First batch ever in my primary! I am excited.

[jaylakejr]

I just brewed my first batch about 10 days ago, the anticipation is killing me. I am leaving it in my primary for a total of 21 days before I bottle. The recipe goes as follows:

2 lb Light DME
4 lb Pale LME
.56 lb Cystal Malt 80L
.56 lb Roasted Barley
.31 lb Flaked Barley
1 oz Fuggles
.5 oz East Kent
White Labs Irish Ale Yeast

Starting gravity was 1.044

I had a nice bit of activity from the air lock for the first 3 days now it has completely stopped. I am slightly concerned that it didn't completely ferment, because I wasn't aware that the white labs yeast is under pressure and lets just say I lost a little. I also am afraid to open the bucket to get a sample to read the gravity as I don't want introducing anything to my brew that will ruin it. Either way, it is the first time I have ever brewed and I am just looking forward to bottling and tasting. It was great fun and is already becoming a slight obsession. As my wife is watching tv in the evening I am on my Ipad reading about brewing and ordering equipment and ingredients.

 

[kh54s10]

Congratulations. It sounds like you have a great beer in the making. I see nothing wrong in what you have mentioned except that it might have been better to make a yeast starter.

mrmalty.com
and
yeastcalc.com
have information on starters. There is also a sticky somewhere on this site.

 

[Leggoma]

I don't think taking a gravity reading will do anything to your beer as long as you sanitize everything that will touch the beer and take care not to splash the beer around to avoid oxidation. I took 3 gravity readings after my first beer was it was fermenting and it seems to have come out fine.

 

[jaylakejr]

I think I was more concerned with oxidation than with sanitizing. But I will sanitize my thief and take a reading tonight and see where we are. Thanks!

 

[unionrdr]

The airlock bubbling usually slows down or stops when initial fermentation is done. In your case,after 3 days. It then slowly ferments down to FG. So relax,it's normal. Take an FG sample to see where you are.
When you get a stable FG,let it sit another 3-7 days to settle out clear or slightly misty.

 

[steber]

It's definitely an obsession that never stops! Sounds like your own your way to a great beer! Welcome to HBT! I see you're a fellow Pennsylvanian!

 

[gMonkey]

Hey, I brewed my first batch about the same day as you! We are probably on the same schedule for bottling. I'm using a secondary, though, for two reasons: (1) because it came with the kit, and (2) my primary will also be used as the bottling bucket. When I crack my first beer, I will give you a silent toast

 

[beergolf]

Welcome to the hobby/addiction...

Your first brew is special. Learning the art of patience is probably the hardest part about brewing. When I first started, I spent some much time reading upon brewing here on HBT that my wife called it my beer porn.

You might as well go buy another fermenter so you can brew another batch. A good pipeline make the wait soooooooo much easier. I did 4 brews before I even tasted my
first.

I now have a bunch of fermenters always going and a big supply of many different brews to pick from.

 

[jaylakejr]

Thanks for all the replies! I actually was out this evening buying another fermenter and ingredients. Second batch is in my 6 gal carboy!

 

[jaylakejr]

Just got a gravity reading from my first batch

SG 1.045
FG 1.014

Had a taste and I am pretty happy with it. I am going to let it sit until the 19th then I bottle.

 

[webgodhog]

Congrats on the first batch! Welcome to the hobby and let the insanity commence. :rockin:

 

[jaylakejr]

Bottled and Carbonated! Tasted good... However has a weird banana taste to it.... anyone know why that might be? I expected something a bit more dry and smoky. Like i said its good just not what I expected.

 

[webgodhog]

Do you know what temperature you fermented at? Typically Irish Ale Yeast won't produce esters\diacetyl (what you are tasting), but a high fermentation temperature can cause the yeast to produce higher quantites of each

 

[jaylakejr]

It was probably in the low to mid 70's

 

[webgodhog]

White Labs recommends 65-68 degrees for the fermentation temperature (http://www.whitelabs.com/beer/strains_wlp004.html)

Fermenting in the low to mid 70s can very well produce esters. Do you have a way to control the temperature? The swamp method is a cheap way to do this.

 

[jaylakejr]

I just got a cheapo refrigerator in my garage. Next batch I make will be temperature controlled. I got it for carbing my kegs but looks like I will be needing it to control my ferm temps too.

 

[jaylakejr]

Just another update. I had a six pack in the fridge since Monday. Monday tastes like Bananas... today tastes like AWESOME! No more banana, now smokey, dry and clean.