beginner questions

[jjphillybrew]

Brewed my first batch (Brown Ale) and think I may have made at least one dumb mistake. But first, a few things I need clarified.

My friend, who has been brewing for several years and now does all-grain, said that you shouldn't leave it in a plastic bucket for too long because it is semi-permeable, but I've read on this forum that people leave it in plastic buckets for weeks at a time. What is the deal?

Also, why should I transfer from one container to another anyway? Why not just go straight to glass carboy and let it sit for a few weeks? I did 7 days in plastic bucket, followed by 3 weeks in glass carboy before bottling. If glass is the way to go, why start in plastic in the first place? Once I transfered into my carboy, was it still fermenting, just at a slower rate? Does moving from one container to another stop fermentation?

This is where I got dumb. After 1 week in plastic and 3 in glass, I didn't take a SG reading before bottling. I guess I just figured it had been one month so what the heck lets bottle! *After* bottling I took a SG reading only to find out that either:

a. I don't know how to take an accurate SG reading or
b. Nothing had happened! (Is this possible?!) Because my reading was the same as before fermentation, again, is that even possible? Original reading was 1.044 and 6% potential alcohol.

Whats going on here?

Thanx!

 

[bgruis]

Ok...a couple thoughts here....Did you see any airlock activity? If not did you remember to pitch the yeast? If you did, maybe you have a broken hydrometer. Do you have a friend that will lend you another and take another reading.

I personally only ferment in carboys, I usually use a blow off tube for the first 4 days but I find it much easier and yields great results.

 

[jjphillybrew]

Yeah there was plenty of airlock activity for 24-48 hours, yeast was pitched.

Do I have to use blow off tube with carboy instead of airlock?

 

[dbsmith]

Must be a bad hydrometer or a bad reading. Give your beer a taste, does it taste really sweet or does it taste pretty much like warm undercarbonated beer?

 

[jjphillybrew]

Tasted a bottle and it was pretty sweet, but I assume that is from priming sugar, right?

 

[bgruis]

The reason I use a blow off is I'm filling my 5 gallon carboy with 5 gallons of beer, so very little head space for krauesen and air build up. I usually take it off after the main show is over in a couple days. It's not always necessary but I like to be safe.

 

[Golddiggie]

We don't take hydrometer samples from the bottling bucket since it's been primed with more sugar, so you won't get an accurate reading.

I've been brewing in 5 and 6 gallon carboy's (beer in PET carboys) as well as a corny keg without issue. As long as you take into account the reduced head space of the smaller primary, you'll be fine. Using blow-off tubes is one way. Adding fermcap to the boil can also help.

I've been using 3-6 weeks on the yeast for my brews since my first two were done (didn't know any better back then)... I typically take a hydrometer reading to see what the FG is. IF I suspect it might not be done by the time I'm ready, then I'll give it a few more days and take another reading. I also taste the samples to see IF the brew is ready or not. If it tastes good/ready and the hydrometer readings are stable, then you can bottle it up. If the SG readings shift from one sample to the next (usually getting lower) then give it more time.

Personally, I won't even look at a brew before it's spent at least 2-3 weeks on the yeast cake. I won't transfer/rack it unless it needs to move from one flavor element to another (requiring removing the brew from the previous element to stop it's contribution)... Otherwise, you can just leave it on the yeast cake.

This method works just fine for things using ale yeast. They can be different when you start to lager. Since I don't plan to make any lagers for some time to come, it's not an issue for me... There are plenty of things you can brew with ale yeasts...

 

[jjphillybrew]

Thanx for all the input. My reading was obviously off because I had already primed.

So it is ok to ferment in a plastic bucket for weeks on end? Shouldn't be worried about oxygen seeping in?

 

[Golddiggie]

Many of us have had brew in plastic primaries for weeks/months on end... My current max run is about 6 weeks... Zero issues... I believe Revvy went 6 months without issue...

Current materials are not like they were even a decade ago...

 

[jjphillybrew]

Awesome and glad to know to this. So my next question is this, is the fact that I racked from bucket to carboy after 7 days bad? What does racking from one container to another do to the fermentation process?

 

[RMitch]

Awesome and glad to know to this. So my next question is this, is the fact that I racked from bucket to carboy after 7 days bad? What does racking from one container to another do to the fermentation process?

Removes some yeast from the fermentation process, possibly slowing or stalling the fermentation process.

 

[Golddiggie]

Awesome and glad to know to this. So my next question is this, is the fact that I racked from bucket to carboy after 7 days bad? What does racking from one container to another do to the fermentation process?

For anything with ale yeast, I would let it go on the cake until it's ready to come off...

Racking after X days is a carry over from the dark ages of home brewing... Back when yeast wasn't nearly as good as we have available to us today, and the ingredients available weren't even close. These days, you can go longer than you would have ever even thought about going even a decade ago. Even the people who have published the books we all go by have changed over to the longer primary method. It's plastered all over the boards here... A quick search should give you plenty of results to read...

BTW, for ales especially, you're not really racking to secondary fermentation, it's more accurate to call it a 'bright tank' as pointed out by Yooper... Since it was used in the old days to help the brew clear up and such... No longer needed. You can do it, but just be aware that you risk contamination of the brew/wort by doing so. Waiting until fermentation is complete reduces those risks greatly... IMO, racking before fermentation is complete is just not worth the risk.