Belgium White All Grain Brew Concern

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kramberry20

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I just started my first all grain belgium white brew. Within 8 hours of adding the yeast the fermentation was very active bubbling through the airlock once every few seconds. After the first day the bubbling slowed to once every minute. It has now been 3 days and the bubbling has almost completely stopped. There doesn't appear to be any foam forming on top and I am getting concerned. I wanted to know if this is normal or if there could be a problem. This is my first try at all grain brewing, I have done extract brewing a few times and the fermentation seemed a lot more active. The recipe I followed was:
8 lbs pilsner malt
2 lbs clover honey
8 oz carapils specialty grain
2 oz hallertau hops
1/2 oz orange peel
1 oz coriander
and dry yeast that I rehydrated.

Can anyone inform me how long i should leave this in the primary fermenter before moving it to the secondary fermenter carboy. Any help would be much appreciated as I was looking forward to the all grain brewing and it seemed so promising after the first day. Thanks for any advice as I am very new to brewing.
 
IMO, I wouldn't move it to a secondary. I'd leave it in the primary for 2-3 weeks and then rack to bottling bucket. If you're not dry hopping, I don't do a secondary but that's me. I just got around to bottling a Pale Ale after being in the primary for a month. Nice and clear. There are folks on here that always do a secondary and some that never do.

You'll need to try both methods, read different threads, and figure out what works best for you.

I'm sure your brew is fine.

Best of luck.

Good luck.

Chris
 
Thanks chris. Guess I'm just being over anxious as the fermentation doesn't seem to be as active as the extracts I have made in the past and I am excited to see how this turns out and wanted to make sure everything seemed normal as I'm not sure what to expect with a belgium. I purchased the grain kit from midwest "Grand Cru" followed the recipe and it said to move to carboy after 1 wk. so i was just curious
 
I've had a few brews that seemed to go off very quickly, like 2-3 days, but I think that my primary bucket was leaking slightly. The beer had enough umph to push out the airlock and the leak but when it slowed down just out the leak.

Anyway, I'd leave it at least a week and move to secondary. I personally like secondary it lets the beer drop more yeast and clear which I don't have to deal with in the keg.

Also, where did you get your recipe, it sounds interesting. Mine is 50/50 pilsner/raw or flaked wheat, hops and spices. I'd like to hear how it turns out.

Cheers :mug:

Brian
 
Was it dry yeast or liquid yeast? Dry yeast tends to ferment much more quickly than liquid yeast. I would leave it alone and be patient. If you are really nervous about it, you could always take a gravity reading. That is the best indication of the progress of fermentation. I leave beers in the primary for 3-4 weeks to allow for clearing. I'm sure it will be fine. Best of luck and Cheers!
 
I wouldn't worry at all - like everyone is saying. Just RDWHAHB, and be patient. I've had beers that my gravity readings say are done in 2-3 days. Have you taken a gravity reading? That is really the only way to see how a brew is progressing, counting bubbles can be almost useless at times.

Also, I know you said that this was a white beers, but I don't see any wheat in your recipe.... I'm no style expert or anything but I would probably be a little more inclined to call your beer like a spiced belgian amber or something like that. :)

Anyways - take a reading to be sure, or just let it be for a few weeks and I'm sure it'll be fine.

Cheers!
 
bschot I purchased the "Grand Cru" kit from midwest and for 20 bucks at christmas as it looked like a well put together kit. Mike I used a dry yeast that I rehydrated for ~ 15 mins before adding to the batch. OCBrewin I'm also no style expert just reciting what the recipe from midwest said :). Thanks for all of your responses I will let you know how it turns out...Does anyone else have any suggestions on whether or not I should move it to a carboy for secondary and if so how long should it stay in the primary the recipe says 1 wk
 
You'll get both sides of the track on whether to secondary or not. Personally I always do (mostly out of habit), but many never do and produce better beers that mine.

If you were going to transfer I would let it sit in primary for AT LEAST 7-10 days first, then secondary for 2 weeks. If not, I would keep it in primary for like 2-3 weeks. I know its hard, but really good beer seems to come from the brews that life gets in the way of and you just end up forgetting about for a few weeks.
 
Note that the with the Honey I would actually let it sit for even longer than normal... Honey has some more complex sugars in it that the maltose from your grain, so the yeasties will chew up all of the easily accessible sugars first, then slowly take their time with some of the honey sugars. All of my 'Honey Beers' have always tasted much better with time.
 
I think I will go with the secondary fermenter after about 2 wks (mainly so I can start another brew in my primary) any one have a good recipe for a lager I have 10#s 2-row malt, 10# 6-row, some hallertauer hops, cascade hops, and american lager wyeast. The recipe I found uses these ingredients and 1# rice, so if anyone knows of a good one let me know.

Thanks again
 
As far as your fermentation goes, I'd give it two weeks in the primary and take a gravity reading. That's the only way to know for sure that your beer is fermenting out the way you want it to.

As far as secondary, it'll give you a clearer beer and you'll have less trub to contest with when you're bottling. That being said I've made plenty of beers without putting them in a secondary and they all turned out fine.

As far as when to secondary; you just want to make sure your primary fermentation is complete. If you rack too soon you can separate the beer from good yeast before its entirely done its thing. You'll end up with a sweeter and lower alcohol beer(under attenuated). 2 weeks is generally safe for ales, I try to go a month. You don't really get any off flavors going longer when you're brewing in small quantities as us homebrewers do. You could leave it safely for a few months. Then a few weeks to a month in the secondary will clear it up nicely.
 
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