First batch blunders...some advice needed

[MotoMatt]

Got my first batch into the primary last night not without drama of course. So, the questions, I accidentally boiled over my wort while grabbing a bandaid for my cut finger(damn lme can lid), lost about .25 to .5 gal, went on as scheduled though and everything seems fine. Cooled my wort after the boil to about 75 degrees and then added the water to bring the og up to 1.062 all in all it made about 4 gallons. Now I have it all in the primary with the yeast pitched and fermentation going strong as far as I can tell. My worry is this, in the cooling process I stirred the wort, which never let it settle, so I poured the whole works into the primary, I plan to dispense into the secondary in several days, leaving the settled contents in the primary, will I be ok? Hope so. For your info I use a BB IPA kit. Also, I could use any tips going forward because I never want to use another extract kit again if at all possible.

Thanks,

Matt

 

[Dan2539]

You will be fine, the bit of trub you poured in won't hurt it... especially if you plan on racking to secondary. As for the volume concerns, you should be just fine considering you diluted to hit your og mark instead of your five gallon mark.

 

[Suthrncomfrt1884]

I'd stick with extract until you can at least get the hang of formulating recipes and the general process down pat. No worries on the hot/cold break in the fermenter. Plenty of people do this with no ill effects. Try using a strainer next time though, it will make racking to secondary (or bottling bucket/keg) much easier.

 

[marubozo]

Yep, don't worry about all the trub. A lot of people don't bother to strain or anything and just dump darn near everything into the fermenter. Even if you don't secondary that stuff will settle and compact a bit on the bottom and it's easy enough to rack the beer from on top of it.

 

[PolishLogic]

I poured the vast majority of the trub into my primary on my first two batches, and they both taste just fine (actually they taste phenomenal, if I may toot my own horn).

 

[wendelgee2]

I plan to dispense into the secondary in several days, leaving the settled contents in the primary, will I be ok?

You should really leave it for at least 2 weeks in the primary. If you want to secondary at that point, that's up to you. As far as I'm concerned, secondaries are for secondary fermentations (meaning adding fruit, honey, bacteria, or oaking).

 

[MotoMatt]

Thanks for all the quick responses, the theory I have is in about 5-7 days the fermentation slows, placing into a secondary will jumpstart it back to life, leave it for two weeks or so and watch the fermentation stop, prime, bottle and condition for another few weeks then enjoy. Let me know if I am way off base here.

 

[wendelgee2]

Thanks for all the quick responses, the theory I have is in about 5-7 days the fermentation slows, placing into a secondary will jumpstart it back to life, leave it for two weeks or so and watch the fermentation stop, prime, bottle and condition for another few weeks then enjoy. Let me know if I am way off base here.

Yeah...that's not really how it works.

Think of it this way: You and 100 friends are trying to eat all of the food at an all-you-can-eat buffet. You all eat until you just about can't take it anymore, but there's still some left. So, you get rid of 90 of your friends so that you'll have a better chance of finishing the remaining food on the buffet.

That doesn't really make sense. You see? You're better off having all of your yeast present when trying to finish out the last bit of fermentation.

 

[MotoMatt]

How will I not have all the yeast present if I transfer to a secondary in a week? Not that I don't believe you but tell me how and why if you could.

 

[wendelgee2]

How will I not have all the yeast present if I transfer to a secondary in a week? Not that I don't believe you but tell me how and why if you could.

Sure.
When you rack into secondary, you're leaving behind an inch or two of yeast. That yeast SEEMS like it's crapped out and not doing anything, but that's not true. Most of that yeast is just slowed down, but it's still munching...slowly. So, when you rack, you are taking all of that yeast sitting at the bottom of the fermenter out of play...it can't sit and lazily munch anymore. The only yeast left to finish the job is the comparatively few that are still in suspension.

Worse than that, what yeast munches on once it's out of food entirely are its fermentation byproducts...things like acetaldehyde, and diacetyl...compounds that produce off-flavors in beer. So, longer contact with more yeast means cleaner-tasting beer.

 

[wawawrx]

Sure.
When you rack into secondary, you're leaving behind an inch or two of yeast. That yeast SEEMS like it's crapped out and not doing anything, but that's not true. Most of that yeast is just slowed down, but it's still munching...slowly. So, when you rack, you are taking all of that yeast sitting at the bottom of the fermenter out of play...it can't sit and lazily munch anymore. The only yeast left to finish the job is the comparatively few that are still in suspension.

Worse than that, what yeast munches on once it's out of food entirely are its fermentation byproducts...things like acetaldehyde, and diacetyl...compounds that produce off-flavors in beer. So, longer contact with more yeast means cleaner-tasting beer.

so not to thread jack here, but you seem like you would recommend 2.5 weeks in the primary and then straight to bottles over the 1-2-3, no?

 

[wendelgee2]

so not to thread jack here, but you seem like you would recommend 2.5 weeks in the primary and then straight to bottles over the 1-2-3, no?

Yes. Absolutely. I think the kit makers out there who recommend 1-2-3 are a) assuming that people are incredibly impatient b) are basing their instructions on outdated fears about autolysis.

Also, if we know O2 is the biggest enemy to beer, why add another step in the process where you expose your beer to O2?

 

[marubozo]

so not to thread jack here, but you seem like you would recommend 2.5 weeks in the primary and then straight to bottles over the 1-2-3, no?

A lot of people don't bother with secondary at all unless they are bulk aging a bigger beer, dry hopping, or adding fruit or oak or something. For most beers and styles the secondary isn't going to clear it any more than leaving it in the primary for the same amount of time.

It won't hurt to transfer to secondary, but IMO if you don't need to, don't bother. It's just added work and one more opportunity for contamination/oxidation to take place.

 

[wendelgee2]

As far as I'm concerned, I did three things to take my beer from "meh" to "mmm."

1) make an appropriate starter
2) temperature control
3) leave beer in the primary for 3 weeks.

 

[wawawrx]

Yes. Absolutely. I think the kit makers out there who recommend 1-2-3 are a) assuming that people are incredibly impatient b) are basing their instructions on outdated fears about autolysis.

Also, if we know O2 is the biggest enemy to beer, why add another step in the process where you expose your beer to O2?

last i checked, 2.5 weeks in the primary and 3 weeks in the bottle is less than 1-2-3

i'm up in the air right now. been 10 days, i have the option of racking or leaving it. it's my first brew as well, i think i'm going to leave it until next wednesday (brewed last sunday)

 

[wendelgee2]

last i checked, 2.5 weeks in the primary and 3 weeks in the bottle is less than 1-2-3

Hey! You're right! Maybe that first reason is bull****...

 

[JohnnyO]

Rules of thumb like 1-2-3 or 3 weeks in primary then keg/bottle are fine and dandy. But they're just rules of thumb.

If you want to be sure, rely on your hydrometer. When you have reached a gravity within range of the expected FG and you get that exact result three days in a row, then you can rack.

 

[wendelgee2]

Rules of thumb like 1-2-3 or 3 weeks in primary then keg/bottle are fine and dandy. But they're just rules of thumb.

If you want to be sure, rely on your hydrometer. When you have reached a gravity within range of the expected FG and you get that exact result three days in a row, then you can rack.

Definitely. But I start doing this after three weeks. I really think there's a benefit of leaving the beer on the yeast even after it is completely done fermenting.

 

[Niederhofer]

I usually do a min of 2 in primary, and 2 in secondary, and in keg long enough to carb. Once it's in the keg it's too hard to resist.

Also, check out fermcap to avoid boilovers in the future and +1 to yeast starters.

 

[wawawrx]

Rules of thumb like 1-2-3 or 3 weeks in primary then keg/bottle are fine and dandy. But they're just rules of thumb.

If you want to be sure, rely on your hydrometer. When you have reached a gravity within range of the expected FG and you get that exact result three days in a row, then you can rack.

rule of thumb? can't do much damage with that... should have been the rule of wrist!!!

 

[thristy]

If you think you had problems with this brew you will be way in over your head with all grain brewing better stick with extract for a little while just hone you skills more you have to walk before you run...

 

[JohnnyO]

rule of thumb? can't do much damage with that... should have been the rule of wrist!!!

WIN!! Great movie!!