A couple of new brewer questions

[BrknRun8]

I've made several brews with my Mr. Beer, but recently just started brewing with the Brewer's Best kits. I read where I should get 48-53 bottles out of a batch. However, I finished out with 35, 12 ozs and 3, 22 ozs...so probably the equivalent of 40, 12's. I did a secondary rack, is that what caused me to drop and if so is that to be expected or am I missing something?

My second question is I have done two batches now and both fermentations have seemed to have been done rather quick. By this I mean the float, in the bubbler, has dropped and resting flat on the stem. The first one was probably done in 3 days and the second one in 4 to 5 days. Is this normal? Or is it perhaps still fermenting? Thank you in advance!

 

[Golddiggie]

PLEASE search the threads for long primary fermentation... The vast majority of us leave our beers on the yeast for 2-4 weeks now, and do NOT rack to secondary unless going onto, or off of, flavor elements that it makes sense to.

Chances are, even though the airlock stopped moving, your beer really wasn't ready. Racking to secondary means you do leave beer behind (both times, once when you go to secondary, then again when you go to the bottling bucket)...

A 'normal' gravity beer (OG of ~1.050 or less) could be ready in two weeks... Depending on the temperature the wort fermented at, it might need more time... Do NOT assume that just because the airlock isn't moving as much, that the beer is ready. It's a very common, new home brewer stumble...

Also, take the directions that came with the kit, and ignore everything after you pitch the yeast... Time is irrelevant with home brew. Yeast will work on it's own schedule, not yours/ours... Even if you've reached the FG (confirmed by at least two hydrometer readings a few days apart) chances are, you'll need to give the yeast more time to clean things up and make the brew taste better. That's why we taste the hydrometer sample before doing anything. It's also why you WANT to leave the wort on the yeast for the full term (lager's being the possible exception)...

 

[kansasbrew]

I don't know Brewer's Best kits, but if you have a five+ gallon batch going into the fermenter, you should get about 48-52 bottles. I wonder if your measuring was accurate going in.

On the second question, you cannot be sure you are done with fermentation simply because it stops bubbling. To be certain, you measure the gravity and then do it again in a few days. If the number is the same, you are done. If the number is dropping, it's still fermenting.

 

[Golddiggie]

For how much you're getting into bottles... If you want a full 5 gallons into bottles, you'll need to put about 5.25-5.5 gallons into the primary... Plus NOT rack to secondary. This is why a lot of the recipe's you'll see posted here list more than 5 gallons for the batch size. That way, they get closer to 5 gallons into bottles/keg...

 

[phidelt1499]

Yeah don't even worry about your airlock bubbling or not. Once you have your yeast pitched and the fermenter all secure, forget about it for 3 weeks. Your first batch will be the hardest in terms of waiting ;-) but once you get the pipeline going, it wont' be much of an issue. After 3 weeks, take your hydrometer readings, if the fermentation is complete, keg and/or bottle.

In my opinion, the only reason you would need to use a secondary is if you are dry-hopping or lagering.

 

[Golddiggie]

+5 for getting a pipeline going...

I know of people that dry hop right into the primary... I think it's more of a personal preference if you rack onto the hops, or dump them into the primary (for dry hopping)... I'm more inclined to put them into the primary when it's time... When I [eventually] start to dry hop that is... I can see it making sense for a future brew, or some of them...

Easiest way to get a pipeline going is to brew every other weeks/weekends... That way, you're either brewing, bottling, or both, one day a week/weekend... It also means that you're always no more than two weeks away from having new beer ready to drink... :rockin:

 

[BrknRun8]

For how much you're getting into bottles... If you want a full 5 gallons into bottles, you'll need to put about 5.25-5.5 gallons into the primary... Plus NOT rack to secondary. This is why a lot of the recipe's you'll see posted here list more than 5 gallons for the batch size. That way, they get closer to 5 gallons into bottles/keg...

Well, I was going to do that but the instructions said that adding more water would affect my gravity readings/throw things off. So, it is ok then to add a smidge more water? Thanks for all of your and everyone else's help.

 

[bullinachinashop]

When adding your wort to your primary fermentor, put a 5 gallon paint strainer in the bucket and pour everything into it. Top up with water to about 5.25 gallons and then pull the bag. Squeeze it out to get all the precious wort and then your ready to pitch your yeast and start your fermentation.

Leave it for 3 weeks and then rack to your bottling bucket. 53 beers every time.

Bull