First Batch Questions Part 2

[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

 

[RM-MN]

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.

If you take care of it, your Munton's yeast can make some good beer. I know a lot of the posters on here will tell you that you need this liquid yeast or that special liquid yeast but I find there isn't a huge difference and since I don't plan a brew day far enough ahead, having a few packets of dry yeast on hand lets me brew at the drop of a hat. The biggest factor in making beer that tastes good is control of the temperature. I find it just a little more difficult with Munton's because it ferments fast and generates more heat than some of the other yeasts.

 

[unionrdr]

If it's anything like Cooper's dry ale yeast, rehydrating it makes a lot of difference. Saves more cells than dry pitching.