(Final Attempt) Switch to AG: Worried

[RunLongVT]

I assume you mean that it did not fit the style on Brewer's Friend. (Such a great tool. I love playing with recipes and all the calculators on there...) That may be true. Personally, I wouldn't make an ale with so few hops, but that's me. I wouldn't worry about it a bit.

 

[RM-MN]

Any thoughts whether or not 3 oz whole leaf nugget hops is enough for 5gal APA? I know you can't really measure or know what to expect from whole leaf. But brewers friend said it too much.

For bittering? I'd say that for my beer that would be 3 times what would be needed. I don't like my beers extra bitter.

 

[TheCADJockey]

Thanks for the input guys. Had a really smooth go making a SMaSH last night to give the homegrown Nugget hops a test run. Also, it is the first time I used campden tabs and a swamp cooler to control fermentation temps. I've got ferm temp sitting perfectly at 60* whereas previous beers sat with an ambient temp of 72* or higher. I also took the hot wort outside last night in a water bath and got it chilled to 60* real fast before pitching the yeast! Again, previously I was never able to chill it that low before pitching. I hope these are big steps in making a better beer.

It is now 9 hours later and there is no visible activity in the airlock. I am not really concerned yet, I hope to see some action by the time I get home from work later but it is the first time US05 has not kicked it into high gear overnight for me. The one concern I do have though, is that I messed up my recipe slightly... I had made the recipe on Brewersfriend with 6 pounds of DME... I did this because I was sure that is what I had at home. It wasn't until I was in full swing that I realized I only had 5 pounds. That being said, the recipe predicted 1.054 OG and in actuality I ended up at 1.042. Is this going to have a negative effect on the final product, or will it simply mean a lower ABV?

 

[RM-MN]

Thanks for the input guys. Had a really smooth go making a SMaSH last night to give the homegrown Nugget hops a test run. Also, it is the first time I used campden tabs and a swamp cooler to control fermentation temps. I've got ferm temp sitting perfectly at 60* whereas previous beers sat with an ambient temp of 72* or higher. I also took the hot wort outside last night in a water bath and got it chilled to 60* real fast before pitching the yeast! Again, previously I was never able to chill it that low before pitching. I hope these are big steps in making a better beer.

It is now 9 hours later and there is no visible activity in the airlock. I am not really concerned yet, I hope to see some action by the time I get home from work later but it is the first time US05 has not kicked it into high gear overnight for me. The one concern I do have though, is that I messed up my recipe slightly... I had made the recipe on Brewersfriend with 6 pounds of DME... I did this because I was sure that is what I had at home. It wasn't until I was in full swing that I realized I only had 5 pounds. That being said, the recipe predicted 1.054 OG and in actuality I ended up at 1.042. Is this going to have a negative effect on the final product, or will it simply mean a lower ABV?

At 60 degrees it may take up to 30 hours to show signs of fermentation. That's the downside of starting the ferment so cool. The upside is better flavors in your beer. It's been reported that US-05 will give a "peachy" flavor at 60 degrees so you might want to let it warm up to 65.

I don't think you'll notice much difference in your beer's flavor with the lower OG but you will have less alcohol in it. Just call it a session beer.

 

[TheCADJockey]

At 60 degrees it may take up to 30 hours to show signs of fermentation. That's the downside of starting the ferment so cool. The upside is better flavors in your beer. It's been reported that US-05 will give a "peachy" flavor at 60 degrees so you might want to let it warm up to 65.

I don't think you'll notice much difference in your beer's flavor with the lower OG but you will have less alcohol in it. Just call it a session beer.

Aww man I don't want peeeachy! Nobody wants peachy! I thought I was solid getting a steady fermentation temperature at 60*. I'll take the ice jug out when I get home then. I'm thinking that should let it come up a few more degrees and should sit around 65* then.

 

[TechyDork]

...... There was also a lady working the store that day that I have never seen. A little older than the young guys that work there when I normally come; I assume she is the owner or owners wife. She was amazing! Very sociable and knew so much...Told us a few stories and made us laugh, then gave me a hop candy to try before sending us on our way. I felt like a little kid in a candy store yesterday. Time to get some recipes together and do work.

I found it very intimidating the first few times i went in to my LHBS. At that time it was staffed with younger guys, and i always felt like they were trying to prove to you how much they know about everything without listening to you or helping you understand much as a beginner. One day i was lucky enough to go in when the owner was there and had an experience very similar to yours.

Glad you found the love for brewing again and good luck on your quest to brew better beer. After all isn't that why most of us are on this forum in the first place?

 

[TheCADJockey]

Thanks guy. I'm having so much fun. I do find it stressful. There is just so much info to be had and when I think I progress, I realize I still could've done something better.

 

[SupervisingChildren]

I think we're all here to learn something new and improve our techniques. I brew fairly frequent and have been keeping logs of when I do everything just to see what I can improve upon. At least then I can identify where I may have screwed up and fix it the next time.
Brewing's our hobby, not our job. Don't stress out so much over it. RDWHAHB.

 

[RunLongVT]

Excellent post. I think you need to go through a full brew a couple of times until the process is more or less clear in your mind and then the stress level drops considerably. I also keep a detailed sort of journal that helps avoid making the same mistake twice, and is a great place to write down ideas that occur to you that you might forget between brews, observations about your fermentation, etc. Once you start to feel like you're getting it right, it becomes a pleasure - sure, it's complicated and there are a lot of steps but each one takes you one step closer to your delicious end result.

It's like what building one of those kit airplanes must be like; sure, you could freak out about the complexity and the importance of not screwing up along the way, or you could just take your time and enjoy doing every little step just right because you know that at the end of the process, you're going to have this kick *ss toy to play with.

 

[smccarter]

I recently gave brewing another try this September when I joined HBT and......

- If there is any absolutely necessary equipment I am missing or things to look out for.
- If anyone has any suggestion as to a great recipe to start with. My previous AG attempt was a Hefe, in the middle of summer with unmanageable ferment temps. (result was 60 gushing bottles that tasted like an over-carbonated cider, if you could salvage any of it).

Take a look at this post
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/way-i-brew-beer-all-grain-504231/

 

[Mike_kever_kombi]

Thanks guy. I'm having so much fun. I do find it stressful. There is just so much info to be had and when I think I progress, I realize I still could've done something better.

No updates, and now I see that the keg is kicked. How did it turn out?

 

[TheCADJockey]

Hi! Sorry, I did not end up going all grain yet. I realized I did not have the equipment. The keg of nugget smash went really well, had a little leaking but I think it will be an easy fix.

However, I got a 10 gallon igloo with false bottom and fittings for Xmas as well as a picnic tap and a couple kegs. I'm going to get a bigger brew pot and some sort of burner to move off the stove and step up my game. Now I just need to find my first AG recipe. I'm so excited and nervous but no longer stressed. Everyone's help has really lead me to dial in my process and fix fermentation temp issues.

It's go time now.

 

[jimjohson]

I agree with Foosier. My first attempt at AG ended with 53 12oz gushers(one actually touched the ceiling from the sink) had nothing to do with AG and everything to do with sanitation.

 

[01TRV]

Have you thought about getting a Ward Labs water report? The cheaper W-6 kit will contain all the mineral levels you'd care about for brewing. There are plenty of knowledgeable folks around here to point out any water issues you might have, or even just suggest a style that your water profile is most suited for. There are also some great excel spreadsheets out there for you to punch in your results and help you make adjustments. EZ water, brun water, MpH water calculator, etc are all good options.