worried sick! b

ok folks, just made my first brew. took about 6 hours since i had trouble getting temps up (dis not place on high, he he). Had a pair of boil overs but nothing serious. Once i finished my 4th hop addition i let it cool. i am making IPA and at 1100 at night i was forced to pitch the yeast since i wake up for work. the temp of the wort was 10-15 degrees higher than what it should be (70F).

Should i just chuck it and start over? is there any way to recover from this foolish display of impatience? Will the hoppiness hide any of the negative taste (use magnum, cascade, and liberty. Will dry hop with 2 oz of Cascade)?

Another side question. The wort look nice and dark, very yummy. How much lighter will it get during the fermentation process?

 

It will get lighter as particulates settle out. The yeast is probably fine in the 80's at pitching time, but there's a chance it could throw some off flavors. Let it ferment for 2-3 weeks at minimum, then give it a gravity check and taste the sample. If it needs more time, you'll know.

 

Cool. My plan was to dry hop it in a week; then, do nothing to it until the 2 week marker and the bubbling stops. It is my first brew so I do not expect excellence, I just wanted some piece of mind that it is okay to keep fermenting and the brew would not be destroyed.

Good news is that the fermenter was bubbling when I work up this morning; so, at least it is working.

 

Don't dry hop it that early. Wait until you are about 3-5 days from packaging. Otherwise most of the aroma will be lost anyway.

Also, don't pay attention to the bubbling. Get a hydrometer and take gravity readings. After 2 weeks take your first one. Then take another one 2 days later. If it stays the same, it's "done" but taste your samples. If they taste strange, let it go another week or so. If it tastes great, dry hop it, then package it in 3-5 days.

 

Definitely see it through to bottling no matter what it tastes like before. What temp are you actually fermenting at? Hoppy beers hide a lot of issues so I'm sure ull be completely fine. Also homebrewing is supposed to be fun not a stress on life. Its just beer live and learn, dont make brewing a worry its easy to worry but it gets you no where but in a worse situation.

 

You'll be fine with the pitch. I would encourage patience with your first beer. Definitely the hardest but most important part of brewing. Let your ipa sit in primary until it is finished fermenting. This means the gravity isn't changing on hydrometer readings. Once this happens (and it could be 1 week, could be 3 weeks) then add your dry hops and let it sit another 3-5 days before bottling. I promise it will pay off

Dry hopping too early when co2 is still being produced can "gas off" the hop aroma of the dry hop addition. Just because the airlock isn't bubbling doesn't mean co2 isn't being produced.

 

I guess I over-exaggerated a bit about being sick. I think my wort was at around 85-90F. It was so damn late for me (since my bed time is 8pm on weeknights) I did not even consider placing the wort into the fridge (dumb dumb move). I just kept letting it sit until the temp got to the 85-90F mark.

I think I will change my thread title as to not make so drastic. Thanks!

 

Thanks for the dry hopping tip. The brew store just said 1 week, dry hop, wait another week, and bottle. This is why I came to this forum. Getting experience advise from experienced brewers will only help me become better brewer. You all are awesome!

Now time to read another 40 threads

 

Do what you can to make this batch the best it can be and start planning your next one.

I would definitely think about some way to cool your wort. It depends on the yeast, but I usually prefer to pitch at 60F-65F.

Lots of people swear by copper coiled immersion chillers.

I have unlimited access to free ice so a big ice bath works best for me.

A friend prefers to freeze bottles of water, sanitize them, then drop them in the kettle.

There are many different ways to get to the same result. It is going to take some time and experimentation to find out what works best for you. In the meantime, don't sweat the little stuff. You made beer and I bet it will be better than you figured.

 

Yes. Ice bath and Fridge will be my next choice. Or I just might toss it in my chest freezer for a little bit! I do not know why I did not think of all these things. I think I was too damn tired and I just was not thinking. I am looking for a Carboy now so I can get a batch going a week from today. That way I have 2 fermenting and are offset by 1 week.

 

To note: Air cooling takes much longer, FYI. Ice bath with stirring of wort and water is the best "cheap" way to go. Immersion chiller is next. Can make one for around $40.

 

Just so everyone knows, the beer came very nice besides being impatient and doing a little extra sampling through the process so I could identify what I am getting out of the different stages. I was a little too citrusy for me, so I modified the recipe to use some higher buttering hops. I am sure it could have been better but the few test dummies I have both came back very happy with my first attempt at beer. Since them I have brewed 2 more batches and am still having gravity problems; but, I think I will be okay.

 

Is that an offer? How much do you charge for delivery?

 

I think he was talking about how much it would cost for you to make one.

Copper tubing, vinyl tubing hose clamps and a hose fitting. All available at a hardware store, Home Depot or Lowes. I made mine for less. Then made another section to go in an ice bath.

 

I pitched my first batch (also IPA) at around 83° not knowing any better. Its soon to be bottled and I have taken several samples and.... it tastes fine! I think as long as your fermentation temps are good you will be fine with the momentary spike in heat at the beginning.

 

I am now on my fifth batch and one thing I have learned is if the yeast activates, all is good.