1st brew which tub do I use?

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PoE_fosho

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Hi this is my first post and my first brew... I made it last night with a amber ale recipe. I got a book with my kit called The Joy of Home Brewing. In the book they go from the glass carboy to the plastic jug for the second fermentation. I did the opposite, and started it in the plastic jug for a week then I will siphon it to my glass carboy? Am i doing it the correct way?? thanks!


EDIT: I may have made it confusing... but i have my brew in a "bottling bucket right now, fermenting. I was just worried that if I left it in the original fermentor I would have a lot more "junk" floating in it when I used the spigit to put the beer in the bottles...
 
By plastic jug do you mean a pail? There is no real need to move the beer to another fermentor, just leave it in the current container until it reaches the Final Gravity (FG) and you get a steady reading for several days. At this point the sugar fermentation is over but the yeast will further condition the beer, consuming previous by-products so let it sit a couple weeks past the FG to clean up and clarify. THEN you can bottle or keg.
 
Give us a recipe and the sizes of your carboy and jug. You generally want to primary fermentation to be in the bigger container with the most headspace. Can you post a pic of your primary?
 
By plastic jug do you mean a pail? There is no real need to move the beer to another fermentor, just leave it in the current container until it reaches the Final Gravity (FG) and you get a steady reading for several days. At this point the sugar fermentation is over but the yeast will further condition the beer, consuming previous by-products so let it sit a couple weeks past the FG to clean up and clarify. THEN you can bottle or keg.

plastic pail.. sorry, and I would like to have it in the glass jug so I can see the beer and what condition it looks like before i try and bottle it, or atleast because im a noobie and havent seen anything like this before ;).


and Brewscout, I tossed the recipe away last night when i was done.. the only thing i have left is the sugar. it said to use 5 gallons though. And if needed i can most deff take a picture...
 
If you must move it, wait until fermentation is complete (after reaching FG). Keep your recipes and keep good notes. The only way to troubleshoot problems or reproduce good results is by having good notes.
 
Just keep in mind that some beers ferment wildly so you might want to use a blow-off tube instead of airlock. My first brew clogged the airlock and almost blew the lid off. I'd hate for you to come home to beer on the ceiling and a nasty infection.:mug:
 
I prefer 6gal glass carboy primary and a 5gal glass carboy secondary, but people do it differently now.
 
If you must move it, wait until fermentation is complete (after reaching FG). Keep your recipes and keep good notes. The only way to troubleshoot problems or reproduce good results is by having good notes.

OK, so in the recipe it said to move it to the second fermentor in 7 days.. Are you saying to wait? and i found in the trash a sticker on the recipe box.. it says the FG is 1.010- 1.013. Is it a MUST to wait and transfer it until its right at that FG?

thanks again guys!
PS brewscout I may cry if that happens :(
 
trying to upload the picture of the recipe....

photo.JPG
 
You don't want to move it off the yeast too soon. Forget the recipe directions, every fermentation is different and other than grain and hop additions, the recipe is rather useless.

You should get down near those FG numbers, once it is stable in that range (3 days) then you can rack it to the secondary if you wish. I would wait 2 weeks before starting to take the FG readings.

EDIT: What was your OG?
 
the OG was 1.043-1.047
Ok i know this is lame, and i could google it but i will ask, is OG original and FG final?
 
dont secondary it, its not necessary, one more step to risk infection. Since its your first brew keep it simple!

Leaving it in the primary will let it clear up, 3-4 weeks and then bottle.
 
dont secondary it, its not necessary, one more step to risk infection. Since its your first brew keep it simple!

Leaving it in the primary will let it clear up, 3-4 weeks and then bottle.


after reading on this site, that seems to be what everyone does.. Why is it even an option to put it in a secondary fermentor, just to let it clear out..?
and what are the most common signs to tell if your brew has been infected?
 
Hi this is my first post and my first brew... I made it last night with a amber ale recipe. I got a book with my kit called The Joy of Home Brewing. In the book they go from the glass carboy to the plastic jug for the second fermentation. I did the opposite, and started it in the plastic jug for a week then I will siphon it to my glass carboy? Am i doing it the correct way?? thanks!



Sounds like it was one of the Midwest Supplies Kits with Autumn Amber Ale? I got the same one and that was my first non mr. beer brew as well. I ignored the directions and did what everyone here said to do..... skip the secondary and leave it in the primary longer. I kept mine in the primary for 21 days.
 
Sounds like it was one of the Midwest Supplies Kits with Autumn Amber Ale? I got the same one and that was my first non mr. beer brew as well. I ignored the directions and did what everyone here said to do..... skip the secondary and leave it in the primary longer. I kept mine in the primary for 21 days.

then bottled for how long? did it have a bunch of crap floating around in the beer?
 
after reading on this site, that seems to be what everyone does.. Why is it even an option to put it in a secondary fermentor, just to let it clear out..?
and what are the most common signs to tell if your brew has been infected?

It will clear on its own in primary, secondary is great for dry hopping, fruit, oak, bulk aging etc. For a simple beer its not needed.

Usually something growing in your beer, sour tastes etc. Its hard to infect a batch if you use good sanitation methods
 
It will clear on its own in primary, secondary is great for dry hopping, fruit, oak, bulk aging etc. For a simple beer its not needed.

Usually something growing in your beer, sour tastes etc. Its hard to infect a batch if you use good sanitation methods



ok i will take this to heart! thanks :ban:
 
then bottled for how long? did it have a bunch of crap floating around in the beer?


No, no crap floating around. The yeast and trub settle to the bottom during the 21 days and you just don't jostle the bucket around.
I racked the beer to the bottling bucket before bottling, which gets the beer off the trub. I'm letting the beer bottle condition for 3 weeks before I put a few in the fridge. I'm thinking it will really taste better after 6 weeks in the bottles.

The hardest part for us new brewers without a pipeline of beer is the W A I T I N G :D
 
No, no crap floating around. The yeast and trub settle to the bottom during the 21 days and you just don't jostle the bucket around.
I racked the beer to the bottling bucket before bottling, which gets the beer off the trub. I'm letting the beer bottle condition for 3 weeks before I put a few in the fridge. I'm thinking it will really taste better after 6 weeks in the bottles.

The hardest part for us new brewers without a pipeline of beer is the W A I T I N G :D


OK forgive me.. you said gets the beer off the trub. what is trub? and correct me if im wrong but you DID transfer the beer to another bucket, then directly put it into the bottles? why did you take that extra step and, not just go straight to the bottles?

trub is just the stuff at the bottem??
 
OK forgive me.. you said gets the beer off the trub. what is trub? and correct me if im wrong but you DID transfer the beer to another bucket, then directly put it into the bottles? why did you take that extra step and, not just go straight to the bottles?

trub is just the stuff at the bottem??


Trub is the leftover sediment and yeast from the fermented beer and it settles on the bottom of the fermentor.

You rack to a bottling bucket (and add priming sugar) because that bucket has a spigot that you attach a hose and bottling wand to. Then you open the spigot and use gravity to fill the bottles. The bottling wand has little pins in the head that when you push into the bottom of the bottle it opens and fills the bottles from the bottom up without pushing a lot of air into the beer. When you pull the wand off the bottom of the bottle the wand closes and stops the beer flow, allowing you to pull the wand out without spilling beer all over the place.

When you bottle you don't want a bunch of air getting into your beer so you really want to fill with the wand from the bottom up. If you tried to just syphon the beer from the fermentor into bottles you would have trouble starting and stopping the flow and you would also inject a lot of air in to the beer as it is pouring into the bottle. I imagine you would also likely syphon up trub into the bottles as well.


I didn't understand it fully at first either but I went to YouTube and searched for Bottling beer and there are a bunch of videos on the subject. It will all become clear when you watch a few :mug:
 
the trub is the proteins and yeast that settles at the bottom of the fermentation vessel. It settles out, and leaves you with clear beer.

Most people rack their beers into a bottling bucket. You put your sugar solution in the bottom, and then rack to the bottom! dont let it splash, just rack to the bottom, and it will create a nice swirling motion in the beer. That will thoroughly mix the beer and sugar, then bottle from the spigot with a bottling wand.
 
You can also bottle from your primary if it has a spigot. You would have to use carb drops or prime each bottle individually w/ sugar - most people use a bottling bucket like MM above suggests.

Cheers!
 
hmmm with all this new info and the equipment I have, Im going to just wait 3 weeks with my primary and then put it into the glass carboy with the prime sugar, then bottle.
Does that sound like a good plan?

please tell me other wise!!!
 
Trub is the leftover sediment and yeast from the fermented beer and it settles on the bottom of the fermentor.

You rack to a bottling bucket (and add priming sugar) because that bucket has a spigot that you attach a hose and bottling wand to. Then you open the spigot and use gravity to fill the bottles. The bottling wand has little pins in the head that when you push into the bottom of the bottle it opens and fills the bottles from the bottom up without pushing a lot of air into the beer. When you pull the wand off the bottom of the bottle the wand closes and stops the beer flow, allowing you to pull the wand out without spilling beer all over the place.

When you bottle you don't want a bunch of air getting into your beer so you really want to fill with the wand from the bottom up. If you tried to just syphon the beer from the fermentor into bottles you would have trouble starting and stopping the flow and you would also inject a lot of air in to the beer as it is pouring into the bottle. I imagine you would also likely syphon up trub into the bottles as well.


I didn't understand it fully at first either but I went to YouTube and searched for Bottling beer and there are a bunch of videos on the subject. It will all become clear when you watch a few :mug:



My second bucket would be my carboy and it does NOT have a spigot, would you suggest using that to bottle right away after 3 weeks? or should i go to my carboy to loose some of the Trub then syphon? cause thats the only way i have to get the beer out of the carboy.
 
My second bucket would be my carboy and it does NOT have a spigot, would you suggest using that to bottle right away after 3 weeks? or should i go to my carboy to loose some of the Trub then syphon? cause thats the only way i have to get the beer out of the carboy.


I'm really not sure what the best decision is as I'm new too and the kit I got from Midwest came with the bottling bucket and wand. I can only tell you what I would do.... which is I would buy a bottling bucket with a spigot and bottling wand. You have a few weeks to get it so it's not like you have to run out and buy one tomorrow.

I think you can even make your own bottling bucket pretty cheaply with components from Home Depot. The bottling wand though you will probably have to buy.

I'm sure the experienced folks here will tell you the best thing to do.
 
if all you have is an empty carboy, put your prime sugar solution in it with a funnel, siphon into it to mix.

you can use a bottle wand/filler with a siphon hose in a carboy/bucket with no spout.

or no wand and a siphon clamp, but its a pain.


the spout is just gravy.
 
You can build a bottling bucket for about $8. $5 bucket from HD and a spigot for $3 on ebay. I built this fermenter for >$10 with the fermometer.

Cheers!

homebrew 020.jpg
 
OK i understand, I may have made it confusing... but i have my brew in a "bottling bucket right now, fermenting. I was just worried that if I left it in the original fermentor I would have a lot more "junk" floating in it when I used the spigit to put the beer in the bottles...
 
OK i understand, I may have made it confusing... but i have my brew in a "bottling bucket right now, fermenting. I was just worried that if I left it in the original fermentor I would have a lot more "junk" floating in it when I used the spigit to put the beer in the bottles...

Hopefully all of the junk will be below the spigot and will stay behind when you bottle. As mentioned you will need to prime each bottle individually if you do it this way. Next time put your fresh wort in the glass carboy(assuming it's 6-6.5 gal) as a fermentor and then rack over to the bottle bucket on bottling day..
 
Hopefully all of the junk will be below the spigot and will stay behind when you bottle. As mentioned you will need to prime each bottle individually if you do it this way. Next time put your fresh wort in the glass carboy(assuming it's 6-6.5 gal) as a fermentor and then rack over to the bottle bucket on bottling day..


ok, what do you mean by prime each bottle?
 
ok, what do you mean by prime each bottle?

You'll either need to use carb drops or put a measured amout of either corn sugar or cane sugar in each bottle individually. If you did it the other way around you could just put priming sugar in the bottle bucket and rack your beer on top of it which would bulk prime the entire batch. This is the ideal way to do it so you don't have to measure out the perfect amount for each individual bottle..
 
You'll either need to use carb drops or put a measured amout of either corn sugar or cane sugar in each bottle individually. If you did it the other way around you could just put priming sugar in the bottle bucket and rack your beer on top of it which would bulk prime the entire batch. This is the ideal way to do it so you don't have to measure out the perfect amount for each individual bottle..

ugh, OK IM discouraged.
So can i just pour it back into the carboy on week 2 or 3 with the spiget or do i need to siphon it back in? Because i do NOT want to prime each individual bottle.
 
I've never been in your situation, so I can only recommend what I might do. If it was me I would look into buying the carb drops.
 
amandabab said:
if all you have is an empty carboy, put your prime sugar solution in it with a funnel, siphon into it to mix.

you can use a bottle wand/filler with a siphon hose in a carboy/bucket with no spout.
.

This is exactly right. There is no reason why you cannot add boiled (&cooled) priming sugar water to glass carboy and rack from OP's bucket into carboy.
Then you use an autosiphon with tube + bottle wand to bottle from the carboy.
I ferment in buckets w spigots. I pull gravity samples from spigot. I do not use the spout on my buckets for the bottling wand - each hole is drilled at different heights and I do not want to suck up trub/ yeast.
 
PoE_fosho said:
ugh, OK IM discouraged.
So can i just pour it back into the carboy on week 2 or 3 with the spiget or do i need to siphon it back in? Because i do NOT want to prime each individual bottle.

If you pour it in via the spigot, attach a hose to it and let the hose go all the way to the bottom. If you just let it fall out of the spigot into the carboy you will oxidize your beer and have bottles of wet carboard tasting beer.
 
OP - it's not a big deal to transfer your beer as long as you minimize splashing.
But I bottle out of my fermenter all the time - I use plain ol' sugar cubes if the bottle necks are big enough, if not I sanitize a funnel and use a small measuring spoon. I've been doing it for years(it's how I learned to do it in the '80's), never had an off taste or bombs. And I found I can prime all my (16-24oz) bottles faster than you can siphon from one vessel to the other.

Moral of the story - not a big deal! It's beer. Make yourself a bottling bucket so you have an extra for next time.

Cheers!
 
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