First Batch! is complete and in the bottles (Trials and Tribulations)

[310brew]

In this post I will explain my first time brewing process and point out where I made mistakes.

First Step: Sanitized everything with Star San (primary bucket, siphon, brew kettle, stirring spoon, etc)

Recipe:
6.6lbs Golden Light LME
2oz Challenger hops
2oz Cascade hops
Safale-05 Dry Yeast
3 Gallons of h20 in the boil / add 2 gallons h20 after boil done = 5gal

Steps:
Bring 3 gallons water to a boil
60 min - add 3.3lbs LME
60 min - add 1.0oz Challenger
45 min - add .5oz Challenger
30 min - add 3.3lbs LME
30 min - add .5oz challenger
15 min - add .5oz cascade
0 min - add .5oz cascade

NO LID AT ANY POINT

After 60 minute boil reduce temp to 85*F as quickly as possible using ice bath.

Siphon beer from brew kettle to primary and then balance the temp out with an addition of 2gal tap water to equal 5 gallons. (I was slightly over 5gal mark) then add 1 packet of safale-05
(Mistake #1)
(---I did not properly aerate/mix the wort up and just added yeast on top after siphoning ALSO I disregarded getting my SG (ugh)---)

Put the lid on the primary bucket, fill airlock with sanitizer and seal everything up.

After roughly 12-15 hours I could see the airlock bubbling away and I was happy! In about 48 hours I could see the shadow of kraussen built up and the airlock was still going strong. After the 5th day the airlock started to die out and so I opened up the lid and took a peak. The kraussen had just about all the way disappeared and I at that time I added 1oz of cascade hops to it. I let it sit for another 4-5 days. During this time the airlock would bubble about once every 2 minutes, but i was following the recipe which said at least 10 days in fermentation. On day 10 I decided to still take a FG even though I did not have an SG. It read about 1.011 and so I decided to let it sit one more day and take another reading which also read 1.011 so I figured it is time to bottle. (Either it was done fermenting or it was stuck)

Bottling Day:
I sanitized all equipment I needed in a bath of star san and let it dry out. I moved the primary to a chair in my kitchen and placed the bottling bucket below this and got the siphon started.
(Mistake #2)
(---I realized once the transfer was about 1/2 way complete that I forgot to get the priming sugar ready and place in the bucket before I started my transfer!---)
I quickly boiled 1 cup of water with 3/4 cup of corn sugar (pre packaged) and added it with a gentle stirring motion using my sanitized beer bottle wand.

Sigh of relief

I bottled everything up using a mixture of 12oz and 22oz glass bottles which were all bathed in star san and dried previously. I stuck all the bottles in a cupboard which stays at around 65-68*F.

After 3 days I decided to sacrifice one as a tester to check how the carbonation was coming along and to again get a gravity reading with my hydrometer.

The gravity was the same 1.011-1.012, but to my surprise the first one I opened had a good amount of carbonation. I was worried that it had so much carbonation after such a short time, but I figured maybe that bottle had more priming sugar and that my mix wasn't great. I tried another one and it had less, but still more than I expected after only 3 days. I decided to put one in the fridge for most of the day and come night time I opened it and it did not have nearly as much as the other two I tried.

Currently I am wondering if I should put all of the bottles in a fridge to slow down any yeast creating an over abundance of carbonation, but I want to make sure the beer has enough time to sit and mellow out.

The flavor tasted bitter, dry, I could taste the hops, but it wasn't gross. I did not get any green-apple or vinegar taste so I don't know how to explain the over carbonation in the bottles I checked that were bottle condition temps opposed to the one I tried in the fridge temp.

This is where I am at
I just don't want any to explode!

Cheers,
Russ

 

[ongreystreet]

If you had a FG of 1.011 and complete fermentation, it seems unlikely you'll get bottle bombs.

What do you consider a sign of over carbonation? I imagine a gusher of beer shooting two feet up in the air like someone had just shaken the bottle with a paint mixer, and even that much pressure probably wouldn't pop a cap off itself.

I would leave it alone for at least two weeks, before putting it in the fridge for another week before sampling again.

 

[ButcherBrew]

If you had a FG of 1.011 and complete fermentation, it seems unlikely you'll get bottle bombs.

What do you consider a sign of over carbonation? I imagine a gusher of beer shooting two feet up in the air like someone had just shaken the bottle with a paint mixer, and even that much pressure probably wouldn't pop a cap off itself.

I would leave it alone for at least two weeks, before putting it in the fridge for another week before sampling again.

+1
You are fine.....and congrats on your first batch! :rockin:

 

[dan09554]

Congrats on the first brew! I too, just finished my first homebrew. My second is a 2 weeks into the fermentation. I am in no way gonna try and critique your process. However, I don't think you should let the starsan dry. From what I understand, Starsan works best when left wet.
I tried my first bottle of brew after 5 days and it was good. It had a thin head and minimal carbonation. After 14 days in the bottle I Took a 12 pack over to a friends house this weekend and it was a big hit. It had much better and smoother taste, better carbonation. All said and done I was VERY pleased. If i was to offer anything it would be to give it a little more time.
Just want to thank everyone on these forums for such great information.
Good luck 310

Dan

 

[SumnerH]

Your OG was right around 1.045. With extract brewing, calculating the OG from the extract additions is often even more accurate than measuring it.

Waiting at least 10 days in primary fermentation is good (2 weeks would maybe be better taste-wise, but 10 days is okay).

At an OG of 1.045, 1.011 is a reasonable FG (75.5% apparent attenuation). The fact that it was steady there for 2 consecutive days is also a nice indicator. Ideally, skip a day between readings to really make sure that things are stable (if it's 1.011 on Thursday, don't take the 2nd reading until Saturday--if it's still 1.011, you're good to go).

But from what you've told us, it was good to bottle. Ideally you measure the priming sugar by weight, but the variance there shouldn't be enough to make a danger of bottle bombs.

Leave the bottles out for 2-3 weeks before thinking about moving to the fridge. Refrigerate overnight--2 days is better--before opening (to let CO2 enter suspension). But don't feel the need to put them all in the fridge--assuming no infections, your process was good and they should be fine sitting in the closet or wherever until a couple of days before you want to drink them.

Obviously if they start gushing or being crazy then you need to pay attention, but it sounds like you're good to go.

 

[310brew]

What do you consider a sign of over carbonation?

The first one I opened had enough carbonation to kick up particles from the bottom which I just did nto expect. This was after only 3 days of being in the bottle. I had expected a small hiss, a few bubbles, but nothing more than that.

After hours of reading I have come to the conclusion that I did not mix up the sugar well enough and some bottles may have too much. I will take advice from the experienced members here and from other posts I have read and let it sit back and relax.

Hmm, I can't RDWHAHB because all of my HB is condition, but I will RDWHABrew ;-)