Brewing my first "Big Beer"

[kidsmakeyoucrazy]

I'll be bottling my Irish Red this weekend after 3 weeks in the Primary and will be going right back with a Midwest Belgian Tripel recipe after cleaning / sanitizing. I'm pitching 2 smack packs of Wyeast Activator 1214 due to the high OG (and I'm not ready to mess with starters yet...). I've also picked up some stuff so I can rig a blowoff tube.

My room temps are typically between 62 and 70 deg. Do I need to worry about temperature control? My first two beers have all settled at at about 70 deg within a day of pitching and then gradually lowering to between 66 and 68 once fermentation winds down. The temp range for the yeast is 68-78 deg. I'm wondering if I need to insulate it or will it be ok at the low end. Of course I'm expecting a bigger fermentation than my first two beers so I may get too hot in the fermenter...should I go with a water bath just to be safe?

Is there anything else I need to look out for? This will also be the first beer to use my secondary ( 5 gallon glass carboy), which I'll transfer to after 10 days to 2 weeks depending on how fermentation goes. Also, should I age in the carboy or let it sit a few weeks and then bottle and forget about it for a few months? I've read that these beers take time to mature.

 

[TipsyDragon]

you always need to worry about temperature control.

i would let it sit on the yeast for a month to a month and a half. then bottle and forget about it for as long as possible.

 

[kidsmakeyoucrazy]

Thanks. Will not going to secondary affect clarity any? I'm guessing not much if I let it sit a month?

 

[TipsyDragon]

your clarity will not be affected. the same thing that happens in the secondary will happen in the primary if you let it sit. as a matter of fact letting it sit in the primary provides more yeast to do the clean up of fermentation byproducts.

 

[Nukesquad]

you may notice that it would age better if you bulk aged it in the secondary as compared to just puting from primary to bottle. However, this additional step adds another instance for potential infection if improper cleaning/sanitizing is present.

 

[kidsmakeyoucrazy]

That's the one thing I'm struggling with...do I let it sit a month, or secondary after 3 weeks. I'm still a few days out on this one though so it's not like I have to decide for a while.

 

[kidsmakeyoucrazy]

you may notice that it would age better if you bulk aged it in the secondary as compared to just puting from primary to bottle. However, this additional step adds another instance for potential infection if improper cleaning/sanitizing is present.

I noticed your in Norfolk. A bit off topic, but have you been to HomebrewUSA? I was thinking about visiting the next time I was up there. I usually go to Norfolk once a month or so.

 

[Nukesquad]

I noticed your in Norfolk. A bit off topic, but have you been to HomebrewUSA? I was thinking about visiting the next time I was up there. I usually go to Norfolk once a month or so.

Absolutely! The staff there is great, and I haven't had a bad recipe kit there. They can also fill any recipe you bring in. I would definitely check it out.

 

[iridium77Ir]

I was just in HomeBrewUSA today... the owner always goes out of his way to make sure you have what you need for a successful brew. I'm working on their Desert Pale Ale at the moment. They aren't open on Monday, but if you call ahead of time they usually make an exception to open the doors.

 

[troutab81]

That's the one thing I'm struggling with...do I let it sit a month, or secondary after 3 weeks. I'm still a few days out on this one though so it's not like I have to decide for a while.

+1 on the secondary. The only reason I use secondaries is to make room for my next batch! Leaving it sit for a while wont hurt.

I would consider making a yeast starter, although I dont know what your OG is... better safe than sorry.

 

[McGarnigle]

I personally would use a secondary for this one due to its size. I don't always do them, but now I'm kind of on a pro-secondary kick. I'd probably increase the total time from brewday to bottling (see #5 above on bulk aging). The risk of infection isn't great if you're careful.

 

[kidsmakeyoucrazy]

+1 on the secondary. The only reason I use secondaries is to make room for my next batch! Leaving it sit for a while wont hurt.

I would consider making a yeast starter, although I dont know what your OG is... better safe than sorry.

My OG should be around 1.076. I'm pitching 2 activator packs. Should I still do a starter? I'm not really setup to do it, but I guess I could engineer a solution and steal some of the dme from my recipe kit.

I'm thinking I'll go to secondary on this one just because I've got a cream stout that SWMBO would like to get going...and I'd hate to tie up my fermenter for an extended primary on the Belgian. I'm thinking 3 weeks in primary, rack it to the secondary and forget it for a bit. Midwest recommends a 9 month secondary for this one...that seems a bit excessive to me? Wouldn't it be just as good to bulk age for 2 months and bottle? I guess I'm worried about contamination with such a long secondary.

 

[TipsyDragon]

My OG should be around 1.076. I'm pitching 2 activator packs. Should I still do a starter?

just pitch a third pack.

 

[kidsmakeyoucrazy]

just pitch a third pack.

I'd have to order it, I only have 2 What if I just take one of the packs and rig up something for a starter the night before using some of the dme from my recipe, let it go for 8-12 hours and pitch.

 

[TipsyDragon]

that will work. next time try a pitch rate calculator like this one.

you could put both packets in a 6.25 cup starter. thats about 1/3 of a gallon or so or 1 packet in about a gallon starter and save the second one for another brew.

 

[kidsmakeyoucrazy]

Well, she's cooking. I brewed Sunday. I took some of the dme and made a 2 liter "coke bottle" starter with one of the yeast packs first thing in the morning. Once everything was done (about 8 hours later, didin't brew until after lunch) I pitched both the starter and my other pack into 5 gallons 65deg. When I got home today it was bubbling like mad between 67 and 68 deg. I've been monitoring it all night and it seems to be holding that temp (my brew room stays on the cool side, mid 60's). Wyeast says the temp range for the 1214 yeast is 68 to 78 but it seems to be cooking along pretty well at 68. Where should I take the temp to make this a true Belgian? Should I leave it be? Do I need to move it to a warmer place in a day or so?

 

[TipsyDragon]

it depends what kind of Belgian beer your making. allot of the recipes in Brewing Classic Styles recommend fermenting at 62 then slowly raising the temp to 70. Some say to raise in the first week or so some say wait till the last third of fermentation.

so the question is, what kind of Belgian are you making?

 

[kidsmakeyoucrazy]

It's a tripel. I want it to have a hint of citrus. I think I found my answer with google though. Looks like this yeast gives a light citrus character at the low end and gets fruitier as temps rise so I'll try to hold at 68.

 

[TipsyDragon]

according to the book it recommends starting at 64F and slowly raising the temp to 70F over the course of the first week.

 

[EricCSU]

There are a few easy ways for fermentation temp control. I just put my carboy in a rubbermaid storage container, fill it up with water to about 4.5 gallon level. I add ice bottles to chill it, warm water bottles to warm it, and the temps don't climb like crazy because the water is a great temperature buffer. If you also put it in a cool area it helps. Right now it is 69-70 in my house, but my carboys in a tub on a concrete slab in a corner bathroom hold at 64-65.

My beers went from ok, to "hey, this is pretty good beer!" right after I started using temp control.

The problem with the high gravity and belgian yeast is that it could take off like a rocket. If it does, the yeast might work too fast, producing too many esters and fusel alcohols. Even if you just kept it in a water bath, it would buffer the temperature increase and you would be much better off.

Either way, you'll make beer

Eric

 

[EricCSU]

By the way, I just read your initial questions about secondary v. primary and how long to keep it on the primary.

I am not going to tell you to do it one way or another...that can be a hot topic here.

I will just tell you a piece of advice that I've heard and used with success.

If you are using a clear fermentation vessel (glass, plastic), keep track of the number of days it takes for the krausen to fall. Once the krausen falls, leave it alone for the same period of time. For example, if it takes 7 days for the krausen to fall, wait another 7 days before you think of touching it. It may be ready before that, but waiting won't hurt and might help. Then, after 14 days in this case, take a hydrometer sample. If you hit your FG, you are ready to package (transfer to bottles or keg).

This is merely what I do and I have yet to be surprised by the hydrometer reading. Your mileage may vary.

Eric