.... but I want to drink my beer now!!!

[mtbiker278]

Started my first extract brewing experience on Nov. 2nd. I impatiently racked my beer to the secondary after about 4 days (really early I know). Now I find myself consumed with what to do next and it's only the 11th. On order is a dunkelwiezen extract kit along with a propane burner (SP10) because my stove was a bit lacking on the boil for the first batch. While I'm thinking it was probably bad to go to a secondary so early, I'm somewhat excited that my primary is open for the next round.

I'm thinking the only way to keep myself from doing things way too early is to start a 1-week rotation of starting a primary every weekend. Maybe it's adult ADD at age 27, or my desire to see immediate results. Either way this one month of waiting is starting to bother me (insert nervous tick here).

My girlfriend commented that she sees me building some huge brewing contraption in another week or so.... I might have been looking at building a three tier system.....

Is it just me or is there like some kind of 7-step program to brewing acclimation?

 

[eibbor]

I was the same way as you when I started brewing earlier this year. I knew alot of people recommended against racking to secondary when not dry hopping, but I did it anyway... just to have something to do with my brewing. You did exactly the right thing to order up another kit. It helps to keep your mind off your first batch and it helps to build the pipeline.

Welcome to the addiction!

 

[Frodo]

Yes. It's tough. The best option is to build a pipeline and always have something ready so the temptation is less. It's always good to have storebought beer on hand to ease the urge to drink your beer before it's done. Also many do not use a secondary anymore. Perhaps get yourself 2 or 3 6.5 gallon carboys, then you can get that pipeline going really good... Good luck!

 

[Coldies]

Yep get a few carboys and that should help. Before you start building a three tier brew rig I would suggest looking into kegging and building a kegerator that way once you have your pipeline going you have a really kick ass way of dispensing it.

 

[VTBrewer]

You are by far alone, in fact probably in the majority. A lot of first batches are done quite quickly, and that's ok. You'll still have something quite drinkable, and also something to compare a rushed beer to once you have 2-3 more primaries in what I bet is a very short time. The keg suggestion is a good idea too. I bet A LOT of people on this board were drinking the last bottle of their first brew and thinking "damn, this was just starting to get good".



congrats on your first brew.

 

[mtbiker278]

I did find a LHBS about 10 mins from where I live. I'll have to stop by and see what they have. The only other thing I can think of is to start planning for an extract recipe as that'll take more time to prepare for (assuming said LHBS doesn't have everything in-stock).

I kind of feel like Tim Allen on Home Improvement. The next thing I'm going to be doing is building a gas powered grain mill out of a chainsaw, and something like a 500k BTU boil kettle.

 

[Frodo]

... a gas powered grain mill out of a chainsaw, and something like a 500k BTU boil kettle.

Hell of an idea! Go for it and let us know how it turns out.

 

[elucify]

Whoa, dude's got it bad.

If you're impatient for quick results, and you like a light blonde session beer, I can recommend Biermuncher's Centennial Blonde
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f66/centennial-blonde-simple-4-all-grain-5-10-gall-42841/

It has been hugely popular on this site--over 1300 gallons brewed by homebrewtalk readers. I just brewed it Saturday, pitched yeast late Saturday PM, it bubbled like crazy for two days and it was done by Tuesday AM. I let it sit for a couple days, but the gravity hasn't dropped, and the kreuzen completely fell. So I racked it to secondary today for clearing, and I'll probably bottle it mid-next week, if I can wait that long. It already tastes and looks great. Not clear yet, but it looks like sunshine.

The recipe at the top of page 1 is all-grain, but at the bottom of page 1 is an extract version with steeping grains: 1 lb of carapils steeped 45 minutes, then a boil with 5 lbs light DME and four 0.25 oz hop additions. I'm certain you can go from brew day to drinking from bottles in 3 weeks. I'm only using a secondary because I want to see it clear. ABV is ~5% (I forgot to measure OG, but with extracts, it's hard to be off more than a point or two.)

So check it out dude. Also this one is likely to be popular with lots of people, because it's what beer is "supposed" to taste like in lots of peoples' minds. Oh, yeah, only better, of course. I totally recommend this recipe to impatient new obsessive brewers like me.

Ciao 4 niao

--Mark Johnson
Silver Spring MD

 

[Fantastical]

The thrill goes away and you get more patient don't worry

 

[akthor]

Yup just brew something every week. Trust me with all the $$$ and time you put into a batch you are really shooting yourself in the foot with 4 day primaries and not using proper bottle conditioning. Go buy some keystone light or similiar since that is what you are making in homebrew terms by rushing. 4 days in primary is horribly, ridiculously too short. The yeast has a lot of stuff to do and you gave them like no time at all. Even the 7 days that the recipes in the kits recommend isn't enough time. 4 days???? Crazy.

Wait the proper amount of time for primary (month), secondary (don't bother) and bottle conditioning (3 weeks at least) and you are making great beer. Better than microbrews you can buy.

Rush it and you are making Blatz

 

[mychalg9]

If your first batch tastes like sh*t, you will learn the hard way to be patient. But I will tell you that it gets easier after the first batch or two.

 

[mtbiker278]

Well I tasted the wort when I took a sample for the initial hydrometer reading on brew day. If it tastes anything remotely like the unfermented wort I think it'll be ok. I know letting the beer go longer in the primary would make it better. However, from reading all the newer posts it seems like there's been a general shift from 1-week primary to 3+ week primary. This means that at one point in time people were brewing with shorter times in the primary and getting "acceptable" results. It probably wasn't until someone forgot that the had a primary going for 3+ weeks that it was discovered to be ok.

I figure next batch I'll do better, but I doubt the amber ale is going to turn out like keystone light, horse piss, or dirty bath water (although I could be wrong). Besides I think I'll get more information by screwing up a couples times here and there. We would never learn anything if everything went perfectly.

For now I'll try to control myself from doing anything else too early.

 

[broadbill]

If you are rushing in to buy a propane burner (which is a good investment btw), then you probably have some extra cash...buy another primary fermenter.

OR....

skip the secondaries completely (you can do that, do a forum search if you want proof) and use the vessel you were going to secondary in as a second primary.

 

[HSB]

I'll be a bit contrarian here. The best thing to do on your first batch is to taste the wort, taste a pint of beer when you rack (if you rack), and then taste a bottle at 1 week, 2 weeks, and 3 weeks. Go ahead and rush.

Will it be as good as it could have been?
- Nope, not at all. Not by a long shot.

Will you get to experience the maturation of beer, and begin to understand the importance of patience?
- Absolutely.

Everything you read here about patience for quality is correct, but it goes against human nature to follow it. Just have fun, experience the development of your beer, and then use those lessons to improve your process as that burning desire to taste your beer the day you brew it fades. It will fade.

 

[stellaontap]

I started brewing in August and my patience level was non existent with my first batch (a lager of all things). I started drinking it very green, hell it wasn't even carbed yet! It took a while to get through it but by the end it was just starting to taste good. I then bought a second fermenter and have been brewing almost every week end.

I think its perfectly normal to obsess over your first batch and jump the gun a little but after a few batches you will become more patient and let the beer take its own course. That's what I found in my own experience, although it does get easier to do that if you can get a pipeline going?

Word of caution though....when building pipeline people will ask you how often you brew. When you tell them that you brew every week they naturally assume you're an alcoholic

Cheers.

 

[william_shakes_beer]

Perhaps the OP needs to find a strain of Yeast that also Has ADD/OC?

Seriously: I have yet to brew my first batch. I am reading and trying out new types of commercial (high end not rat P*&^) beer to see what I like. I specifically have avoided saving bottles. When I start fermenting my first batch I plan on buying 2 cases of "something I really like" that comes in pry off bottles. That should force me to wait at least a few days before bottling.

 

[akthor]

LOL no I meant you are making the homebrew equivilent. As in say Sierra Nevada vs Keystone Lt. What you beer would have been vs what it will be. Not that it will specifically taste like Keystone lt. Just that it had the potential to be great and in rushing it you brought down the quality etc.

Trust me 5 gallons don't last long either, especially if you share with others. I try to brew something every week or make an Apfelwein or a Skeeter Pee. I kinda drained my extra coin buying 3 faucets and the shanks. I won't be able to brew anything for a couple weeks and its freaking me out that I may end up with a "hole" in my pipeline

I figure next batch I'll do better, but I doubt the amber ale is going to turn out like keystone light, horse piss, or dirty bath water (although I could be wrong).

 

[DFCARTER]

I have 5 posts here have done about 5 batches of beer and have already spent way over a grand. Welcome to brewing a money pit that spits out beer. I have about 5 fermentors and 7 corny kegs. That is the majority of the cost and the CO2 crap.

 

[jfr1111]

I brewed my 7 batch today. Not counting ingredients, I have about 150, maybe 200$ invested. It's only costly if you want it to be.

 

[johnmcc]

Buy another primary and drink some craft brews and collect some bottles, you'll need them.

 

[JorgeIsKing]

.... but I want to drink my beer now!!!

I said NO, and if you ask again, I'm going to get the belt! Now go to your room!


I think what you really need is another fermenter or 3. Maybe make the exact same recipe and let it stay in the fermenter for more than a couple days this time and compare the two.

 

[mtbiker278]

I decided to take some pictures of what I have so far.

This is my beer as it is in the secondary

Here's another pic

And look what i got in the mail today!!!!

Does anyone actually use their SP10 with the needle valve all the way open? My girlfriend said she could hear it inside the house!!! I'm also wondering if I'm going to scorch my beer with the thin econo-pot I have. I'll have to figure that out the next brew day, which might be tomorrow if the LHBS has the ingredients I want (Haven't been there yet).

I picked up a sampler from Troegs the other day as my RDWHACB therapy. So far so good....

 

[BigJerk]

Definitely get another primary. I have been brewing for a little over 2 years, and I have constant holes in my pipeline... like right now for instance. this causes me to drink my beer too early. I'm going out this weekend to buy a 2nd primary. Also, kegging rules. I thought I'd still want to bottle to bring beer places, but thats what growlers are for, also portable party tap systems, camping will never be the same again...

 

[Mermaid]

I like brewing smaller batches - 3 gallons or so. Means I can go all grain, and brew more often (and don't have so many bottles hanging around in storage, conditioning, etc.)

I've got a tap-a-draft system, so smaller batches means I can put one in the TAD to drink "now"-ish (I've taken a liking to primary for at least 2 weeks then figure out whether or not I'll use a secondary or just leave it a few more weeks) - and the rest gets bottled for "later".

Anyway, once you get beyond kits and start formulating your own recipies, smaller batches really rock if you've got the urge to brew every couple weeks but don't have the tribe to drink all that beer (or a place to store it)

Yeah, it's an addiction

 

[Frodo]

Does anyone actually use their SP10 with the needle valve all the way open? My girlfriend said she could hear it inside the house!!! I'm also wondering if I'm going to scorch my beer with the thin econo-pot I have.

You'll be amazed at how long it takes to heat a big volume water, so I say yeah let that baby roll! You'll have to judge whether or not it's too hot though with your pot though...

 

[elucify]

Perhaps the OP needs to find a strain of When I start fermenting my first batch I plan on buying 2 cases of "something I really like" that comes in pry off bottles. That should force me to wait at least a few days before bottling.

After drinking two cases of beer, you'll be lucky if you can remember where you left the fermenter. :cross:

 

[Skarekrough]

I would suggest taking some time and sitting down and writing out some observations.

After every brew I make I write down notes about it. I note techniques I may have tried during it, any anomalies during the process, anything that was slightly off or different.

Use this as a good reference to go back and question whether your techniques are sound, what you might want to improve upon, simplify, etc.

 

[mtbiker278]

Well I took people's advice and went out to get another primary and some ingredients from the LHBS. I took a recipe from Palmer's book for the Victory and Chaos IPA. The LHBS didn't have the London Ale yeast that the recipe called for, but they suggested using S-04.

I got to try out my new burner, and my homemade wort chiller, and both worked awesomely. I did crank on the burner when I was trying to get up to my steeping temp, and again trying to achieve boil. I've read more about the boil gravity and why you don't want all you extract in the boil. However, I don't know if the chapter I read talked about the changing of the boil gravity as water evaporate (along with other stuff). In an effort to keep things constant I added about 2 quarts of water along with my final hop addition during the last 15min of the boil. The final volume was maintain at 3gal. Do people just use4 the BG as a starting point and let whatever evaporate without keeping the target volume? Either way I don't think it'll matter much.

The other observations I ran into were of logistical difficulty. I put my wort chiller into the boil with about 10 mins left. I pinned the hop bags to the bottom of the pot. Realizing this I tried to get them up to the top to no avail. Again I'm not sure if this is really a problem, and could possible by better as sometime that hop bag doesn't always submerge. The other issue I ran into was figuring out how to aerate the wort that'll go into the carboy. I've seen people shake their carboy, but I wasn't going to directly pour my wort from the pot into there (no funnel). So instead I put the wort in my bottling bucket, filled to 5gal, and used the spigot to fill the carboy. It seemed to work pretty well. Except then I had to add the yeast. I tried to get a vigorous swirl going on when I starter pouring the yeast in, but it still clumped together(poured to fast). However I would say everything seemed to turn out ok. About 5 hours later I started to see activity in the airlock and bubbles on the side. After about 12 hours my girlfriend sent me a message with the following.

I told her to pull the airlock out and let it go. I came home a couple hours later to assess the damage. Fortunately this was in our guest bathroom tub so it was an easy mess to clean up. the activity had settle down by then so I wiped off the Krausen froth, inserted the airlock with fresh sanitized water, and dosed the primary in sanitizer to keep stuff from growing on it. Neddless to say after my first batch I wasn't expecting this to happen. It was only 1 packet of the S-04, but I guess this yeast just really takes off. Next stop will be homedepot for some 1" tubing.

 

[jfr1111]

A blowoff tube is always a good idea.

 

[sensibull]

Seeing pictures like that makes me wonder if I am doing something wrong. I ferment 5 gallons (give or take) in a 6.5 gallon carboy and my krausen has never even come close to blowing out the airlock. What temperature was that fermenting at, mtbiker?