First Brew Day

[Bender_Braus_Brewing]

According to recipe my OG was going to be 1.069 and I (SOMEHOW) managed to hit it. I'm proud of that at least!

It called for a 60 minute boil but I ended up boiling for only 55 minutes. I couldn't get the temperature of the boil below 178-180 degrees. So I figured I'd cut the boil 5 minutes short. I also ended up putting the hops in at reverse correct time, so that didn't help.

I also knocked my thermometer into the boil once, into the strike water once, and even into the mash tun once. I'm a complete klutz.

 

[Bender_Braus_Brewing]

My bucket is currently sitting around 77-75 degrees. I need to drop it down to 68. I don't have any kind of chambers, or fridges, or anything to use. I currently have it sitting in my basement. I have an un-air-conditioned (no AC anyway) house.

Any ideas/suggestions?

 

[Bender_Braus_Brewing]

My airlock is bubbling, so that means my yeast is working - correct?

 

[BigCrazyAl]

Yes indeed. Keep an eye on it the first 3 days or so to ensure the airlock doesn't get clogged. This is less likely with a bucket vs. a carboy but it can make a mess if it overflows.

Other than that, don't touch it for at least 2 weeks. You can try to lower the temp by sitting it in a water bath but it's not super important after the first few days.

 

[Bender_Braus_Brewing]

So, even though the recipe calls for it to be 68 degrees..... and its sitting at around 77-75............... thats not a problem?


I also realized I never dry-hopped it either. Is that too late?

 

[SirSpectre]

10 degrees hotter will be a problem. US-05 Doesn't like it being over 70 in the slightest. You'll get a lot of esters and maybe some fusels being that hot.

Did it start out that hot is the question? If it was cold for the first 24 hours, you should be OK.

 

[BigJoeBrew]

Your brew day sounds like a successful one to me! You would like to see your fermentation temperature down around the 70ish degrees or lower. You might get some off flavors, which I did until I started getting control of the temperature with the swamp cooler method. For next time all you would need is a container to set your carboy or bucket in, a couple or few 2 liter bottles frozen to put in the water, that will help keep control of your temps better. Those things aside, you made beer. Now patience is the key, give it about 2 weeks, then bottle, and give it 2-3 more weeks before trying it.

 

[mongoose33]

Does anyone have any suggestions or comments on my brew day coming up? Or about my recipe?

I am curious what people think:
* Two things:
** The Scotzin website doesn't list Munich Malt 10L, just Munich Malt Light 8L and Munich Malt Dark 15L... Which should I use?
**Two, the website shows no IPA yeast. What style of yeast is a good alternative?

Thanks!

Not sure you'll be able to do all these, but in the event other potential new brewers might read this, here goes:

1. Simpler is better. We all have a tendency, I think, to want to brew a fantastical recipe that will knock the socks off anyone who tries it. The reality is that's not likely to happen the first time, IMO. Instead, brew a simple recipe, tried and true, so you're more likely to be able to isolate the cause of any problems. The more moving parts you have, the harder it is to isolate the problem.

There's nothing wrong w/ your recipe. The issues that will emerge are more likely to be oxidation as you move from fermenter to secondary to dry hopping. Do you have any idea how it will taste? If you don't, then whatever you get will be a surprise. And if there's a flavor that doesn't work, is it due to the ingredients or the process?

2. I wouldn't secondary at all. The only reasons, IMO, to secondary are that you either need the primary for another brew, or are aging for a long time. When you transfer to a secondary you introduce oxygen from air into the process, and you do not want to do that if you can avoid it. IPAs are susceptible to oxidation.

3. Can you find an experienced homebrewer locally who can help you and kibitz, or whose brew day you can watch? I did that before my first brew day, it was hugely helpful.

4. Water matters. A lot. You have a recipe and all that, but how is your water? Appropriate for brewing all-grain? It has been said that if your water tastes good, you can brew good beer. Well, that's not necessarily true. Wasn't in my case.

You need to end up w/ a mash pH of from about 5.2 to 5.6, and how you get that depends on the water you start with, and the grain you're using. Further, if your water is chlorinated that can introduce off-flavors to your beer. You can combat that with a Campden tablet.

5. If #4 above is confusing to you, you need a bit more background and information before proceeding, IMO. My local water is not good for brewing unless I'm doing a Stout. Lighter beers need to be cut with RO (reverse osmosis) water or distilled water, and then brewing salts and lactic acid additions to bring it to where it needs to be.

This is one reason why I think new brewers should start with extract brewing, unless they have a local mentor who can help them. Become comfortable w/ the process from the boil forward, including hopping, chilling, racking, dry-hopping if you're doing that, bottling and conditioning. Once you're OK with that (maybe 2-3 brews), then you can focus on the other side, i.e., making wort from grain.

To make wort you need to be comfortable w/ things like mash temp, mash pH, maintaining temps, sparging, vorlauf, first runnings, second runnings, or if you're doing brew-in-a-bag, whether you're going to squeeze or not, or dunk sparge, or......I think you get my point. At one level brewing is simple, but it's not simplistic, either.

Again, the more moving parts, the harder it is to isolate a problem.

6. Simpler is better at first. Oh, I said that already.

Either way, good luck, keep things as simple as you can and allow yourself room to grow. Think about where you want to be 3- and 6-months from now. You'll get there.

 

[Bender_Braus_Brewing]

This is a picture I literally just took of the fermenter.

 

[Bender_Braus_Brewing]

10 degrees hotter will be a problem. US-05 Doesn't like it being over 70 in the slightest. You'll get a lot of esters and maybe some fusels being that hot.

Did it start out that hot is the question? If it was cold for the first 24 hours, you should be OK.

I used WLP001 California Ale from White Labs. When I pitched it, it was 68 degrees (on the dot). It's now roughly 14 hours after pitching.

 

[mbobhat]

Any other suggestions of skipping secondary?

You can use secondary to clear it up for a few days, but that should be at least 3 wks after you have it in primary. If you really want to, after it is completely fermented, rack to secondary, put it in a cooler place for a couple days, then bottle. Just to get rid of some of the hop gunk and proteins to clear up that IPA

For the temp, do you have a large cooler or something to put that bucket in so you can get some ice water around it? That will lower the temp. The fermentation will cause it to heat up in the first few days then cool off as the yeast slow down, so ferm temp is not as critical later on for ale

Since you are fermenting on the high side, you should let the beer sit in primary at least 3 weeks to clean up some of the off flavors, but should be a good first beer!

 

[Bender_Braus_Brewing]

I can hear the airlock bubbles going, so that's a good sign I'm assuming.

 

[Bender_Braus_Brewing]

Ok, so this is where my fermenter is at right now.

Its been roughly 15 hours since I pitched the yeast (8:08PM last night, and its now 11:02AM). The side of the fermenter is saying 77/75.

My questions:

1) What should I do to lower the temp down to the 68 that my recipe is calling for?
2) Is it too late to dry-hop? I somehow, in my excitement of getting everything into the fermenter, and getting the yeast pitched, I never added the dry hops. Is it too late for that?

 

[mongoose33]

Yeast is exothermic, i.e., it produces heat. It can raise the temp of the wort 5-10 degrees above ambient temperature.

I'd cool that thing down if it were me.

Here's a link to a post showing how I do it:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showpost.php?p=7996481&postcount=3

If you need to you can add ice to the water or frozen water bottles. Initially I'd add ice to get the temp down to the mid 60s.

 

[BigCrazyAl]

I was only trying to say that yeast typically produces off flavors during the growth phase. After that, fermentation temperature is less important. I'd say if off flavors are going to be there then they're already there. Yeast can clean up some of that if left alone for another week or two so 3-4 weeks total in primary.

I haven't dry hopped so someone else can answer that I hope.

 

[Bender_Braus_Brewing]

I just got to work. Before leaving, I wrapped a cold wet blanket around it. Hopefully that'll help it some.

 

[SirSpectre]

I used WLP001 California Ale from White Labs. When I pitched it, it was 68 degrees (on the dot). It's now roughly 14 hours after pitching.

Same strain. But here is the profile for it:

Produces diacetyl and fusels if reproduction stage is over 71f or excessively underpitched. Poor attenuation if below 60f. Serial pitching will result in an extremely (88%+) attenuative yeast after 6-7 generations. Mild citrus notes develop with cooler (60-66) fermentations. This yeast is famous for its clean flavors, balance and ability to be used in almost any style ale. It accentuates the hop flavors and is extremely versatile. Low fruitiness, mild ester production. Normally requires filtration for bright beer

You are in the beginning of the reproduction stage right now. Put the fermenter in a rubbermaid bin or something with some water and a gallon jug of ice. Wrap it in a wet T-shirt and blow a fan on it. It'll cool in a hurry.

 

[Dcpcooks]

So, even though the recipe calls for it to be 68 degrees..... and its sitting at around 77-75............... thats not a problem?


I also realized I never dry-hopped it either. Is that too late?

If you can find a big plastic tub you can fill it with a bit of water and then put your bucket or carboy in it. That will help dissipate heat. You really want to keep it below 70 for the first 3-4 days. You can add frozen bottles of water or you can wrap an old shirt or towel around the fermentor. The evaporation will help hold temps down.

Fermenting hot will create fruity esters and maybe some hot alcohol off flavors. You don't want those in an IPA. Saison and other Belgian yeast strains are more forgiving of high heat ferments so you may want to look at brewing with the seasons until you manage some temp control.

Cheers!

 

[Dcpcooks]

As to your dry hop schedule. You'll do that a bit later in the process. That happens at the end of fermentation or just before the end of fermentation.

Unless I'm making a neipa I do that three days before I want to package the beer. So you have some time to read up on it.

 

[xpops]

That's pretty much how this hobby goes.....oh, and don't forget the constant need to buy new cool equipment....that's when you know you're doing it right

and remember...this need never goes away!! lol

 

[Bender_Braus_Brewing]

Ok, hopefully the wet towel will help til I can get home from work and try the rubbermaid idea.

 

[xpops]

1) What should I do to lower the temp down to the 68 that my recipe is calling for?
2) Is it too late to dry-hop? I somehow, in my excitement of getting everything into the fermenter, and getting the yeast pitched, I never added the dry hops. Is it too late for that?

1) The damage is likely done if you were already up to 76 within first 15 hours.

When pitching your yeast, it's nice to actually start a little lower than your target temp, so that it ramps up and HITS your desired temp at peak fermentation. next time around try to get it down to low/mid 60s before pitching yeast.

2) For your dry hop - unless it's a NEIPA, you'll want to wait until fermentation is done, THEN toss in your hops.

 

[Bender_Braus_Brewing]

By "damage" done, you mean just off flavors, or do you mean ruined?

 

[xpops]

sorry - just off flavours. esters from high yeast fermentation typically within the first 24-48 hours or so. This is the crucial time to try and keep your wort temperature in the ideal range for the yeast strain in question. I typically try to pitch my yeast a few degrees below (like 64) because i KNOW it's going to raise quickly once fermentation starts. I do that even with a temperature controlled fermentation chamber.

It won't be "ruined". it will still be beer..maybe even with a bit of banana flavour..but beer none the less. From this thread alone, i think you're walking away with an immense amount of info from your own experience as well as the knowledge of others, to make your next batch even better.

start planning that next brew day!

cheers,

 

[ncbrewer]

The side of the fermenter is saying 77/75.

The fermometers I've seen use green to indicate the temperature. My instructions read: "If one crystal is highlighted in green, it is that temperature. If two adjoining crystals are highlighted in blue and tan, it is the temperature in between." It would be a good idea to check your instructions to make sure you're reading it correctly.

 

[kyoun1e]

My first day wasn't so long ago. On batch #2.

All I have to say is, watch out for a blow off top if you're using a carboy.

 

[Moose_MI]

Congrats again on first brew..and really kudos on hitting your OG! I sort of doubt many folks are that successful on their first all grain brew...you rock!

I agree with others that you want to cool down your fermentation next time but the good news is that you're brewing an IPA and I am optimistic the hops will hide some of the esters and this is going to be very drinkable.

You made beer!

 

[Bender_Braus_Brewing]

Congrats again on first brew..and really kudos on hitting your OG! I sort of doubt many folks are that successful on their first all grain brew...you rock!

I agree with others that you want to cool down your fermentation next time but the good news is that you're brewing an IPA and I am optimistic the hops will hide some of the esters and this is going to be very drinkable.

You made beer!

To be honest this was my very reason for picking an IPA recipe for my first attempt/time. I figured the hops would mask most defects I make.

 

[Moose_MI]

To be honest this was my very reason for picking an IPA recipe for my first attempt/time. I figured the hops would mask most defects I make.

U smart man......save the oak Chocolate stout with blueberry and dill weed for your 2nd to brew when you have everything figured out. :fro:

 

[mongoose33]

To be honest this was my very reason for picking an IPA recipe for my first attempt/time. I figured the hops would mask most defects I make.

Probably will work....however....think this through. If you're masking off flavors, how are you going to become a better brewer?

Regardless, I hope it works and you enjoy it.