First Brew Attemp (blonde ale)

[SlanginDueces]

I just wanted to post my first attempt at homebrewing and get some thoughts. Last weekend I brewed my first extract kit. I used a blonde ale kit from MoreBeer.

7lbs ultralight malt extract
8oz Cyrstal 15L
1oz Willamette Pellets (Bittering)
Safale US-05 Dry Yeast
1 Tab Whirlfloc

I thought the actual brewing went well (after reading lots of posts on here). The only problem I had was when I was chilling the wort (used a chiller). It seemed like it wouldn't go below 90*F, after about 30 min I started to worry so I put the kettle in an ice bath as well. Still was stuck and at 45 min at about 82*F I transferred to my primary (6.5 gal carboy). I did not strain because I used muslin bags for hop pellets and grain...is this ok? Got an OG of 1.049. The kit said it should be 1.044-1.048 so I thought that would be ok. I had the yeast already rehydrated and pitched at this point. After reading a lot this week I am worried that I pitched at too high of a temp even for an ale? I also am worried because I swirled the carboy around after I added yeast instead of before to aerate?

I used a swamp cooler and get the temp down to 70*F and it has been between 68-72*F for the last 7 days. I used a blowoff tube and started seeing bubbles within 12 hours. It never seemed like there was an extremely active fermentation...just pretty consistent bubbling and a think layer of foam on top. It seemed to slow down yesterday (day 6) so today I took a SG reading (1.015). The kit did not say what the FG should be, but it did say the estimated ABV% is 4.5 which is about where I am at now. I put an airlock on and it is still bubbling. I tasted the sample and it basically tasted like a flat plain beer with just a little sweetness. It had an amber color and was cloudy. Not sure if these things are normal. Definitely on the plain side but I did not taste anything strange or offputting except it being sweet.

My question now is how long should I leave it in the primary before I bottle? I have read about cold crashing on here and am thinking about doing that prior to bottling. Is the current temp of about 68-70*F good for the rest of the time?

I will post pictures in a minute. I am glad I found these forums because I feel like this will become an addiction. I just got a chest freezer to use with a temp control and will be brewing my first lager tomorrow (my yeast starter is settling in the fridge as we speak) I would appreciate any feedback to make these better!

 

[SlanginDueces]

Pics (last one was today after sample taken)

 

[Easterbrook]

Looks like you made beer.

I would check the gravity again in a few days. If it's still at 1.015, then you could bottle it (though I suspect it may go a bit lower still). There's a couple schools of thought on HBT regarding this. Some will say to go ahead and bottle after you get the same final gravity reading a couple days apart. The theory is that the beer is done fermenting, so go ahead and bottle and enjoy the fruits of your labor more quickly.

Others, I know, leave beer to ferment in primary for at least a month before bottling, no matter the gravity reading. They say this gives the yeast more time to clarify the beer and improve the flavor.

I tend to be impatient and bottle (actually keg) when the FG readings are consistent a few days apart.

If you do want to let it sit in primary for a while, 68-70 degrees is fine.

Your lager, on the other hand, that you will want to sit (or lager) for some time. The above discussion applies to your average ale.

 

[harrke]

Pics (last one was today after sample taken)

Looks like good beer.

As others will tell you, when primary fermentation is done, you can tell by two SG readings essentially the same two days apart.

However, it seems to me that if you leave the beer in primary for a little longer, the beer will be clearer in the bottle and will taste more "complete" since the flavors of malt, hops, and yeast esters will blend better.

68-70 should be fine for your ale and it will definitely be beer!

 

[vinylrooster]

Well done man. I wish my first brew went that smoothly. Looks like you got a nice setup, especially considering this is your first.

Congrats.

 

[vinylrooster]

Also forgot to say that if you do cold crash, don't forget to remove your airlock or else the back-pressure from cooling will suck whatever is in your airlock into your carboy.

Normally when I cold crash, I just remove the airlock and cover the top of my carboy with sanitized tin foil and let it sit overnight. After sitting for ~12 hours, I replace the airlock with whiskey/vodka/sanitizer in it. If you don't like the tinfoil thing, you can just empty out your airlock and then put the empty airlock back on top of the carboy. Honestly, by the time you are cold crashing you are at your final alcohol percentage, which will stop most bacterial growths, so I never really worry about infection at that point.

good luck!