dawn_kiebawls
Lawncare and Landscaping enthusiast
- Joined
- Jun 10, 2017
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After bottling up my first ever batch of home-brew and setting it in a deep dark corner for the next few weeks, I decided to sit back and consider all the many lessons I learned along the way.
Keep in mind, I am a total rookie so please don't laugh at me! out loud at least..
1. Before I even started cooking the wort, I toiled over the sanitizing solution obsessing over any possible contamination threats from a brand new brew kit.
30 minutes after I pitched, I immediately began researching 'how to tell if my beer is infected!'
Lesson learned? trust in my sanitizing methods and smile as my previous years spent working in and cleaning butcher shops and meat markets is finally coming into practical use
2. 36 hours after pitching, my airlock stopped. Panic sets in. First thought? Immediately sanitize a stir spoon, remove lid of fermenter to check for signs of infection or stalled fermentation and stir!
Lessons learned? The airlock is NOT an indicator of whether or not fermentation is finished. Also, do NOT risk infection/oxidation by opening fermenter unnecessarily or introducing foreign objects. Even if they're sanitized.
3. My ferment bucket was parked in the corner of my apartment under my AC register, which was set to 70 degrees. The directions said to ferment between 65 and 70 degrees, so I thought I would be alright.
Lessons learned? WRONG! Through the fermentation process, heat is generated causing the internal temperature to be higher than the ambient air temp. In reality, I finally checked that funny little thermo-strip on the side of my bucket (I knew it was on there for some reason!) and I was sitting at approximately 74 the entire time...
4. When it came time to bottle I was so excited! I picked out the bottles I thought my girlfriend would like (she loves the 'cute' types. Redstripe type stubbies, Anchor bottles and other pretty labels). I get them all cleaned, rinsed, sanitized and filled. Time to cap. MY WING CAPPER DOES NOT CAP THE 12+ ANCHOR BOTTLES I PREPPED AND FILLED! I panic, and gently pour the beer back into the bottling bucket while I do my best to clean and *hopefully* sanitize enough bottles to finish. Come to find out I wouldn't have had enough bottles to finish even if I could have capped them.
Lessons learned? Test your equipment before its 'go time'. Also, take the time to count and think the process through before you're up the creek!
Fifth and final. I spent a lot of money, time and energy to brew this first batch of mine. Following directions to a T, studying my book for a week prior to brew day, stressing, staring at my airlock 20 minutes a day for 2 weeks, stressing more and finally bottling. As much as I read and obsessed, I could not accept the fact that I'm a n00b and mistakes will be made! A lot of them, in fact..
Lessons learned? RELAX! To me, this is about fun and learning along the way. That means making mistakes and learning from them! I needed to simply trust in my processes, be patient and enjoy the fact that I'm brewing my own beer!
If anyone is still left at the end of this novel, thank you for reading and not judging to harshly! I made MANY more idiotic mistakes along the way that I am either to embarrassed to include here or I would just rather forget the fact that I did something so stupid! In any case, thank you again for the read and I hope this can possibly somehow help a fellow rookie on their journey!
Keep in mind, I am a total rookie so please don't laugh at me! out loud at least..
1. Before I even started cooking the wort, I toiled over the sanitizing solution obsessing over any possible contamination threats from a brand new brew kit.
30 minutes after I pitched, I immediately began researching 'how to tell if my beer is infected!'
Lesson learned? trust in my sanitizing methods and smile as my previous years spent working in and cleaning butcher shops and meat markets is finally coming into practical use
2. 36 hours after pitching, my airlock stopped. Panic sets in. First thought? Immediately sanitize a stir spoon, remove lid of fermenter to check for signs of infection or stalled fermentation and stir!
Lessons learned? The airlock is NOT an indicator of whether or not fermentation is finished. Also, do NOT risk infection/oxidation by opening fermenter unnecessarily or introducing foreign objects. Even if they're sanitized.
3. My ferment bucket was parked in the corner of my apartment under my AC register, which was set to 70 degrees. The directions said to ferment between 65 and 70 degrees, so I thought I would be alright.
Lessons learned? WRONG! Through the fermentation process, heat is generated causing the internal temperature to be higher than the ambient air temp. In reality, I finally checked that funny little thermo-strip on the side of my bucket (I knew it was on there for some reason!) and I was sitting at approximately 74 the entire time...
4. When it came time to bottle I was so excited! I picked out the bottles I thought my girlfriend would like (she loves the 'cute' types. Redstripe type stubbies, Anchor bottles and other pretty labels). I get them all cleaned, rinsed, sanitized and filled. Time to cap. MY WING CAPPER DOES NOT CAP THE 12+ ANCHOR BOTTLES I PREPPED AND FILLED! I panic, and gently pour the beer back into the bottling bucket while I do my best to clean and *hopefully* sanitize enough bottles to finish. Come to find out I wouldn't have had enough bottles to finish even if I could have capped them.
Lessons learned? Test your equipment before its 'go time'. Also, take the time to count and think the process through before you're up the creek!
Fifth and final. I spent a lot of money, time and energy to brew this first batch of mine. Following directions to a T, studying my book for a week prior to brew day, stressing, staring at my airlock 20 minutes a day for 2 weeks, stressing more and finally bottling. As much as I read and obsessed, I could not accept the fact that I'm a n00b and mistakes will be made! A lot of them, in fact..
Lessons learned? RELAX! To me, this is about fun and learning along the way. That means making mistakes and learning from them! I needed to simply trust in my processes, be patient and enjoy the fact that I'm brewing my own beer!
If anyone is still left at the end of this novel, thank you for reading and not judging to harshly! I made MANY more idiotic mistakes along the way that I am either to embarrassed to include here or I would just rather forget the fact that I did something so stupid! In any case, thank you again for the read and I hope this can possibly somehow help a fellow rookie on their journey!
