So, I finally finished my first brew day, though I haven't finished cleaning up. (my wife is going to be piiiised )
I used pellet hops, and didn't strain them. The beer store shopkeeper said I didn't need to strain. Will they settle down onto the trub? If not, that's going to be some nasty beer. I can't find any conclusive answer as to whether they should be strained.
My fermentation bucket has a spigot, and I used it to draw off some wort to measure gravity before pitching yeast. I couldn't toss my hydrometer into the top of the bucket because the wort was too foamy after being aerated. How do I sanitize the outside of the spigot so it won't infect my beer when I move it to the bottling bucket? Or am I overthinking this and it won't be a problem? I sprayed some iodophor into the bottom of the spigot.
FWIW, things seem to have gone pretty smoothly. I'm brewing a black butte porter clone, recipe OG was 1.050, mine came out 1.053, close enough for me to not be terrified.
Steeping grains smell great, boiling hops smell nasty.
I used pellet hops, and didn't strain them. The beer store shopkeeper said I didn't need to strain. Will they settle down onto the trub? If not, that's going to be some nasty beer. I can't find any conclusive answer as to whether they should be strained.
My fermentation bucket has a spigot, and I used it to draw off some wort to measure gravity before pitching yeast. I couldn't toss my hydrometer into the top of the bucket because the wort was too foamy after being aerated. How do I sanitize the outside of the spigot so it won't infect my beer when I move it to the bottling bucket? Or am I overthinking this and it won't be a problem? I sprayed some iodophor into the bottom of the spigot.
FWIW, things seem to have gone pretty smoothly. I'm brewing a black butte porter clone, recipe OG was 1.050, mine came out 1.053, close enough for me to not be terrified.
Steeping grains smell great, boiling hops smell nasty.