Noob 5 Gallon Hefeweizen Questions

[BlutoA10C]

Greetings All! Much appreciate this forum and experienced folks willing to educate us just getting started - makes this process much more enjoyable.

Situation: In the process of fermenting my first 5 gallon batch of Hefeweizen (Craft a Brew kit)

Questions:
1. After boiling, crash cooling to approx 70 degrees F, and pouring in the fermenter, I pitched the yeast. After approx 12 hours, the wert bubbled, but not very aggressively and only for another 18 - 24 hrs. I'm on day 7 and it seems completely still. Is this normal or did I possibly screw up the process when pitching the yeast?

2. I used a boiling pot with a double screen system, wide and narrow gauge filters, so when I transferred to the fermenter there were no hops or grains - I now have very little sediment and what I do have seems fine (like yeast settling?) The temp of the fermenter stays between 68 - 70 degrees F. Again, is this normal, I don't know what to expect?

3. I don't plan to crash cool the fermenter before bottling. After bottling, can I store the beer at 68 - 70 degrees F or will it keep carbonating? I don't have sufficient room for 5 gallons of bottles in the refrigerator, is this a problem?

Different situation: Wife gave me a 1 gallon "Everyday IPA" kit as a gift (which is how this all started). It sat for a few years as I was located somewhere brewing would have been frowned upon. After brewing, couple issues:

Questions:
1. Bottled in swing top (Grolsch) bottles. After 14 days in the bottles, chilled to 38 - 40 degrees F and opened one - waaayyyyy over carbonated! Blew foam everywhere. After sitting (cap off), approximately 1/5 of the beer had foamed out. I poured the rest into a glass and it wasn't too bad (and I didn't get ill) - what did I do wrong?

2. I tried gradually bleeding pressure off the bottles multiple times over the course of a few days. It did reduce the "violence" of the foaming, but I still lost some beer after opening. How did I get the over carbonation and is there a way to fix it?

Thanks in advance for insights and recommendations!
Dave

 

[VikeMan]

1. After boiling, crash cooling to approx 70 degrees F, and pouring in the fermenter, I pitched the yeast. After approx 12 hours, the wert bubbled, but not very aggressively and only for another 18 - 24 hrs. I'm on day 7 and it seems completely still. Is this normal or did I possibly screw up the process when pitching the yeast?

Sounds fairly normal. Do you have a hydrometer?

2. I used a boiling pot with a double screen system, wide and narrow gauge filters, so when I transferred to the fermenter there were no hops or grains - I now have very little sediment and what I do have seems fine (like yeast settling?) The temp of the fermenter stays between 68 - 70 degrees F. Again, is this normal, I don't know what to expect?

I see no reason to be concerned.

3. I don't plan to crash cool the fermenter before bottling. After bottling, can I store the beer at 68 - 70 degrees F or will it keep carbonating? I don't have sufficient room for 5 gallons of bottles in the refrigerator, is this a problem?

The beer will only carbonate until the priming sugar is used up.

1. Bottled in swing top (Grolsch) bottles. After 14 days in the bottles, chilled to 38 - 40 degrees F and opened one - waaayyyyy over carbonated! Blew foam everywhere. After sitting (cap off), approximately 1/5 of the beer had foamed out. I poured the rest into a glass and it wasn't too bad (and I didn't get ill) - what did I do wrong?

It's possible the priming sugar wasn't evenly distributed throughout the batch. Or you used too much. Or there was an infection (less likely).

 

[BlutoA10C]

Sounds fairly normal. Do you have a hydrometer?
V-Man, I do not have a hydrometer and if I'm clear how they work, i.e. basically measuring changes in density as fermentation takes place, starting readings now wouldn't tell me where I started, but would tell me if change is still occurring if I measured over a period of time - yes? Is it worth doing? Risk of contamination?

Is this a piece of kit I should have and use? Seems there's some debate as I was reading about it.


I see no reason to be concerned.
Thanks!


The beer will only carbonate until the priming sugar is used up.
Much appreciated!


It's possible the priming sugar wasn't evenly distributed throughout the batch. Or you used too much. Or there was an infection (less likely).
I must have used too much sugar as the beer tastes fine (and I didn't die from drinking it).

Much appreciate your insights!! Thanks!

 

[VikeMan]

V-Man, I do not have a hydrometer and if I'm clear how they work, i.e. basically measuring changes in density as fermentation takes place, starting readings now wouldn't tell me where I started, but would tell me if change is still occurring if I measured over a period of time - yes? Is it worth doing? Risk of contamination?

Yes, that's what they are for. If the gravity is the same 2-3 days apart and in the neighborhood of what you are expecting, then attenuation is done. It's worth doing if you're not pretty sure if attenuation is finished. It does bring a risk of contamination, which is very small if done carefully. Some experienced brewers only take an original gravity sample, and then a final gravity sample on bottling/kegging day, or maybe no final gravity reading at all. When you know what to expect in your system with a given recipe/yeast strain, etc., it's not as critical.

ETA: It's also not as critical (from a safety standpoint) if you are kegging rather than bottling.

 

[BlutoA10C]

Sounds good - I'll order one. Since my fermenter has a "valve assembly" on the bottom, taking a sample won't be difficult.

 

[BlutoA10C]

V-Man, not to pester, but I attached a picture of the fermenter - day 8, seems pretty cloudy. The amount of sediment in the collection jar hasn't really changed in the couple days. Does this seem normal?

Regards, Dave

 

[VikeMan]

V-Man, not to pester, but I attached a picture of the fermenter - day 8, seems pretty cloudy. The amount of sediment in the collection jar hasn't really changed in the couple days. Does this seem normal?

Well, Hefeweizen is a fairly hazy style, and keep in mind that beer always looks darker/denser/cloudier in a fermenter than in a glass.

 

[BlutoA10C]

Thanks V-Man! Sorry for "pestering" - too bad I can't taste it right now!!

 

[BlutoA10C]

V-Man, i just changed the sediment jar on the conical fermenter. Good news - the jar had the delicious telltale citrus notes of a yummy Hefeweizen and nothing seemed wrong. Definitely cloudy. Seemed like most of the sediment was yeast (paste?), but I'm not sure how to tell.

Is there a good way to distinguish between boil residue and settled yeast? I'd like to learn how to catch my yeast and use it again for another batch.

Thanks!
Dave

 

[VikeMan]

Is there a good way to distinguish between boil residue and settled yeast? I'd like to learn how to catch my yeast and use it again for another batch.

If you really want to stratify it, you can harvest it and then "rinse" it.

 

[cgpitcher]

Could this be an oxygenation problem?