1st Batch - Full Boil NB Dry Irish Stout

[DeanWolf]

What a great day of first! First and foremost I want to thank everyone of you who has contributed here or on youtube! I've read so much and watched so many videos, it is without a doubt the shared information that made today such a huge success. Every time I think of it, I smell the amazing aroma of hops and the Dry Irish Stout boiling.

Everything went off perfectly from the Wyeast 1084 Irish Ale activating with an attitude to the wort chiller (3/8"x50') dropping the wort temp from a boil to under 78 degrees within 10 minutes!

Brewed the Northern Brewer Dry Irish Stout kit at a full 6 gallon boil, steeping the grain on the stove top before moving outside to finish the boil.

O.G: 1.042
1 lbs English Roasted Barley
6 lbs Gold Malt syrup
2 oz Cluster (60 min)
Wyeast 1084 Irish Ale Yeast.
Apparent attenuation: 71–75%.
Flocculation: medium.
Optimum temp: 62°-72° F.

The actual OG was 1.040 and it tasted great.

Smacked the yeast about 9 a.m. and this was 6 hours later.

After boiling 6 gallons with outside temps in the upper 30s, I still had to add back about 1/2 gallon to the big mouth bubbler to top it off at 5 gal. It's already looking infected though with that head!

Moved into the room where room temp remains around 68. I was going to go with the blow off hose for the first couple of days but ended up going with the airlock so we'll see how that goes. Put it in the 20 gal tub and covered with the shipping box.

 

[slym2none]

It's already looking infected though with that head!

 

[DeanWolf]

Just kidding

 

[flars]

I've brewed this one many times with the same yeast. Usually pitch the yeast when the wort is 56° to 58°F. I keep the fermentation temperature 62° to 64°. Tastes great.

68° ambient temperature may be to warm. The working yeast will raise the temperature 3° to 5° above ambient.

 

[DeanWolf]

I've brewed this one many times with the same yeast. Usually pitch the yeast when the wort is 56° to 58°F. I keep the fermentation temperature 62° to 64°. Tastes great.

68° ambient temperature may be to warm. The working yeast will raise the temperature 3° to 5° above ambient.

Thank you for the input! I'll have to see what I can do to lower the temps. I can add ice to the tube? I eventually hope to get a chest freezer with temp control etc.

 

[flars]

You can fill the tub with 68° degree water, swamp cooler. This will start bringing the temperature of your beer down slowly. The water will buffer any temperature swings in the room. Yeast can produce some off flavors when there are temperature swings. To rapid of a temperature drop may cause the fermentation to stall.

After one day at you could add a plastic soda/water bottle of ice to drop the temperature a little lower. For this one I would not drop the temperature of the beer below 66°. Just to avoid to much shock to the yeast.

The thermometer strip shouldn't be submerged. Sometimes they can be gently peeled off, without bending to much, and reattached. Strip could also be covered with clear packaging tape to keep it dry.

 

[DeanWolf]

Ok, I remember reading about the swamp cooler method. Current tank temp (5 hours into fermentation) is 70 and the airlock is active with some bubbling.
Thanks for the input!