1st time brewer

[Gj317]

I brewed.a batch of Williams Honey Creme Ale today. Followed the instructions step by step. Made sure everything was properly sanitized.

Started by boiling 4 gallons of water. Removed water from heat source and added extract. 5 minutes into boil added first hops. Boiled 60 minutes then added honey and last bag of hops. Cooled wort to 78 degrees with coil chiller. Poured wort into fermenting bucket and only had 2.5 gallons. There was about a half gallon left in pot filled with trub. Added 2.5 gallons cold water to wort. Temp of wort is now 68. Took a sample for hydrometer. Chilled the sample to 60 degrees. Checked sample and it was 1.054. Recipe showed starting gravity should be 1.052. So I'm close there. Pitch the yeast I had activated 48 hrs prior to starting brew. Put a lid on it and an airlock. Placed it in a closet for fermenting.

Now my question. Should I have strained the last half gallon? Is my final product going to be watered down?

Thank you in advance for your feedback. I'm very excited about this project.

 

[Cregar]

Sounds like you did a great job!!!

Congrats!!

 

[dmashl]

I use a Stainless steel Strainer similiar to this one http://www.walmart.com/ip/Focus-Products-10918-Amco-HW-Over-Sink-Colander/22581118. I strain the trub out of the wort. Worth the effort.

 

[flars]

You have a good procedure.
Don't forget to control the fermentation temperature. Look up the ideal fermentation temperature range on the manufacturers site. Most ales come out best fermented in the lower end of the range. Yeast produce heat as they work so the wort temp will rise above ambient temp.
Swamp coolers are the most inexpensive temp control method.

 

[Gj317]

Thanks,

I have a closet in my house thats consistanly 68 so thats where I have it stored now. The recipe saito ferment between 65 and 70.

 

[Gj317]

I will get the strainer for the next go around.

 

[flars]

Thanks,

I have a closet in my house thats consistanly 68 so thats where I have it stored now. The recipe saito ferment between 65 and 70.

With an OG of 1.054 and one pack of yeast the fermentation temp may rise 3° to 5°. Setting your fermentor in a tub of cold water will absorb some of the heat.

 

[Gj317]

Ok, I'll put it in a tub of water. So what about adding the 2.5 gallons of water. Is that going to water/dilute my final product to bad?

 

[flars]

Ok, I'll put it in a tub of water. So what about adding the 2.5 gallons of water. Is that going to water/dilute my final product to bad?

Bringing the fermentor volume up to the recipe volume by adding the water was the correct procedure. This technique is also called partial boil. The OG being in the range of the recipe estimate bears this out.

Almost all of Northern Brewers extract kits call for a partial boil of 2.5 gallons. Cooling this amount of hot wort also takes less time.

 

[Gj317]

Good to know, thanks.

Now I just need it to ferment so I can bottle, wait for bottles to carbonate, refrigerage, and pop the top on my first batch. Can you tell I'm anxious?

 

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

Good to know, thanks.

Now I just need it to ferment so I can bottle, wait for bottles to carbonate, refrigerage, and pop the top on my first batch. Can you tell I'm anxious?

Start working in your next batch. It's the best distraction from being anxious waiting on a brew. Plus then when this batch is being drunk you'll have the next batch conditioning. Gotta get that pipeline started somewhere. Now's as good a time as any.

Welcome to the addiction....err Hobby.



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[flars]

Some more bad news. Could take at least two weeks to reach final gravity. Two to three weeks to bottle condition at about 70°. A few days of chilling one to carbonate the beer. Then your first taste.

 

[Gj317]

That's the schedule I've planned for. I may need to get another fermenting bucket so I can get the cycle going. Just have to select the next brew.

 

[Clonefan94]

That's the schedule I've planned for. I may need to get another fermenting bucket so I can get the cycle going. Just have to select the next brew.

Definitely get another bucket, or 2. I found early on, the only way to distract myself from the brew currently fermenting was to get going on another batch.

It definitely gets easier once you get a little bit of a pipeline set up. Patience is definitely your friend early on in brewing. While brewing today and going over my notes, I just realized I have a beer that's been in primary for 3 weeks. So, I'll keg it this week. This winter hasn't helped though, too many brew days had to be passed on because of sub zero temps. My schedule is all out of whack.

Also, on fermentation temps. If you have a room that hovers around 68, I've found that freezing a couple milk jugs with water is sometimes all you need. Just rest the frozen jug next to your fermenter and wrap a towel around both. That does a good job of keeping your temps right in that mid 60s range.

 

[Gj317]

Good idea! Thats what I like about this site. Theres a wealth of knowledge on here.

 

[Gj317]

2 days in, and I'm fermenting. This morning I checked on my wort and I could see bubbling in my airlock. This is really working.

 

[GHBWNY]

2 days in, and I'm fermenting. This morning I checked on my wort and I could see bubbling in my airlock. This is really working.

Sounds like you're doing well. Someone else said that time is your best friend in brewing. This is true. Nothing more exciting than tasting the first fruits of your efforts, but don't be too anxious to open that first bottle too soon. I leave my primary alone for another 7 days AFTER I see bubbling in the airlock stop, then take an SG reading. Close it up, wait 2 more days and take another reading, hoping they are the same. If not (or even if they are), waiting another 2 days and checking won't hurt anything. The readings should be the same by now which means fermentation is done and you can bottle. Rule of thumb for bottle conditioning: 3 weeks @ 70 degrees. Then stick in fridge for a few days. Open beer, taste. You should be happy (if not thrilled) with the taste, but letting it sit in the fridge for another week or two can only help it taste even better. And better...

Hey, you're making beer! Prosit!

 

[Gj317]

I'm 6 days in and still bubbling out the ole airlock. Going to my local homebrew shop today to shoot some bs and talk about my next selection. I enjoy making it as much as drinking it. Assuming it turns out. Everything is looking good so far though.

 

[Gj317]

I bottled the ole brew a week and a half ago. Chilled one for about four hours today, and then popped the top. I had beer, real beer. It tasted great, had a nice head, and good lacing. I have a batch of Skeeter Pee and a batch of American Wheat Beer fermenting now. I'm addicted.

 

[agcorry00]

Congratulations - sounds like you're off to a good start.


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