A few questions before I start my first brew...

[tellish33]

This is my first post. I'm really excited about getting into homebrewing. My wife bought me the Brewer's Best American Pale Ale beer kit with all the goodies (the deluxe kit). I have done a little reading tonight on here and I am getting a little confused. I obviously want my first batch to be successful.

How to the "T" should I follow the directions? They say after 4-6 days or when bubbles have stopped for 48hrs in the airlock that it is ok to go ahead and bottle. It says up to 2 weeks once bottled. That doesnt sound like it jives with what I've been reading. Should I let it sit in the primary for 2-3 weeks and then siphon over to a bottling bucket for bottling? Then let the bottles sit for a couple weeks for carbonation? It sounds like I can get good quality beer by letting it sit for 2-3 weeks in primary. True?

Thanks a lot in advance for the help. I'm planning on starting tomorrow.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

follow the recipe in those instructions only. when it comes to ferment times and temps, read up on the subject here, don't follow the few days then bottle when the airlock slows. in fact, the airlock is really just a vent, not a magic fermentation gauge. use a hydrometer and gravity readings to judge whats going on in your brew.

and welcome to the forum, this is a great place to learn about brewing GREAT beer.

 

[jonmohno]

Yes to everything you corrected. Make shure you pitch your yeast below 70 and ferment mid sixties or low 60's depending on the yeast,what yeast is it? Your pitch rate,type of yeast,and fermentation temps are all imperative as well. Dont worry about the bubbleing.Whether it stops or not. I would hydrate the yeast too before pitching if it doesnt seem too troubleing.
You may find that they come out better longer than 2 wks bottled,and they may not be fully conditioned by then usually average is 3 weeks,although i just tried my latest pale ale @ 5 days bottled/45 min in the freezer and it was carbed and great. I generally like mine conditioned over a month though in the bottle.

 

[Lagz0r]

I'm only new myself mate but the best way to tell if the brew is ready to bottle is using a hydrometer. Now I assume your deluxe kit came with one? After about a week or so check the gravity with your hydrometer then again in about two days. If the gravity is steady it should be right to bottle. Now I am only new here myself so if anyone has anything else to add or correct me please do

Good luck with the brew and welcome!

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

I'm only new myself mate but the best way to tell if the brew is ready to bottle is using a hydrometer. Now I assume your deluxe kit came with one? After about a week or so check the gravity with your hydrometer then again in about two days. If the gravity is steady it should be right to bottle. Now I am only new here myself so if anyone has anything else to add or correct me please do

Good luck with the brew and welcome!

you nailed it.

 

[dougdecinces]

If you pitch enough yeast, you probably won't need to use a hydrometer as your beer should ferment out within that 4-6 days. However the yeast needs to "clean up after itself" and settle out before you want to drink it. For smaller beers, I wouldn't go less than 2 weeks in primary, though 3 is preferable. With bigger beers, you are looking at a longer primary time. I am currently fermenting a 1.088 Russian imperial stout, and I have no plans on taking it off primary until at least 5-6 weeks.

Random notes that might help you later:
1) Unless you are dry hopping or bulk aging your beer, there is no need to perform a secondary fermentation.
2) Even though you probably don't need to take periodic hydrometer readings if you pitch enough healthy yeast, you will want to take the FG of your beers; especially your first batches, for your notes. This way you know what kind of attenuation you are getting. The hydrometer becomes more important when you move up to all grain, as you are able to figure out your mash efficiency and the apparent attenuation of your beer.

 

[tellish33]

Thanks for the info. The kit did come with a hydrometer. The yeast that came with the kit was Nottingham Ale Yeast (.388 oz). The back of the packet does say to rehydrate before use.

From what I gathered so far...follow the brewing instructions to what they say. Go a minimum of 2wks, with 3wks being preferred in Primary stage. Bottle around 3wks.