First boil done ... questions about what's happened and what's next

[bubbafat]

First post (and batch) - but reading posts for a few weeks now. Lots of great info that has been really helpful.

The quick history - got a home brewing kit for Christmas and did the first boil yesterday. It's already bubbling up (a good bubble every few seconds through the airlock) and smells great. The temperature adjusted OG was dead on when I put it into the bucket so I feel like I did alright with the boil.

There are some questions mixed in here. I'll try to call them out.

The "mistakes" I think I made:

1) Poured the trub into the fermentation bucket. I'm not worried about this after reading quite a few threads about this.

2) My airlock has bottled water without sanitizer in it. My reading indicates should have put a small amount of sanitizer into the water - I just forgot.

Q: I plan to fix this when checking the gravity or if I need to clean the airlock for any reason - should I do it ASAP?

So in the "what's next" I have to decide:

1) Do I do a secondary fermentation? My inclination is to do it if for no other reason then to justify buying a 5g carboy. I know I don't need to - I could leave it in the primary longer. No real question here - I've read a lot of threads and will make a decision.

2) Do I bottle or keg? My wife wants me to keg it all but I think I want to bottle 12 and keg the rest so that I can share some more easily (assuming it is worth sharing). Since she wants me to keg I feel like I should buy the kegging equipment while she's totally on board with it. Now the question...

I know I have several options for kegging and bottling but at the end of the day what I don't know is whether it's OK to put the roughly 3 gallons into a 5g corny keg and use CO2 to keep the pressure up while it conditions or do I need to get a smaller keg if I want to split between bottles and kegs.

Q: Is it OK to put 3g into a 5g corny keg after fermentation or do I need to either fill it all or get a smaller keg?

Now some random questions ...

Q: Can I store liquefied sanitizer?

E.g., if I make up a gallon of Beer Brite and know that I will be needing some several days in a row - can I store it or does it go bad?

Q: Do I need to sanitize my thermometer when it's not in the boil?

What I mean is - I sanitized it before the boil and then I would check the temp, set it back under the cling-wrap and then a few minutes later would use it again. Should I have been sanitizing it every time?

Q: What temperature should the grain bag steep at?

The instructions I had said to raise the temp of 1g of water to 155f and put the grains in. Then it said to let it steep for 30 minutes and "DO NOT BOIL" (caps theirs) - but it did not say what temp to steep at. I did my best to just keep it at 155 (no cooler - I did let it get to around 160). This was just a guess based on the lack of information - was it the right decision?

Lessons learned:

• Keep a notebook in the kitchen to jot down temps/times/etc while boiling.
• Get a better hydrometer tube (nice hydrometer, flimsy plastic tube).
• Keep some extra sanitizer on hand during the boil.
• If I'm going to deviate from the instructions (adding sanitizer to airlock) make a note on the instruction sheet ... I won't remember if I don't.
• You can never have too much cling wrap
• Be prepared for the boilover because it comes fast.

 

[h22lude]

I can't answer all these questions as I just started brewing myself (on second batch tonight) but I will try to give some advice.

My first batch was an IPA and I poured the trub into the fermenting bucket. My IPA came out fine. If anything, it might just make it a little more bitter but I can't back that up, just my thought.

I didn't use sanitized water in my first or second batch. As long as you sanitized your airlock, I think you are all set. If you are worried about it, you can change the water when you check the gravity next.

I usually put a small amount of sanitizer in a spray bottle. This way you have some to use for those random times you need to clean something (i.e. checking the gravity). I have read that it will only last a week or so in liquid form but I would assume that is the very least and it should last a little longer than that.

I don't think you need to sanitize it every time you use it during that one brew. I sanitized my spoon before boil and use it to stir the boil and stir the wort during the ice bath. You sanitized it once and all it touches after that it the wort. If you don't it to a dirty counter or it hits the floor then yes I would sanitize it again.

From what I have read, put the grains in pre-boil and remove at 170 degrees. But at that point I didn't have a rolling boil yet so I left it in a little longer.

Again, I'm new at this too but wanted to give my 2 cents.

Check this out for your hydrometer testing tube http://morebeer.com/view_product/6356/102223/The_Sample_Taker

 

[veritas524]

That's a lot to digest

As for the airlock, it would be a good idea to either put sanitizer in there or a vodka. If you left it as it is now it would probably be fine, but the other option is kind of like an insurance policy for your beer.


You can put 3 gallons in a 5g keg no problem. You just might use a little bit more gas, I can't really back that up though.

I use iodophor, which I can keep mixed up... however, if the color begins to drop out I just add more to the bucket.


Thermometer Q -- If you're actively boiling, it would sanitize when you put it in the pot. No need to sanitize while you're boiling. Unless you're putting it into an environment that needs to be kept sanitized or sterile... i.e. if you're checking the temp on your wort while it's cooling or checking the temp of your water that you're rehydrating yeast in, definitely sanitize before.


Steeping -- Anything > ~ to 170 has the potential to release tannins from the grain. That is bad. I get my water up to 160 and kill the heat for steeping.

 

[h22lude]

Steeping -- Anything > ~ to 170 has the potential to release tannins from the grain. That is bad. I get my water up to 160 and kill the heat for steeping.

So you get the steep to 160 and remove the grains from the water and then let it reach a boil to put your extract in?

 

[veritas524]

steep at 160 for 30 minutes, pull them out and add my extract, then I boil. However, I've been told I'm weird for doing that and people usually add extract during the boil... My beer tastes just fine though

 

[h22lude]

LOL yeah I haven't heard that one before but if it works, keep doing it. I usually hear put in the grains and let it get to 170 and remove, then let it boil and add the extract and bring to a boil again.

In the end, if the beer tastes good, what you are doing works just fine

 

[Verio]

LOL yeah I haven't heard that one before but if it works, keep doing it. I usually hear put in the grains and let it get to 170 and remove, then let it boil and add the extract and bring to a boil again.

In the end, if the beer tastes good, what you are doing works just fine

Yeah definitely dot boil your steeping grains...

 

[RM-MN]

To pour the rub in or filter it our is still not resolved. I pour part of it in and throw out the rest but I'm not sure it makes much difference. By the time the hops have boiled for an hour, most of what you can get from them is already out and they will just settle to the bottom with the yeast during the inactive fermentation period and stay there while you rack the beer off.

While your brew is in the active portion of the ferment, all the gas activity is going out so you won't be getting any of the liquid in the airlock back inside the fermenter. Once the ferment slows down and goes to the inactive phase, the only time you will get any air back into the fermenter is if the temperature drops or the atmospheric pressure goes up and then the amount will be so limited and the brew will have made alcohol anyway so you shouldn't have to worry about it.

Once my thermometer has been in the boil, it is sanitized. Unless you have a dirty area where you set it down it isn't likely to become contaminated and why would you try to brew in a dirty area?

Your grains should steep between 150 and 160 degrees F. for 20 to 30 minutes and should be removed at that point. You can add the extract at any time from that until you reach boiling. Make sure they are well mixed as they like to go to the bottom of the pot and will burn there if you are adding heat. I add mine when the boil has been reached but I add them slowly and stir vigorously while adding.

 

[bubbafat]

Thanks all for the replies - it seems like I did alright, then.

Back to trolling to learn more about the next steps...