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Chefencore

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Gonna make my first brew either tomorrow or the next day. I'll be using a malt extract for a few reasons - I don't have the equipment for all-grain yet, and I want to taste my first home brew asap.

I have my brew kettle, ferementor and airlock. I plan on buying a funnel, fermometer, and hydrometer. Is there anything else I need for brewing day?

Also, should I boil all the water, or just 2 gal or so and top off? I have a 7 gal kettle so I am able to boil the entire amount if necessary.

I will also probably be bottling. Any other tips or suggestions?
 
If you are using tap water it wouldn't hurt to boil all the water, but you do not need to boil all the water with the malt extract in it, instead you can put three gallons in your fermentor and just add the extract to the 2 gallons for the main boil. Otherwise sounds like you are covered - just keep it all sanitary.
 
I usually go to the store and get six gallons of spring water because I figure what the heck, it is only a couple $$. If you have malt extract in a can I would have a pot of hot water around to soak it in to thin the viscosity of it. I lay the kit on the counter neatly and read the directions before each batch. I have my fermenter filled with a gallon of sanitizer or so, and if I am using a carboy I have another clean bucket of sanitizer mix with my funnel, beer thief, airlock, bung, and whatever else will touch the cooling wort. I don’t have a wort chiller so I would make sure I had some ice in the freezer so when I am done boiling I will plug the sink, put the pot in and fill ice and water around it to cool. Sometimes I put a gallon or 2 of water in the freezer to get it pretty cold to help chill the wort, so it is ready to pitch the yeast.
On a side note you will be excited as hell when you are brewing, because it is awesome! But remember to take some time and document some things like anything you forgot, what you would do to prepare better for the next batch, date you brewed, and any questions you would want to post after your first batch. Most important “relax” brewing is fun!! There are a million answers, options, and speculations on your question, but this is my $.02!! Have Fun Buddy!
 
I'd recommend an immersible thermometer...either instant read or floating (although those break in the wort a lot).

I ruined my first batch, in large part, to pitching the yeast too hot.
 
Thanks for all the input - one more question. What should I use to sanitize? I have bleach, but also have two toddlers. Is another sanitizer safer to use or easier?
 
Bleach is a huge NO NO. It is corrosive to SS Pots and if you dont rinse it clean 100% it will kill your yeast as well as put off flavors in your beer.

One of the biggest problems I see with noobies (I am one myself) is they pitch their yeast too early. Have patience and cool the wort down. Personally cooling the wort way down and having fermentation take a few extra days to start vs killing all the yeast from hot wort I'll stick with slow start.
 
A really good way for the impatient people to cool the wort down is to buy 3 gallons of bottled water (or however many gallons you arent going to boil) and stick them in the freezer and add them to the carboy at the last minute. I always get them until they are just about to start turning to ice. This brings the wort way down in temp. I only have to wait about 30 minutes for it to settle down to 68-70F and then pitch.
 
When should I see activity in my fermenter? It's been 16 hours since I pitched my yeast (I'm a little worried about quality, though - it was a packet of dry yeast) and I've seen nothing at all. Its a bit cool in my basement, but I have the fermenter off the floor, wrapped with a blanket. It's about 62-63 degrees. Is it just a matter of the waiting game? What if I need to repitch?
 
Chefencore said:
Gonna make my first brew either tomorrow or the next day. I'll be using a malt extract for a few reasons - I don't have the equipment for all-grain yet, and I want to taste my first home brew asap
Click to expand...

It takes the same amount of time for your beer to be ready with both extract and all-grain.
 
Deuce said:
It takes the same amount of time for your beer to be ready with both extract and all-grain.
Click to expand...

I should have elaborated- my brother-in-law was going to walk me thru it, and he's an AG brewer. But we can never get together for 6 hours to do it. So I bought a kit. Should have gotten some wyeast instead of using the sprinkle yeast in the kit.
 
abracadabra4 said:
Bleach is a huge NO NO. It is corrosive to SS Pots and if you dont rinse it clean 100% it will kill your yeast as well as put off flavors in your beer.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure this is true. John Palmer says you can use 1 tablespoon of bleach in one gallon of water, you don't even need to rinse it (though he says he usually does anyways). He also does say never use it on stainless steel
 
Chefencore said:
When should I see activity in my fermenter? It's been 16 hours since I pitched my yeast (I'm a little worried about quality, though - it was a packet of dry yeast) and I've seen nothing at all. Its a bit cool in my basement, but I have the fermenter off the floor, wrapped with a blanket. It's about 62-63 degrees. Is it just a matter of the waiting game? What if I need to repitch?
Click to expand...

I tend to keep mine around 70 deg for ferment. I have only ever used dry yeast but I do let them soak in 70 deg water before I pitch them for anywhere from 10-30 mins. I see action in my lock in under 3 hours usually. Is your top sealed? Maybe gas has been escaping? I would check and wait a little longer before pitching. What yeast are you using and how old?

Mike
 
English bitter in the primary now. But like I said, I'm worried about the yeast. And the temp in my basement.
 
Smooshed_Snoot_Brew said:
Is your top sealed? Maybe gas has been escaping? I would check and wait a little longer before pitching. What yeast are you using and how old?

Mike
Click to expand...

Im not sure what the yeast is. I kept all of the other packaging, but somehow that little packet was tossed. It was a Brewer’s best kit though. I’m also not 100% about the seal. The stopper didn’t fit the carboy, so I had to improvise on the fly - at 3am, with no help. But I see absolutely no activity at all in the fermenter. its been about 18 hours since i first pitched.
 
Chefencore said:
Im not sure what the yeast is. I kept all of the other packaging, but somehow that little packet was tossed. It was a Brewer’s best kit though. I’m also not 100% about the seal. The stopper didn’t fit the carboy, so I had to improvise on the fly - at 3am, with no help. But I see absolutely no activity at all in the fermenter. its been about 18 hours since i first pitched.
Click to expand...

Can you get it warmed to a higher temp? In a different spot in the house? Also, did you agitate the crap out of the word before pitching? If you didn't or didn't do it a lot I have 're-agitated' when batches were slow to take off I think all the worry about oxidation is mostly after ferment so give her a shake once in the warmer place.
 
word=wart

Check your seal and your temp both could be factors. Also, some tips I have found super helpful from postings on this site and a couple of books have improved my methods, I hope they can help you.

My method (put together from fabulous info on this site) for wart is the water I put in my primary (usually about 2 gal) I put in from my faucet using the 'spray mode' this tends to work up a bit of froth (oxygen/agitation) and settle, then I put in a 5 gal nylon paint strainer and pour the wort through it (again more air in the beer going through the nylon strainer) then proceed to top off (again with the spray hose on my faucet). Then I pitch once temps are around 70-80 deg in both my yeast (in a bowl with tap water for 10-20ish mins) my last two batches have been popping my air lock within 3 hours.

My first batch I didn't really get the whole agitation thing and it took overnight to start but since I have been stunned by how fast it takes off with good oxygen in the wort.

Hope some of this info helps. This site has been great as a beginner, I'm on my 4th batch since December and the info I have learned here has helped me put together a better process.
 
Don't pitch again, and don't put-down the dry yeast. BB probably gave you Nottingham or Safale, do you remember the color of the yeast packet?

Did you rehydrate the yeast according to the directions on the back of the packet?
 
Directions said sprinkle yeast onto cooled wort.

Checked the seal- airtight. Gave it a good shake. Trying to warm it up a bit.
 
Hoppin_Mad said:
A really good way for the impatient people to cool the wort down is to buy 3 gallons of bottled water (or however many gallons you arent going to boil) and stick them in the freezer and add them to the carboy at the last minute. I always get them until they are just about to start turning to ice. This brings the wort way down in temp. I only have to wait about 30 minutes for it to settle down to 68-70F and then pitch.
Click to expand...

I just buy a big bag of ice at the store and dump it in the bucket right before I pour in the partial boil. Then top off with ice cold water and then give everything a vigorous stir to mix it all up and give the yeast some oxygen. Once I do that it is usually already below 80 degrees and you are just about ready to pitch the yeast. It has worked great for 4 batches now. It must be working, because all my friends love my beer. This is the easiest way I know to cool a partial boil.

I wouldn't use ice out of your freezer for this though, because ice in the freezer can pick up some strange flavors from the rest of the stuff in your refrigerator. I only buy the ice from the store for this technique.
 
I used the Cooper's lager kit for my 1st brew,which comes with a dry ale yeast. I wonder if your kit came with something similar? That yeast is best at,say 18C-22C. that's like 68F-72F. Your wort might be too cold for the yeast to get going. And I used 3 gallons of boiled water to mix the wort. It was still 30C when I pitched the yeast,since Cooper's said 18C-32C was ok. Now I know better,& will only use 1 gallon of boiled water to do my 1st hop addition for a lil flavor & aroma. Then take it off the heat & mix the wort. I'll then use 5 gallons of cool spring water to top off to 23L (about 3/4C over 6 gallons). That should make the temp in the fermenter go down to a good pitching temp.:rockin:
 
Chefencore said:
When should I see activity in my fermenter? It's been 16 hours since I pitched my yeast (I'm a little worried about quality, though - it was a packet of dry yeast) and I've seen nothing at all. Its a bit cool in my basement, but I have the fermenter off the floor, wrapped with a blanket. It's about 62-63 degrees. Is it just a matter of the waiting game? What if I need to repitch?
Click to expand...
Not totally unusual. Did you give the wort a good dose of o2 either by vigorously shaking your carboy or use a stone to add o2 prior to adding the yeast ? The yeast need it to really get going.
 
Time.



lots of time.
be patient -
the dry yeast was just fine - not a requirement to use White Labs or Wyeast liquid.

62-64 is what I ferment at all the time - excellent temp. Just go do something else for the next 3 weeks. Try not to think about it.... or go buy another fermenter....:D
 
It's bubbling pretty good now. I 'aerated' it and moved upstairs- it's about 68 degrees in my closet.
I had poured it into the carboy after I chilled the wort, and I thought it aerated pretty well, but I had to stop a few times because the hops were stopping up my filter and so it trickled slowly.

Thanks for all the help- you all have made my first time a pleasant experience!!
 

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