1st time brewing beer, so i have some questions that I could not specifically find in the forums even though I am sure it is in here 100x.
I brewed a 5 gal batch of extract big ben pale ale and put it into the first fermentation bucket where it has sat in a 75 degree house the entire time (currently aprox 13 days now). The OG was 1.045 and FG was 1.020. I know this is a low yield and comes to aprox. 2.75% ABV (which I am ok with since it is my first time), but here are my issues that I am hoping you guys can help out with:
Here is a background of the yeast as well and the mistake I made which may change your answer. I purchased the kits, yeast, etc. and then went on vacation for a couple of weeks, so the yeast sat in a box in my house (not refrigerated) for aprox 1.5 weeks. I immediately put the yeast in the fridge and hoped it was not dead (I live in South Florida). After cooling the wort, I threw in the yeast and watched the air lock to see what would happen since I have no idea what to expect. I saw no krausen at all and the airlock did bubble for about a day and then stopped. I let this sit for about 8 days before I took the gravity reading which brought it to 1.020. My first thought was the yeast was not as "active" as it should have been based off of the reading, so I decided put another vile of the same yeast in it hoping it would convert the rest of the sugar (if any) left. There was a residue ring around the top of the bucket as well when I initially opened it. I want to siphon it out tonight and put it into the carboy for stage 2 fermentation and I was curious everyone's thoughts/suggestions so far:
1: With no Krausen, but a change in gravity, am I still ok to move to the carboy?
2. Would you have added yeast like I did just to see what happens or would you have been fine with the gravity change and just move it to the carboy regardless of krausen, etc.?
3. To raise the ABV can I add maltodextrin to the fermentation bucket at anytime since there is excess yeast in it already and that would raise the ABV?
-If so, do you know where I can find a forum link on how to do this, since I know it is never as simple as adding sugar
4. In relation to Carbonation, I am confused as to how this part happens. If I xfer it to the carboy tonight, I assume it will just look like a flat pale ale which I will keep (at what temperature?) in a room for aprox another week or so? I do not have a keg system, so I am curious when and how to add the carbonation and what exactly comes next. I honestly have read quite a few answers on the forum, but I figured I would rather ask in my own way so I could get a more direct answer.
5. Do I need to do anything while the beer is in the carboy, or just let it sit for about a week (what temperature is recommended as well)?
6. After the carboy is done sitting and I want to move it to the bottles, does carbonation happen at this time? If so, how? Do I add the carbonation method while at the fermentation to carboy stage or carboy to bottle stage?
-How again do I do this in a newbie technical way?
I cant thank all of you enough as I am kinda going solo on this and this is a big learning curve for anyone just starting out.
I brewed a 5 gal batch of extract big ben pale ale and put it into the first fermentation bucket where it has sat in a 75 degree house the entire time (currently aprox 13 days now). The OG was 1.045 and FG was 1.020. I know this is a low yield and comes to aprox. 2.75% ABV (which I am ok with since it is my first time), but here are my issues that I am hoping you guys can help out with:
Here is a background of the yeast as well and the mistake I made which may change your answer. I purchased the kits, yeast, etc. and then went on vacation for a couple of weeks, so the yeast sat in a box in my house (not refrigerated) for aprox 1.5 weeks. I immediately put the yeast in the fridge and hoped it was not dead (I live in South Florida). After cooling the wort, I threw in the yeast and watched the air lock to see what would happen since I have no idea what to expect. I saw no krausen at all and the airlock did bubble for about a day and then stopped. I let this sit for about 8 days before I took the gravity reading which brought it to 1.020. My first thought was the yeast was not as "active" as it should have been based off of the reading, so I decided put another vile of the same yeast in it hoping it would convert the rest of the sugar (if any) left. There was a residue ring around the top of the bucket as well when I initially opened it. I want to siphon it out tonight and put it into the carboy for stage 2 fermentation and I was curious everyone's thoughts/suggestions so far:
1: With no Krausen, but a change in gravity, am I still ok to move to the carboy?
2. Would you have added yeast like I did just to see what happens or would you have been fine with the gravity change and just move it to the carboy regardless of krausen, etc.?
3. To raise the ABV can I add maltodextrin to the fermentation bucket at anytime since there is excess yeast in it already and that would raise the ABV?
-If so, do you know where I can find a forum link on how to do this, since I know it is never as simple as adding sugar
4. In relation to Carbonation, I am confused as to how this part happens. If I xfer it to the carboy tonight, I assume it will just look like a flat pale ale which I will keep (at what temperature?) in a room for aprox another week or so? I do not have a keg system, so I am curious when and how to add the carbonation and what exactly comes next. I honestly have read quite a few answers on the forum, but I figured I would rather ask in my own way so I could get a more direct answer.
5. Do I need to do anything while the beer is in the carboy, or just let it sit for about a week (what temperature is recommended as well)?
6. After the carboy is done sitting and I want to move it to the bottles, does carbonation happen at this time? If so, how? Do I add the carbonation method while at the fermentation to carboy stage or carboy to bottle stage?
-How again do I do this in a newbie technical way?
I cant thank all of you enough as I am kinda going solo on this and this is a big learning curve for anyone just starting out.