Racked myfirst beer

[Rolsom]

Been lurking the forums for a few weeks, picking up hints, tips, general information, and best practices.

Two weeks ago I brewed my first kit beer, NB Nut Brown Ale.
The smell from the boil was wonderful, even my wife was enjoying the aroma, and I think the whole process went fairly well. I made a mistake by using my bottling bucket as the fermenter.
I put the fermenter in the basement, which turned out to be a bit a bit colder than the ferment temperature (65 °F-75 °F), so after a day I dragged the bucket upstairs, hid it under a table, wrapped a towel around it, and set the heat to 65 °F. I had airlock activity for about two days, and the nothing, but I just bit my lip and let it sit resisting the temptation to mess with it.

Last night I racked it into secondary, to clean and free up my bottling bucket, going to leave it in secondary for a week before bottling.

I went into racking with a plan and expectations of getting it done quick and clean, this did not happen.

I had problems with the siphon leaking past the clip, my racking cane holder did not hold my cane stable and I hit down into the cake a few times. When I finally did get everything transferring fine, big dumb dumb me, insisted on getting a taste, and that started the whole process again. (It did taste great)

I probably introduced too much air, and in the flurry of trying to get and or fix my siphon transfer I may have introduced infection.

My beer looks muddy, and my bung repeatedly worked its way out of the bung hole.

 

[flars]

Try out new siphon tubing to eliminate the need for a clip to hold it tight on the racking cane. A three-eighths racking cane would use five-sixteenths inside diameter tubing. A one-half inch racking cane would use seven-sixteenths ID tubing. Make sure the tubing is long enough to make a curl around the bottom of the bottling bucket while it is laying flat. This creates a circular movement of the beer in the bucket and aids in mixing the priming solution throughout the beer.

I use the clip to hold the auto siphon to empty three-quarters of the beer from the fermentor. I pour in the priming sugar when half the beer has been racked. I then hold the siphon against the side of the carboy so I can see the tip and hold it just above the yeast/trub layer. I have the carboy tilted to leave just enough beer for yeast harvesting from the primary.

Try replacing the bung with a "universal bung". The universal bungs have a longer taper which will not as readily slip upward in the carboy mouth.

edit: Try duct tape to hold the bung in place until you get replacements. Have a few extra on hand, drilled and undrilled.

 

[Rolsom]

It was supposed to be a humorous telling of what was supposed to be an easy maneuver, but went horribly wrong because my greed in wanting a taste of my beer.
I was frazzled during the process, and had beer on the floor, beer on me, yeast cake and air in the carboy. This morning when I looked back on it, I couldn't help but laugh at my stupidity.

But thank you for the reply, and I will take your suggestions.

 

[TheHappyHopper]

The whole "introducing air" part may have caused some oxidation, but probably not an infection. Nothing to do but taste in a couple weeks. I'm sure it will turn out just fine

As they say, RDWHAHB.

 

[d3track]

After bottling, you'll just have to drink em quick and then get going on the next batch.

 

[Rolsom]

Trying to decide which one I'm going to brew this weekend...
Dry Irish Stout or American wheat.

The wheat is scaring me, as I understand it the Wheat has a very active fermentation, and I'm not sure the tube I have will work for a blow off.

 

[Sailingeric]

Trying to decide which one I'm going to brew this weekend...
Dry Irish Stout or American wheat.

The wheat is scaring me, as I understand it the Wheat has a very active fermentation, and I'm not sure the tube I have will work for a blow off.

If you have a LHBS near you, get a bigger bucket to use. I use the 30L/ 8 Gallon Brewcraft bucket for my 5 gallon batches and even with the biggest krausen it still leaves plenty of room. Downside is the lid does not seal air tight but that is ok, the CO2 layer the yeast make will keep the beer safe.

 

[RM-MN]

It was supposed to be a humorous telling of what was supposed to be an easy maneuver, but went horribly wrong because my greed in wanting a taste of my beer.
I was frazzled during the process, and had beer on the floor, beer on me, yeast cake and air in the carboy. This morning when I looked back on it, I couldn't help but laugh at my stupidity.

But thank you for the reply, and I will take your suggestions.

Sounds like a perfect day in the brewing world.

Trying to decide which one I'm going to brew this weekend...
Dry Irish Stout or American wheat.

The wheat is scaring me, as I understand it the Wheat has a very active fermentation, and I'm not sure the tube I have will work for a blow off.

Who said you have to make a full batch. I do half size batches and never worry about a blow off.:rockin:

 

[flars]

Trying to decide which one I'm going to brew this weekend...
Dry Irish Stout or American wheat.

The wheat is scaring me, as I understand it the Wheat has a very active fermentation, and I'm not sure the tube I have will work for a blow off.

It isn't the recipe that can make an over active fermentation. The yeast is doing the work.
I had a new pack of WY 1084 for a dry Irish stout a couple of months ago. First time ever I had to install a blow off tube. Recipe, pitch rate, and wort/fermentation temperature the same as any of the other dry stout brews.

 

[Kharnynb]

Funny story, but one tip, you really don't need to bother with a secondary unless you dry-hop or do a very long aging(over 3 months).

For clearing up it's easier to just rack to bottling bucket and move the fermenter to the racking spot the day before you transfer the beer.

 

[Rolsom]

If you have a LHBS near you, get a bigger bucket to use. I use the 30L/ 8 Gallon Brewcraft bucket for my 5 gallon batches and even with the biggest krausen it still leaves plenty of room. Downside is the lid does not seal air tight but that is ok, the CO2 layer the yeast make will keep the beer safe.

I finally found a "Not So Local Home Brew Store", NSLHBS. I am elated, no more waiting on mail order!

Picked up a 6.5 gal fermenting bucket, and a few other toys that had me drooling, like an auto-siphon...

Brewing my second brew and first wheat tomorrow.

 

[Rolsom]

Funny story, but one tip, you really don't need to bother with a secondary unless you dry-hop or do a very long aging(over 3 months).

For clearing up it's easier to just rack to bottling bucket and move the fermenter to the racking spot the day before you transfer the beer.

I did have to rack, I was fermenting in my bottling bucket, I felt like a bone head when the time came near to bottle. Now I have to wait another week.