12 hours into first home brew...how does it look?

[MTate37]

Hi all,

So the recipe that the lady at the brew store gave me said that stirring after the first 12 hours would provide some oxygen to the yeast and encourage them to reproduce. Since I had the bucket open I figured I would take a picture to document the process. How does it look? Am I in a good place after 12 hours? Is it fermenting yet?

The recipe said to keep the lid loose for the first 24 to 48 hours to watch for fermentation. How often should I check it? I know that removing the lid increases the chances for contamination, so do I give it 48 hours and hope for the best?

Thanks for any input.

Malin

 

[paulster2626]

Close it. Stop stirring it. Try to ignore it for a couple weeks. It'll be fine!

 

[MZRIS]

Set and forget is the best method! watch your air lock for activity - is usually a good indication of primary ferm. taking off.

 

[MTate37]

Thanks for the quick responses. So I just put the lid on all the way, let it ferment according to the recipe and watch the airlock?

She gave me an 'emergency' packet of yeast in the event that nothing happens after a few days. At what point to I get concerned and add the 'emergency' yeast?

 

[StuckBrauer]

yeah, I've never opened my primary until it's well finished. Just watch the airlock for bubbles. I wouldn't leave the lid loose. Don't want to risk ruining all the delicious beer! After 4-7 days it should stop bubbling. I'll leave it for another day or two just to be sure it has stopped completely, and then transfer to a secondary. If you don't have a secondary yet it isn't necessary, but you don't want to let it sit on the yeast for too long after its finished fermenting

 

[amandabab]

sounds like your LHBS specializes in winemaking.

stop stirring the beer.

 

[SoonerDoc]

It looks like something is happening (or you poured 10 packages of dry yeast on the top ). Cover it up and use an airlock. Use the emergency yeast for your next batch. Wait 3-4 weeks and bottle it.

 

[woody34]

find a new home brew store to get advice from.

 

[FATC1TY]

Do not stir it all all after fermentation has started.

Close it up, and leave it be for atleast 10 days. You'll be thankful you did. Watch the airlock, if it bubbles, it's doing it's job. Once it stops doesn't mean the beer is done, check it with your hydrometer, then wait 2 more days, and check it again. If it's the same, then you are done. If not, then repeat the last step after 3 more days and see if it's done.

 

[twistr25]

find a new home brew store to get advice from.

Have to agree here. Airlock is probably number one way to see if it is doing anything, but I store my primary in a dark closet and shine a flashlight through the bucket and see if there is a level difference. If it got higher, you have krausen and good to go. Unless you have absolutely no activity, more than likely because the yeast was bad, there is no need to aerate it at 12 hours in. It can take up to 72 hours for fermentation to start. Be patient and let it ride.

 

[dstranger99]

find a new home brew store to get advice from.

This ^^^^

In the meantime, pray it's not contaminated from sitting there in the open, slap the lid on with airlock (Add Star San w/ water to the lock if you have it), and leave it alone for a month.

 

[BradleyBrew]

No, do not stir the beer. If you want to add oxygen for really big beers then buy a oxygen setup. But that's a entirely new thread. CLOSE the bucket!

 

[divrguy]

+1 on everyone's response....and for sure find a new homebrew store

 

[MTate37]

+1 on everyone's response....and for sure find a new homebrew store

Thanks all for the input. I live in Alabama where homebrewing is still illegal. I didn't even know we had a store until a friend told me Friday there was a store where he buys all his supplies. The store does focus on wine, but there seems to be a loophole in the homebrew law since you can buy everything you need for beer in other stores.

Anyway, she seemed pretty knowledgable when talking about the recipe and helping me figure out what would brew a beer that I would enjoy but not take as long as the beers that I prefer to drink.

After some time online there are a couple of things that make me question their knowledge and whether or not I'm set up in a good way. Their kit included B Brite for the sanitizer which I have now seen many differing opinions on. One of the more common opinions seems to be that B Brite will sanitize if everything is soaked. So I cleaned my sinks and equipment with an unscented dish detergent and soft sponge, and then soaked all the equipment in a mixture of 1 Tbs B Brite to 1 gallon water. There didn't seem to be any definitive answers on rinsing, so I gave everything a quick rinse before I poured the wort in. I feel like I was very careful with the sanitation part so hopefully I'm in good shape up to this point. dstranger99's advice to add Star San to the airlock makes a lot of sense. Will a B Brite mixture serve the same purpose or is there something else that will work?

The instructions said to leave lid loose, but common consensus here says to stick it on and leave it on. The lid has been resting on the bucket, so hopefully nothing has managed to get in there in the past 24 hours, but I'm gonna' make sure it's nice and tight when I get home.

They also didn't mention anything about a hydrometer, but it sounds like I need to go out and get one of those pretty soon.

Thanks again for all the input!

 

[FuzzeWuzze]

Thanks all for the input. I live in Alabama where homebrewing is still illegal. I didn't even know we had a store until a friend told me Friday there was a store where he buys all his supplies. The store does focus on wine, but there seems to be a loophole in the homebrew law since you can buy everything you need for beer in other stores.

Anyway, she seemed pretty knowledgable when talking about the recipe and helping me figure out what would brew a beer that I would enjoy but not take as long as the beers that I prefer to drink.

After some time online there are a couple of things that make me question their knowledge and whether or not I'm set up in a good way. Their kit included B Brite for the sanitizer which I have now seen many differing opinions on. One of the more common opinions seems to be that B Brite will sanitize if everything is soaked. So I cleaned my sinks and equipment with an unscented dish detergent and soft sponge, and then soaked all the equipment in a mixture of 1 Tbs B Brite to 1 gallon water. There didn't seem to be any definitive answers on rinsing, so I gave everything a quick rinse before I poured the wort in. I feel like I was very careful with the sanitation part so hopefully I'm in good shape up to this point. dstranger99's advice to add Star San to the airlock makes a lot of sense. Will a B Brite mixture serve the same purpose or is there something else that will work?

The instructions said to leave lid loose, but common consensus here says to stick it on and leave it on. The lid has been resting on the bucket, so hopefully nothing has managed to get in there in the past 24 hours, but I'm gonna' make sure it's nice and tight when I get home.

They also didn't mention anything about a hydrometer, but it sounds like I need to go out and get one of those pretty soon.

Thanks again for all the input!

Keep the lid tight, dont get antsy and peek...let it sit until it stops bubbling out the airlock, then wait 2-3 days after that. From there you can move it to a secondary, or just leave it in the primary for another few weeks, depending on style...then bottle it and wait a few more weeks for it to carb in the bottles. The reason you want it tight is to keep air out. By sealing it your fermenter head space will fill entirely with C02, which nasty bugs have a hard time growing in as a lot of them require oxygen to reproduce. Every time you open it, some of that C02 falls out(its lighter than air) and will take time to build up again.

Oh and for god sakes dont stir it, not sure why they would tell you to do that. Stirring/Shaking in air right before you add the yeast is totally necessary, but once the yeast are in and start doing their job you dont want any air touching the beer.

If you dont have starsan, use cheap vodka. Go buy the cheapest vodka you can buy, and pour a bit of that into your airlock. Always make sure to remove the airlock before moving your bucket/carboy though, or the pressure differential of pushing on the walls will cause suckback and pull the liquid from your airlock into your fermenter. Its not a big deal especially if its vodka or starsan, but obviously try to avoid it.

If you do use vodka, make sure to check on it every once in awhile, as over time the vodka will evaporate.

 

[Sulfuriois]

Hello fellow Alabamian! I have a feeling I know where your recipe came from. I have purchased my first two kits from a certain homebrew shop and both of them have recommended leaving the lid off and stirring after 12 hours. Luckily I spent enough time on these forums beforehand to know that it was not such a good idea.

In defense of the aforementioned homebrew shop, they are super friendly and have bent over backwards in a few cases to help me out. Maybe the recipes have some "different" methods but when you live in homebrew hell you take what you can get.

 

[hstokes]

Keep the lid tight, dont get antsy and peek...let it sit until it stops bubbling out the airlock, then wait 2-3 days after that. From there you can move it to a secondary, or just leave it in the primary for another few weeks, depending on style...then bottle it and wait a few more weeks for it to carb in the bottles. The reason you want it tight is to keep air out. By sealing it your fermenter head space will fill entirely with C02, which nasty bugs have a hard time growing in as a lot of them require oxygen to reproduce. Every time you open it, some of that C02 falls out(its lighter than air) and will take time to build up again.

Oh and for god sakes dont stir it, not sure why they would tell you to do that. Stirring/Shaking in air right before you add the yeast is totally necessary, but once the yeast are in and start doing their job you dont want any air touching the beer.

If you dont have starsan, use cheap vodka. Go buy the cheapest vodka you can buy, and pour a bit of that into your airlock. Always make sure to remove the airlock before moving your bucket/carboy though, or the pressure differential of pushing on the walls will cause suckback and pull the liquid from your airlock into your fermenter. Its not a big deal especially if its vodka or starsan, but obviously try to avoid it.

If you do use vodka, make sure to check on it every once in awhile, as over time the vodka will evaporate.

I agree with everything you say, but CO2 is heavier than air.

 

[FuzzeWuzze]

I agree with everything you say, but CO2 is heavier than air.

Ha good catch, thats what i meant by falls out...typo

 

[MTate37]

So I couldn't resist before following everyone's advice. When I got home from work yesterday I had to take one more peek before putting the lid on and letting it go. Below is what I saw and I think I'm exactly where I want to be. It smells good too. Thanks again for all the advice. Can't wait to see what comes out of this.

Sulfuriois - Hopefully the state will finally take care of this silly law in 2013. When we were in the store over the weekend there was only one person working and she was busting it trying to take care of everybody, but she was extremely friendly and helpful. I'll continue to by my supplies there, but will now turn to this board and other resources for information on technique.

 

[twistr25]

So I couldn't resist before following everyone's advice. When I got home from work yesterday I had to take one more peek before putting the lid on and letting it go. Below is what I saw and I think I'm exactly where I want to be. It smells good too. Thanks again for all the advice. Can't wait to see what comes out of this.

Sulfuriois - Hopefully the state will finally take care of this silly law in 2013. When we were in the store over the weekend there was only one person working and she was busting it trying to take care of everybody, but she was extremely friendly and helpful. I'll continue to by my supplies there, but will now turn to this board and other resources for information on technique.

Just out of curiosity, and to cover all bases, your lid does have a drilled and grommeted hole for an airlock right? That'd be the only reason to leave the lid loose, if there was no where for the CO2 to escape.

 

[MTate37]

Just out of curiosity, and to cover all bases, your lid does have a drilled and grommeted hole for an airlock right? That'd be the only reason to leave the lid loose, if there was no where for the CO2 to escape.

You are correct. Her explanation for leaving the lid loose was to check for fermentation two or three days after pitching. She told me that if I didn't see fermentation to pitch an 'emergency' packet of yeast.

Now that I've put the lid on tightly the airlock is bubbling nicely...a bubble every couple of seconds or so. With my limited knowledge it seems to me that a bubbling airlock is a good enough sign that something is happening that it doesn't make any sense to leave the lid loose.

I did change the water in my airlock out with some cheap vodka as FuzzeWuzze suggested. Will I need to change the vodka at any point? Is evaporation a concern?

 

[paulster2626]

Nope. Stash that thing in a dark corner and forget it exists for 2 weeks. No peeking! (this is impossible, I know)

 

[Schumed]

find a new home brew store to get advice from.

+1

 

[ncbrewer]

Nope. Stash that thing in a dark corner and forget it exists for 2 weeks. No peeking! (this is impossible, I know)

I'd suggest controlling the temperature, especially for the first 5 - 7 days.

 

[Kmcogar]

Plus one. Find a new homebrew store. Or don't ask the same person for advice. Never aerate after fermentation has started. I'm guessing they told you to leave the lid slightly off to let the air out. That's the airlocks job. Close the lid. Leave it alone. Drink a beer. Relax.

 

[lowtones84]

I think leaving the lid loose on top is fine as long as the airlock hole is covered. Many homebrewers and even large scale breweries have or still do ferment with open containers or just with cheesecloth or something covering the top of the bucket so no gross particles and/or bugs get in. Peeking all the time isn't really good, but I've had cases where the airlock wasn't bubbling ( 3 gallon batch primary in a standard size bucket) and I needed to make sure it was fermenting, so leaving the lid on loose worked out well. I think not checking for fermentation at all is crazy.

That said, definitely don't stir it (as others have mentioned) and once you're sure you have fermentation going, getting the lid on nice and tight is probably a good idea. Good luck!

 

[FuzzeWuzze]

You are correct. Her explanation for leaving the lid loose was to check for fermentation two or three days after pitching. She told me that if I didn't see fermentation to pitch an 'emergency' packet of yeast.

Now that I've put the lid on tightly the airlock is bubbling nicely...a bubble every couple of seconds or so. With my limited knowledge it seems to me that a bubbling airlock is a good enough sign that something is happening that it doesn't make any sense to leave the lid loose.

I did change the water in my airlock out with some cheap vodka as FuzzeWuzze suggested. Will I need to change the vodka at any point? Is evaporation a concern?

Shouldnt really be a concern, but chances are if your like the rest of us your going to be checking your brew every day or two anyways...just make sure it has liquid in it.

 

[Whattawort]

AL represent! As for the local resources, I just ignore them unless I REALLY need something quick. If anyone is in the store with beer related questions while I'm there, the owner just sends them over to me. I basically tell them that unless they need hardware, just walk back out the door and order from Northern Brewer or Midwest. Luckily me and my buddy have an "in" with the local brewery where we can get 55lbs of base malt for $35. Score!
I think you've already got the advice you need from the rest of the posts, so I won't repeat what the others have said.

 

[Sulfuriois]

I was in the tap room of one of our local breweries recently and they mentioned helping out the local homebrewers with some grain and yeast. I haven't made the transition to all grain yet though.