First Batch Questions Part 2

[jcounter]

First I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who helped me out today with my questions. However I'm back with more!

After getting home from work today I brought the temperature of the ferment down to about 63-64 and within an hour there was a drop in activity everything slowed and the Krausen seems to have disappeared. Beer looks very cloudy maybe slight bubbling on top and the lava lamp effect is minimal. It's been fermenting since Saturday at 2. Planning to leave it in the primary for 3-4 before moving to bottle. Are things still ok?

 

[seabrew8]

What yeast are you using? Thats pretty low temp IMO. I assume its kit beer?

 

[jcounter]

It's a Midwest extract kit. Yeast was no name just said Brewers yeast. Should I up the temp?

 

[Pantherjon]

Yes...upper 60's to 72 seems to be about the sweet spot from what I have brewed..

 

[FirstAidBrewing]

What style is your kit? 70s may be too high depending on what you are brewing.

 

[jcounter]

It's the Midwest front porch pale ale

 

[seabrew8]

Pale ales are fine in the upper 60's and the activity usually does die down pretty quickly with a kit beer. Do you know the OG?

 

[jcounter]

Unfortunately I don't have a hydrometer yet or even a firm grasp of using one. I plan to get one and use it going forward. I hope this batch will be ok without it.

 

[seabrew8]

Unfortunately I don't have a hydrometer yet or even a firm grasp of using one. I plan to get one and use it going forward. I hope this batch will be ok without it.

Yeah it will be fine. How heavy was the can and did you add anything else? How much water did you use?

I'm asking because if its low gravity it will quickly ferment your wort out in 2-3 days.

 

[jcounter]

It was a partial boil with lme, specialty grains and cascade hops. Did the 60 minute boil it was about 1.5-2 gallons when added to the fermenter topped to 5 gallons.

 

[seabrew8]

It was a partial boil with lme, specialty grains and cascade hops. Did the 60 minute boil it was about 1.5-2 gallons when added to the fermenter topped to 5 gallons.

Nice - probably be a good beer. Yeah i would just keep it at 19C-20C for 10-14 days or so and bottle.

 

[jcounter]

I'll keep er between 65-70 and hope maybe activity will pick up and see what happens. Brewing will teach me to be patient.

 

[seabrew8]

I'll keep er between 65-70 and hope maybe activity will pick up and see what happens. Brewing will teach me to be patient.

Yeah - classic ale yeast will work find in the 18-20C range. Personally, i come to the expectation that it will take at least 4 weeks to make good bottled beer - ~1.050 OG. It sucks but thats the way it goes.

Kegs you can get beer going faster but that was a disaster for me 3 or 4 years back.

 

[seabrew8]

I'll keep er between 65-70 and hope maybe activity will pick up and see what happens. Brewing will teach me to be patient.

I read your first post.

I done close to a dozen open fermentations the last 6 months. They all turned out fine. I did tend to bottle them a little quicker though. Like once all the foam drops i would probably only wait 2-4 days before i bottle.

Thats what i did anyhow.

 

[Brews-Lee]

Personally, i come to the expectation that it will take at least 4 weeks to make good bottled beer - ~1.050 OG.

4 weeks in the fermenter? Or 4 weeks total, (e.g., 2 weeks in the fermenter & 2 weeks bottle conditioning)?

 

[jcounter]

My plan was fermenter 3 weeks and then bottle condition for 2 weeks and then try one.

 

[RM-MN]

1. The active part of the ferment for an ale may only be 2 to 4 days, depending on the temperature of the beer with warmer temps making the time shorter but with the probability of off flavors and fusel alcohol. The fact that yours quit bubbling so soon is no real surprise.
2. The critical time for off flavors to be developed is in the first 2 to 4 days when the ferment is active. Cooling the beer after this period won't reduce the off flavors but may make the yeast quit too early giving you a stalled ferment or simply a higher than expected final gravity and a more malty beer. Once the activity slows you should keep the beer the same temp or let it warm to encourage the yeast to clean up the intermediate compounds of the fermentation.
3. Once the beer has reached final gravity, more time in the fermenter won't change that but it will allow more yeast to settle out and the beer to start maturing. I usually wait the 3 weeks but sometimes even more and when I go longer the amount of yeast in the bottles is less.
4. Giving your beer more time in the bottle to mature is a good idea and my rule of thumb is 3 weeks at room temp. However, I have been known to open one to taste it at a week (just for scientific purposes, you understand). My beers are always better with a little longer wait.

 

[jcounter]

Thanks for the tips. This is very obviously my first brew so I'm expecting it to be a learning exp and guessing there may be some off flavors. I'm keeping the temp pretty consistent (I can only do so much). Any good recommendations for temp control? I'll be sure to let everyone know what happens. I'll put it in bottles on the 6th and then condition for as long as I can.

 

[jcounter]

Also it's going to be tough to drink my way through 5 gallons of bad beer. It would appear I have made a few mistakes. Tap water lightly chlorinated and fermentation temps slightly too high.

 

[McKnuckle]

Also it's going to be tough to drink my way through 5 gallons of bad beer.

It's okay to dump some of it and get working on another batch.

Even once you've become an experienced brewer, this is a good argument for smaller batches! Unfortunately the kits only come in a standard 5 gallon size, and the skill of scaling down a recipe is not one that most beginners readily grasp. But eventually, you'll be able to do that (and it's not rocket science).

I will brew 5 gallons of something that I'm confident will be good, such as a recipe I've done before, but will almost always do 2-3 gallons of anything new. And since I brew a lot of new things, those smaller batches are my standard.

 

[jcounter]

It may turn out fine but I'm guessing slightly chlorinated water and higher temps may have caused some interesting stuff. It's still cloudy and swirly at the moment. I still need to grasp brewing with spring water. Do I need to sanitize the bottles before hand or just dump it on in?

 

[HomebrewSupply]

It may turn out fine but I'm guessing slightly chlorinated water and higher temps may have caused some interesting stuff. It's still cloudy and swirly at the moment. I still need to grasp brewing with spring water. Do I need to sanitize the bottles before hand or just dump it on in?

If it's just chlorinated, you can always filter the water before brewing with it.

As for brewing with bottled water, if you're using it for the boil, you don't need to sanitize or anything, but if you're topping off with it, I'd spray or dip the tops in sanitizer before opening and adding to the fermenter.

 

[jcounter]

I tend to leave my house pretty cold 62-65 during the winter. The basement stays the same in the summer as well. I need to find a yeast or brew that likes those temps. Or figure out a solid way to regulate temps.

 

[HomebrewSupply]

I tend to leave my house pretty cold 62-65 during the winter. The basement stays the same in the summer as well. I need to find a yeast or brew that likes those temps. Or figure out a solid way to regulate temps.

Well, low-60's pretty nice. Your beer is going to be a bit higher while actively fermenting, but it's a really good start. To keep temps from swinging too much, you can put the fermenter in a water bath, which will help stabilize the temps.

I think you're in good shape there! That said, if you can pick up a cheap mini-fridge that can fit your fermenter and get a temperature controller and roll from there.

 

[jcounter]

It was anywhere from 63- 73 accidentally during the first few days in the room that it was in. House is old and does weird stuff that's where my concern in off tastes is coming from and what maybe caused early krausen drop and dissipation.

 

[HomebrewSupply]

It was anywhere from 63- 73 accidentally during the first few days in the room that it was in. House is old and does weird stuff that's where my concern in off tastes is coming from and what maybe caused early krausen drop and dissipation.

Yeah, 73 definitely on the high end there. But, if you can keep it in the 63-65 range, that would be pretty good when you're talking about getting started. Again, the water bath could be a good idea to keep temperatures more stable.

 

[jcounter]

After a couple weeks will I notice the beer clearing right now it looks like really cloudy apple cider.

 

[RM-MN]

After a couple weeks will I notice the beer clearing right now it looks like really cloudy apple cider.

Yes, the yeast has everything stirred up but when that quits the beer will start to clear. You'll probably notice a difference in just a few days but let the beer have time to settle more so you don't get a lot of yeast in the bottles. You'll always have some but I really don't like it when I see a 1/4 inch of it.

Most ale yeasts do well at temperatures in the low 60's. Nottingham even does well to the middle 50's, better than in the upper 60's. The fermentation will be slower so you'll have to give the beer a little more time but once it slows down, move the beer to a warmer location if you can.

 

[HomebrewSupply]

Nottingham even does well to the middle 50's, better than in the upper 60's.

I know this one all too well. Was right around 68 with Notty the first time I used it... not a fan. Avoided it for a while, then tried it again around 58 (I think...), and it was an entirely different beer.

 

[jcounter]

I'll have to give Nottingham a try when I begin to formulate recipes. I wish my original yeast packet had included temp ranges. Such is life. I'll ride out this batch and learn from my mistakes and have a wonderful oktoberfest next time haha.

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

It may turn out fine but I'm guessing slightly chlorinated water and higher temps may have caused some interesting stuff. It's still cloudy and swirly at the moment. I still need to grasp brewing with spring water. Do I need to sanitize the bottles before hand or just dump it on in?

Hello, I'm a new brewer too (four batches in). I am sure based on my limited experience and all the things I've read that you need to clean your bottles with PBW or Oxyclean Free and then sanitize with a sanitizer like Starsan. I got a fastrack for Christmas so I can easily dry my bottles after sanitizing. If you don't sanitize your bottles (and bottle caps) you'll end up with gushers when some of your bottles become infected from the microscopic stuff that settled inside them over the weeks or months they have been sitting around waiting for you to put beer in them.

 

[jcounter]

Well let's just hope I maker to that step haha.

 

[RM-MN]

Hello, I'm a new brewer too (four batches in). I am sure based on my limited experience and all the things I've read that you need to clean your bottles with PBW or Oxyclean Free and then sanitize with a sanitizer like Starsan. I got a fastrack for Christmas so I can easily dry my bottles after sanitizing. If you don't sanitize your bottles (and bottle caps) you'll end up with gushers when some of your bottles become infected from the microscopic stuff that settled inside them over the weeks or months they have been sitting around waiting for you to put beer in them.

Slight correction. Starsan is a wet contact sanitizer and you shouldn't dry the bottles before you fill them. It won't even hurt if the bottles have some Starsan foam in them. I sanitize mine and turn them upside down to drain the excess but fill them while they are still wet.

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

Slight correction. Starsan is a wet contact sanitizer and you shouldn't dry the bottles before you fill them. It won't even hurt if the bottles have some Starsan foam in them. I sanitize mine and turn them upside down to drain the excess but fill them while they are still wet.

I've heard people say that before i.e. "don't fear the foam" and have been puzzled since the directions on the Five Star Chemical Inc. Star San bottle say, "For all applications, allow to air dry (but surface must remain wet for at least one minute." Is this like Q-tip telling you to not put them in your ear, but that's what everyone does?

 

[jcounter]

I've got a mega jug of star San so that's what I'll be using for a long time. I'm guessing I'm really just over worrying and the beer will be mediocre for a first go and then I'll continue to improve with each go. One bad batch won't kill me. The biggest thing for me is temperature control and finding a yeast that likes what temps I'm bringing to the table haha.

 

[jcounter]

I've got an update! It appears things are still setting out and calming down. Maybe I just had a quick ferment. The pale ale kit was a freebie with the Midwest brewing starter kit so I really wasn't expecting much. I'll keep it at warmer temps 68-70 and let the yeast work it all out until the 6th and bottler it up and see what happens.

 

[jcounter]

Also it was just plain Jane muntons yeast cheap as they come. I've read that's it's pretty much garbage. Going forward I know.

 

[ncbrewer]

I saw that you're concerned about the chlorinated water. IMO the easiest fix for this is campden tablets. It works for both chlorine and chloramine. Boil water and top-off water should both be treated.

 

[jcounter]

I'll look into thanks for the tip! I think I'll just use spring water going forward. But the tablets may be cheaper. I wish I would have know about this damn muntons yeast ahead of time but that's ok first timer here haha. I plan to make this a long long hobby.

 

[seabrew8]

4 weeks in the fermenter? Or 4 weeks total, (e.g., 2 weeks in the fermenter & 2 weeks bottle conditioning)?

Total weeks, "At least". JMO I'm no master brewer. I just find if i set my mind that it will take at least 4 weeks i won't be doing all kinds of things to speed things along - like bottling in 5 days, cold crashing, gelatin etc