Definately wait at least 2 weeks before bottling.

I worried about the taste of my first few batches as well, expecially at bottling time. I think I sampled my first batch, a nut brown, and figured it had gone bad. I drank after 2 weeks in the bottle. Better, but I just figured it was how homebrew tasted.

3 weeks later when I finished drinking it, It tasted wonderful.


I'm sure it will turn out great for you.

 

[Big Al]

One thing about non carbed beer is it is in the eyes of the beholder. My wife hated my 1st Oatmeal stout that we tasted when we bottled it. 4 weeks later she loves it. I liked it then and thought it would be a good beer. Everyone's taste buds are different, just wait a few weeks after bottling before passing judgement.

 

[GeoBeer]

It's just this whole time waiting thing - now I understand one reason why people have so many batches going at the same time....it takes your mind off of the wait!!

 

[nardonir]

Have patience, grasshopper!!! It will be fine...

:rockin:

 

[SpecialEd]

Yeah I agree. Im a pretty new brewer myself and the first 3 batches had plenty of overthinking involved. Palmer reccommends around 2-3 weeks (if just using a primary fementer) and then bottle. And if its flat dont try to judge the taste. Its kind of like how your car runs better when its clean.... And last thing it that leaving it in the bottle to condition can help quite a bit. My first octoberfest was a little diasppointing after only 2 weeks in the bottle, but saved a few for 3 months in the bottle and what a difference!

 

[GeoBeer]

It seems like I'll have to store a few 6ers in the closet and just let them age. I'm headed to a brew shop on Thursday, is 2ndary fermenting that important that I should pick up a vessel for it?

 

[cweston]

It seems like I'll have to store a few 6ers in the closet and just let them age. I'm headed to a brew shop on Thursday, is 2ndary fermenting that important that I should pick up a vessel for it?

The importance of secondary fermenting is debatable. The vast majority of homebrewers do it. But if you just left it in primary for the same amount of time (3 weeks or more total), you'd probably get very similar results, truth be told.

Some tangential advantages of secondaries:

--it gets the beer out of your primary so you can brew another batch. (Helps keep you from rushing your beers)

--Tends to create somewhat clearer beers.

--Allows you to repitch on your yeast cake after racking, or harvest the yeast for future batches.

 

[Bobby_M]

..And the fact that you could age it as long as you'd like without any worry of off flavors from trub. Again, I would agree that I don't know how much emperical evidence there is in the impact of long aging in primary.

 

[GoatFarmersInternational]

Getting a secondary is definitely $17 (or so) well spent, and as cwestion mentioned, you can repitch the yeast from your primary after you rack, so in a way your secondary will pay for itself after just a few batches (it's important to use really convoluted logic so that you can justify buying new fun stuff).

 

[GeoBeer]

So would you all recommend something like a 5 G Better Bottle?

Also - everyone talks about re-pitching the yeast - how exactly is that done?

 

[cweston]

So would you all recommend something like a 5 G Better Bottle?

Also - everyone talks about re-pitching the yeast - how exactly is that done?

There have been some detailed threads about this here. Search on repitching, yeast cake, yeast harvesting, yeast washing...

 

[GoatFarmersInternational]

Yeah, a five gal Better Bottle would be good. Personally, I prefer glass, but that might just be the thrill of knowing that whenever I handle my carboy I'm only one false move from disaster.