Who Needs a Wort Chiller

[SkiTownUSA]

North Dakota + snow bank = ~10 minutes.

I just got done brewing my first batch of beer today. I can't even begin to explain how excited I am. I brewed a Irish Stout kit I got from Midwest. Thank you Midwest my house smells great! I forgot to take an OG reading before pitching the yeast, oh well. I guess I won't know the ABV. I was probably over sanitary, and this brew should go off with out a problem.

One question. The directions didn't say how long to leave in the secondary fermenter. It only said let it ferment 5-7 days before transferring to a secondary. Is there a ~ time I should let it sit in the secondary before checking the Gravity for a couple of days to see if it's done fermenting?

Thanks in advance. :woot: to brewing and :cheers:

 

[SpaghettiMonster]

I'm new as well. From everything I've read you want you Gravity reading to be the same 2-3 day. You only need to seconday it if you want clarity or for more complex/mello flavors so you can go striaght to bottling from your primary if you want.

 

[McKBrew]

Yep, the spaghetti monster called it. Secondary only really necessary for clearing, bulk aging high gravity brews, dry hopping, or adding special ingredients like oak chips. Many of us who have been doing it for a few years just leave the beer in the primary for a longer time (up to a month).

 

[SkiTownUSA]

I'm new as well. From everything I've read you want you Gravity reading to be the same 2-3 day. You only need to seconday it if you want clarity or for more complex/mello flavors so you can go striaght to bottling from your primary if you want.

Meaning I can bottle after 5-7 days assuming my FG is the same 2-3 days in a row?

 

[McKBrew]

Meaning I can bottle after 5-7 days assuming my FG is the same 2-3 days in a row?

Your shouldn't bottle beer for a minimum of 10-14 days. Even longer being better. (waiting is the hardest part of the hobby). The beer will clear itself up and the flavors will continue to develop the longer the beer sits in primary.

 

[McKBrew]

This is your first batch, and I definitely understand your need to get some bottled beer. You can go with the shorter time periods for this batch, the patience factor is not going to be on your priority list on that first brew. Enjoy.

 

[PatMac]

This is your first batch, and I definitely understand your need to get some bottled beer. You can go with the shorter time periods for this batch, the patience factor is not going to be on your priority list on that first brew. Enjoy.

Yeah, patience is definitely a big part of this. I'm in the middle of my first brew right now and just switched it over to my secondary today after I got the same FG reading two days in a row.

I'm really hoping the secondary will help clarify the beer, and I'm sure it will so I'm excited about it! Planning on leaving it in there for about a week and a half before bottling.

 

[rsmith179]

Pat, it sounds like you may now have an open primary! Time to start brewing up the next batch.

 

[SkiTownUSA]

Pat, it sounds like you may now have an open primary! Time to start brewing up the next batch.

That's how I plan on operating during these last few cold months. When I transfer my Irish Stout next weekend, I'll also brew a new batch. I plan on brewing a Newcastle Clone. I also ordered another airlock, stopper, and carboy to make EdWort's Apfelwein.

 

[SpaghettiMonster]

SkiTown, FWIW I only bottled my first batch about a month ago and I can tell the difference between the ones @ 2 weeks and the ones now. It's not like store beer where older != better, here older = better (up to what point I couldn't tell you but my first batch is a simple British brown age and it's 'aging' nicely)

 

[mahilly]

North Dakota + snow bank = ~10 minutes.

I forgot to take an OG reading before pitching the yeast, oh well. I guess I won't know the ABV.

I'm only on my second batch so others can correct me if I'm wrong, but you are supposed to check your OG right AFTER pitching the yeast. I use the "satellite" method: fill a beer bottle about half full with wort right after pitching and aerating. Re-use that wort sample for all of your SG readings. The sample will ferment at the same rate as the rest of your wort, and you don't have to risk contamination by dipping into your fermenter every time you check SG.

 

[llazy_llama]

I'm only on my second batch so others can correct me if I'm wrong, but you are supposed to check your OG right AFTER pitching the yeast.

Corrected. You check SG before pitching yeast.

 

[PatMac]

Pat, it sounds like you may now have an open primary! Time to start brewing up the next batch.

It's true, I have an open primary! I was debating starting another batch immediately, but being as this is my first batch I was also thinking about waiting until I could actually taste it and see what I needed to do differently next time.

But then again I have an open primary...so why not start another batch?

 

[mahilly]

I'm only on my second batch so others can correct me if I'm wrong, but you are supposed to check your OG right AFTER pitching the yeast. I use the "satellite" method: fill a beer bottle about half full with wort right after pitching and aerating. Re-use that wort sample for all of your SG readings. The sample will ferment at the same rate as the rest of your wort, and you don't have to risk contamination by dipping into your fermenter every time you check SG.

Corrected. You check SG before pitching yeast.

Forget what I said above - just finished reading all the other "satellite fermenter" threads and now plan to drop this technique from my repertoire. Funny...I watched "that internet video" (mentioned in the other threads) demonstrating this method before I made my first batch, so naturally I just assumed this was they way everyone else did it. I wonder what else I'm doing wrong but just don't know it yet???

 

[llazy_llama]

Yeah... I didn't want to reopen that whole can of worms about satellite fermenting, but I never understood the fascination with it. It's not necessarily a "wrong," way to do it, but it's not terribly accurate either.

 

[kryolla]

How are you going to cool the wort in the middle of summer? I got tired of buying ice bags and filling up the sink with water so I just bought an immersion cooler. One step closer to going all grain

 

[llazy_llama]

How are you going to cool the wort in the middle of summer? I got tired of buying ice bags and filling up the sink with water so I just bought an immersion cooler. One step closer to going all grain

The North Dakota "summer" is about a month and a half long. I think he'll be okay using an ice batch for ~6weeks.