Fermenting and the anxiety that follows

[jonnyp1980]

Lets see now. It's been almost 5 days now since I put my first batch in the primary. Replaced my blowoff and put the airlock back. It blubs every now and again. I want to look. A quick peak i think ill just take a reading. Everytime I walk past it I think about it. I need help lol.

 

[thisoneguy]

Just leave it! Take a reading after another week.

 

[jonnyp1980]

Just leave it! Take a reading after another week.

Haha. I'm leaving it. Just the suspense is killin me.

 

[tom9d]

I hear ya. Waiting is difficult.

 

[solbes]

I wish I could say it gets easier. I still check my temps and airlocks quite a bit and I'm 20 batches into this addiction.

Having a good pipeline of finished beer helps with patience though. Last spring I had a great pipeline, didn't brew during the sumemr b/c of a hot basement. Bam, first 2 batches in the fall and I was checking like crazy again. I'm better now

 

[LiquidFlame]

I hate waiting as well. I just keep thinking about it and then I end up brewing another beer to keep my mind off it. Only problem is then I starting thinking about two beers constantly.

 

[jonnyp1980]

I hate waiting as well. I just keep thinking about it and then I end up brewing another beer to keep my mind off it. Only problem is then I starting thinking about two beers constantly.

My head would explode if I had two primaries going lol. Soon as I rack into a secondary I'm brewing another though. Get that pipeline started.

 

[Beer-lord]

Yea, definitely start another one a week or so apart. Then you'll have a good pipeline and be busy enough not to perv at the fermenter all the time.

 

[GoodDogShelby]

My first batch has been in the bottle for a week and my second is in its third week in the primary. I am ready to move into my third. BUT WAIT.... I have to travel for business for the next two weeks. I won't be home long enough to cut my grass.

Do you think the batch in the primary will be okay without me? Will it miss me? Will it suffer the separation anxiety that I undoubtedly will suffer? And what of the new 8 gal S.S. brew kettle the UPS guy brought on Monday? I am afraid that if I don't get that next batch in soon the bottom will rust out in the next two weeks!!

This is not the hobby for the impatient! At least I can rest in the thought that when I get back, my first batch should be bottle conditioned and ready to sample.

 

[ludomonster]

You can leave it in the primary for 3 weeks and skip the secondary altogether. You only really need the secondary for things like adding fruit and dry hopping.

 

[solbes]

Batch has been in primary for 3 weeks. So you could:

A) Do nothing, I think 5 weeks is probably ok. I would bottle within a day or two of arriving home though.
B) Rack to secondary. This gives you the most flexibility. Bottle whenever you feel like it.
C) Bottle. It's probably ready if the original gravity was 1.060 or less. Verify fermentation is complete before proceding.

Rust in that new BK is a concern. I'll PM you my home address so we put it to use right away!

 

[cmybeer]

Waiting sucks! You can justify constantly checking it by making sure the fermentation temps are correct but once it's done and just sitting there is when it gets hard. Every time I think about brewing I think about my 12.9% ABV Barleywine sitting in the basement by itslef. I'm waiting until July to bottle and then until at a minimum September to drink. It's killing me, especially because it tasted dangerously good right out of the fermenter.

At least I dressed it up in a old Golden Girls T-Shirt to keep it company.

 

[Robms88]

It is difficult, but I find the most difficult part is that each batch produces such different results. I use different yeast, different kits, different everything and I am constantly asking myself "is this normal for what I have done?" It usually ends up OK, I have never had infection. However, I have had so much sediment in my bottles that a lot was wasted on the pour of the beer. The yeast just did not settle out of the beer in the fermenter. I will do a secondary if that happened again.

 

[jonnyp1980]

It is difficult, but I find the most difficult part is that each batch produces such different results. I use different yeast, different kits, different everything and I am constantly asking myself "is this normal for what I have done?" It usually ends up OK, I have never had infection. However, I have had so much sediment in my bottles that a lot was wasted on the pour of the beer. The yeast just did not settle out of the beer in the fermenter. I will do a secondary if that happened again.

I just can't wait to actually taste the final product. Exciting and depressing so early in the fermentation process. 5 days down another 5 to 10 day to go