Another first time brewer checking in.

Another first time brewer checking in.

Started a Crooked Tree IPA Clone Recipe Kit From Adventures in Home brewing on Monday. It's a partial extract recipe that is not listed on their website.

I boiled in on the stove and had a hard time keeping a good rolling boil going. Also, I was overly concerned with cooling and ended up at about 60 degrees when pitching the yeast. I also didn't use a yeast starter like some recommend with liquid yeasts.

But I had bubbles within 10 hours so I think all is well. Now on day 4 the bubbling seems to have peaked and slowed slightly. Still going at a rate of one ever 2 seconds.

The plan is to transfer to a carboy sometime next week and add the dry hops. Then it will get bottled, as I have lots of bottles but no kegging equipment.

I guess I don't actually have any questions, but welcome any advice anyone is willing to give a first timer.

 

You may never get a good boil on your stove, I didn't. I switched to outside brewing fast. As for the temp, that's perfect and without knowing your OG, you may not need a starter. What was the OG?
I would make sure fermentation is done or near done before transferring to secondary for dry hopping, but that's just me. Congrats on a new found hobby!

 

I too had trouble with a rolling boil the first batch... since I've used a towel folded long ways wrapped well in foil and then belted(with the belt off my waist) around the kettle... it's really helped in batches 2-3-4... you might also turn your oven on low - seems to help as well... in my amateur opinion... temperatures from beginning to end are about as important as anything else... crashing your beer really clears it up, and fermenting at proper temps seems to be very important... no too high for lagers seems very important early... I actually got as low as 56-57 degrees here on this last batch but it's bubbling away, and I think the cold imparts more yeast esters and makes sediment pack easier/faster...

 

Yeasts desire various temps. Check the yeast info online. But yes, temps are hugely important.

 

OG was right around 1.060

I have a rather powerful outdoor burner that I will use for the next batch. I was just trying to stay in out the the cold.

So wait until the bubbling pretty much done before transferring to secondary?

 

Nooo...

Voice of experience, most of my brews fermented at 66 degrees (F) are close to looking done fermenting at 3-4 days. That being said I leave them a minimum of 8 days, most the time 2 weeks. I bottled a batch with normal sugar carb after 1 week and ended up with a batch of gushers.

 

^ What he said!

 

Do you have a hydrometer? If so, wait another week or two after the significant airlock activity has ceased and check the gravity over three or four consecutive days. Only after it's the same for several straight days is it "done" fermenting. Even then, it's a good idea to leave the beer alone for several more days as your yeast will be cleaning up after itself. Oh, and next time you use a liquid yeast, you should make a starter since under-pitching can lead to off-flavors.

 

Thanks for the info. What I'm hearing is "have patience", and it's almost always better to wait.

 

You can replace your burner element with the type with an extra coil. It helped mine. It's too dadgum hot and buggy here in Texas to go outside! Plus I love the smell the house has all day long!

 

It may be too buggy and hot, but wife has promised upon being able to purchase equipment for doing it outside I'm getting banished

 

Sorry to hear that!

 

90 degree Texas weather aught to help out with my speed at reaching boil temps! better insulation for doing a Mash when I get around to doing that

 

Welcome to the obsession!

 

I was doing this in 20 degree Michigan weather. I was't sure what the trade off between doing it inside on a smaller burner vs out in the cold on a bigger burner.

 

Racked it into the secondary. Gravity is at 1.012. Looks like beer, smells like beer, tastes like flat beer. I do believe I have successfully made beer.:rockin:

 

:rockin:

 

That's all that matters then

 

Bottled it yesterday. Tasted OK.

Hopefully I didn't make bottle bombs. I screwed up the calculations. For 5 gallons it said use 4oz of priming sugar, which I did. But by the time I racked it into the bottling bucket I only had 4 gallons of beer. I didn't realize the mistake until it was all bottled.

 

Should be disastrous, I just found out I have been using about twice the sugar I should be... no explosions yet

 

Not necessarily the end of the world. After 7-8 days chill one and crack it to check it. Not carved enough? Wait 24-48 hours and try another.

Continue until it's perfect then put em all in the fridge to get the yeast to sleep

 

What told you to use 4 oz of sugar? The kit?

I see MoreBeer kits toss in 4 oz of corn sugar regardless of style. It usually takes a little less to be within style.

If that is the case and you only got 4 gals you might have some overly carbed beer. I don't know what it takes to make bottle bombs, but the bottles can handle a good bit of pressure when you look at how much carbonation some beers require.

Northern Brewer says you've created about 2.65 volumes of carbonation in a 4 gal batch at 74*. You ought to more than fine, though it may be highly carbonated.

 

The 4 oz number came from whatever online calculator I was using. I just forgot to change the input to the 4 gallons that I was actually bottling vs. the 5 gallon I started with.

The room temp was around 68°. I didn't think it check the liquid temp.

 

Well the good news is no bottle bombs. The bad news if no carbonation at all yet. I'll give it another week and try another.

 

It's likely dar too soon. Give it 3-4 weeks.

I had a jalapeño cream ale sit in primary for an extended time and decided to try to cut back on the conditioning time (I give mine 4 weeks) to 2 weeks figuring it's been sort of bulk conditioning without the minimal amount of priming sugars that couldn't take long to go trough, and have had undercarbed beer.

 

Still waiting on those bottles to carb. I'm sure part of the problem is that I normally keep my house temp too low, like mid to lower 60°'s.

But to keep my mind off it I'm brewing my second batch. A honey Porter. I discovered that I could straddle 2 burners on the stove and keep a nice boil going.

 

3 weeks at 70 is rule of thumb for carbing. I've tried at 66 and it takes about a week longer

 

Yep, it had some carbonation at 3 weeks and at 4 it's nicely carb'ed and tasting good.:rockin:

And with a Honey Porter in secondary and a wheat started yesterday the pipeline is coming along as well.

 

:rockin:

 

This happened to me after my first batch. She immediately started looking at propane burners, and now I brew outside. I don't mind too much, but I haven't brewed on a hot Texas summer day yet. This weekend is looking like it's going to be perfect brewing weather!

 

Indeed! This is the weather I enjoy casting lead bullets in as I prefer to wear thick protective clothing without sweating!