First Brew Day

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
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!
 
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?

IMG_20170714_104255387.jpg
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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!
 
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.
 
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.
 
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,
 
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.
 
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.
 
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!
 
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.
 
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.
 
That is a good point Mongoose, was just thinking for my first it wouldn't be a bad idea. But I definitely get what you're saying.
 
After the boil, it went from the nice light brown coloring to a very dank green. Will that thin out and go back to the brown after fermentation?
 
The green color is from all the hops. That debris should "fall out" of suspension and settle into the trub during fermentation. The color will certainly change closer to the pre boil color if not lighter.
 
Got home last night, filled an old rubbermaid tub with water, put the fermenter ale pail bucket in that, wrapped the fermenter bucket in a wet towel.

Checked it this morning, down to 72. But the bubbling has slowed down greatly.

Is that something to be worried about?
 
I wouldn't worry at all.


Could be that moving the bucket displaced all the co2 in the head space so its building back up, could be since it was a little warm the yeast went to town on all those sugars you gave them. I'd give it another week (you're about 3-4 days into the ferment, right?) and pull a sample for a reading.


Either way, you'll end up with beer! :mug:
 
I wouldn't worry at all.


Could be that moving the bucket displaced all the co2 in the head space so its building back up, could be since it was a little warm the yeast went to town on all those sugars you gave them. I'd give it another week (you're about 3-4 days into the ferment, right?) and pull a sample for a reading.


Either way, you'll end up with beer! :mug:

Alright thanks.

I brewed Thursday, pitched the yeast at 8Pm, so when I checked last night at 930 it was about 25 hours.
 
Just got home from work, and its sitting at 72. Wife said it hasn't been bubbling all day. She noticed it not really bubbling around 1-2PM today, meaning it's only been bubbling for 42 hours, and now no bubbling for 4-5 hours.

When do you know if the yeast stopped/died?
 
Temperature is holding fast at 72-75, with the wet towel and the rubbermaid filled with chilled water. No bubbling action now for 10-11 hours, possibly more.
 
Five days complete now, and for the past 48-60Hours it's been at 73 degrees. And nothing seems to be changing that.

Will this affect my fermentation length?
 
~5 days at 70F+, I'd say a majority of your fermentation is probably done.

That being said, I'd still wait til day 10 or 11 to pull your first sample, followed by a sample at day 14 to confirm that everything is all done.
 
I agree it is likely just about done with main fermentation. The thing about yeast and fermentation temperature is that yeast like being warm and their activity increases the higher you get. Holding fermentation at the low end of a yeast's range will tend to result in a steady but relatively slow fermentation. Ester production will tend lower. Possibly attenuation will also be lower than same yeast in same wort but fermented at a higher temperature.

At higher temperature the yeast will be much more active and fermentation may be extremely fast. Look for threads about painted ceilings where people blew top off bucket fermentors. But at higher temperature the yeast tends to express more esters, some of which may be objectionable, depending on the style. At higher temperatures yeast also tend to produce fusel alcohols. These can give a beer a "hot alcohol" taste and get blamed for hangovers. 1-propanol production is a fusel alcohol that White Labs tests for in its fermentation data for the yeast.

White Labs puts the ideal temperature for this yeast at 68-73F. The yeast is similar (some claim same strain) to the dry US-05. Fermentis claims ideal temperature is 59-71.6F but acceptable range of 53.6-77F.

So take heart. You were well outside the ideal temperature for the yeast but probably within acceptable range for most of the brew. You made beer. It may have some yeast derived flavors that aren't well suited to the style. Don't dump it is it your first batch, try to save a few bottles to compare to future batches. I think it would be very cool to rebrew same recipe for your second batch but try to control temperature with the wet t-shirt + fan method.

Also do check at minimum that you are not using water with any chlorine or chloramines in it. The rest of water chemistry you can get to later but chlorine can be a serious issue but is easily addressed (on or before brew day).
 
Ok, thanks eric. Very informative, greatly appreciate that. If I'm still going to dry-hop it, should I start thinking about doing that now? Tonight at 8PM (currently 10:49AM) will make it 5 days since I pitched the yeast. There is no more bubbles in the airlock. (I sat there and stared at it for a good 5-6 minutes straight.)

For an IPA, what's the best method of dry-hopping it with using a pail ale bucket and that I'll be bottling it?

I can probably harvest and gather enough to do about 2oz of Cascade hops from my own vines today alone, would fresh whole cones be preferable to the hop pellets? I'm thinking for dry-hopping that it would be, but just looking for some opinions on it.



Also, as a last question, side note type of thing, how do you figure out the IBU's for a beer? I know how to get the ABV. Only thing I can see is that my BeerSmith recipe I got has a listing of %IBU on the side by each hop addition. But, it seems very low. For my recipe, it says that the Cascade and Nugget at 0Min (1.5 and 1.0oz respectively), added 0IBU, the Nugget added at 5Min (.5oz) added 3.9IBU, and the Cascade added at 5Min (1.5oz) added 4.9, whereas the Chinook added at 60Min (1.0oz) added 38.9IBU. Do I just tally these totals up? Meaning my IBU would be 38.9+4.9+3.9+0+0 + 0(the dry hopping calls for 2.0oz of Cascade, and is listed at 0IBU), for a total of 47.7IBU.

So does the time you add them to the boil affect the IBU a lot? Because, I know when I brewed, I screwed things up, and ended up reversing the order of when the hops should go in. (With a 60min boil, I backwards when you added hops in at 0Min, 60Min, and 5Min).
 
Good heavens, it looks like you have a mighty fine setup! Congrats on your first brew! It will definitely be drinkable, recipe looks good and execution was pretty okay! Hops order is a bit weird, because the bittering hops are offered early, and the aroma hops late. Chinook can do both (yet high alpha) but Cascade is aromatic... let's say it will be bitter but different. At least you didn't waste Citra :)
Did you already have in mind whether you're going to keg or bottle?
 
I accidentally screwed up the ordering of the hops. I wasn't sure if, when the recipe calls for X Hop to be added at 60Minutes that meant 60 Minutes INTO the boil or 60 minutes from the ending. *Shrug* Live and learn I guess.

I am bottling. I don't have the equipment/space yet for kegs. Future goal (year or so away type goal.)
 
Yes dry hop now is fine. Open the bucket just a little and dump in the pellets. I'd stay away from leaf hops they soak up too much beer. As for fresh hops from the yard w\I would worry about contamination possibility. I'd use those in your next batch as a flame out addition. If you haven't dried them I think the ratio is something like 5oz fresh hops = 1 oz dried leaf hops.

I guess you realize now that time for additions is the amount of time left in the boil. Hops added at beginning of 60 minute boil are called 60 minute hops and hops added at flameout (when you turn off the burner) are called 0 minute hops. The 0 minute hops will add some bitterness depending on how long it takes you to chill the wort. In Beersmith you tell it how long your wort will be above 185F and it will calculate a few IBUs for those flame out additions.
 
What is the best way to get the lid off of a Pail Ale bucket? I don't want to introduce anything to the beer, and I'm having a horrible time getting the lid off to check it.
 
Back
Top