dcummings1998
Well-Known Member
I'm happy to say that I brewed my third batch last night, and it's in the basement (hopefully) fermenting as we speak. It's a Sierra Nevada-like (not clone) pale, which is going by Pioneer Pale Ale. I'm an Oregonian, so the name makes sense due to that, plus it's my first pale so there's another meaning of "pioneer".
The process was a little different than the other 2 batches I made (Irish red kit and "easiest beer I ever made" recipe from this forum). Most noticeable were the additional hops (4 oz total), and the late extract additions. My girlfriend kept commenting that it smelled different than the other batches, and I told her that it IS different, and to be patient. By the end she said it "smells like beer now".
A couple hours after putting the bucket downstairs, the middle piece in the airlock had lifted, and bubbles were starting. Cool, fermentation is beginning.
As of this morning, the piece in the airlock had fallen again, and it was not bubbling. However, because I read about brewing whenever I get the chance, I know that there's nothing to worry about. Because it started to bubble last night, I'm comfortable assuming that the yeast are either working quietly, or are taking a break and will get back to work soon.
My only issue as of now is wort aeration prior to and immediately following pitching yeast (US-05). In the better bottle I can pick it up and shake the hell out of it, but I can't do that in the bucket. When I spray in the tap water and dump the wort, it gets pretty bubbly, so I think some sort of aeration is happening. I don't stir after the yeast is pitched, which I may do in the future.
Anyway, I'm really liking brewing, even though I haven't even started drinking any beers from my first batch. Thanks for being a great resource!
The process was a little different than the other 2 batches I made (Irish red kit and "easiest beer I ever made" recipe from this forum). Most noticeable were the additional hops (4 oz total), and the late extract additions. My girlfriend kept commenting that it smelled different than the other batches, and I told her that it IS different, and to be patient. By the end she said it "smells like beer now".
A couple hours after putting the bucket downstairs, the middle piece in the airlock had lifted, and bubbles were starting. Cool, fermentation is beginning.
As of this morning, the piece in the airlock had fallen again, and it was not bubbling. However, because I read about brewing whenever I get the chance, I know that there's nothing to worry about. Because it started to bubble last night, I'm comfortable assuming that the yeast are either working quietly, or are taking a break and will get back to work soon.
My only issue as of now is wort aeration prior to and immediately following pitching yeast (US-05). In the better bottle I can pick it up and shake the hell out of it, but I can't do that in the bucket. When I spray in the tap water and dump the wort, it gets pretty bubbly, so I think some sort of aeration is happening. I don't stir after the yeast is pitched, which I may do in the future.
Anyway, I'm really liking brewing, even though I haven't even started drinking any beers from my first batch. Thanks for being a great resource!