First brew day

[jimmyjusa]

I'm doing the all extract american wheat ale from midwest supplies. Its boiling away as we speak. Only change from the recipe will be a dry hop addition of citra a few days before bottling.

 

[jimmyjusa]

Gravity read 1.040 at 84.5*, after correcting for calibration @ 60*, starting gravity is 1.043. Recipe says 2 weeks primary ferment, 2 weeks secondary, 2 weeks to bottle condition. If not transferring to secondary it says 3 weeks primary 2 weeks bottle. I'll wait the three weeks to bottle and in that third week I'll be dry hopping. I'll be trying a few 4 weeks out (1 week in bottle) to see how it turned out since there will be a gathering that weekend.

Edit: fermentation will be in basement that is 68* and the yeast I'm using that came with the kit is us-05 yeast.

 

[Manufacturedevolution]

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Sounds good.

 

[jimmyjusa]

Just tested, gravity is reading 1.012 after a week of fermentation so I'm going to bottle this weekend. Beer tastes like flat (obviously) beer to me. Overall pretty plain tasting but nothing bad at all. I think I'll do the dry hops for the rest of the week to add some flavor then bottle it Saturday or Sunday whenever I'll have some free time.

 

[Blazinlow86]

Congrats on the first brew. Cheers

 

[jimmyjusa]

First bottling day completed. Ended up with 47 full bottles, 2 of which were 22oz and i filled up another half bottle worth when the wand was starting to suck in air.

 

[jimmyjusa]

Week and a half in the bottle, decent carbonation but I'll assume there will be more over the next few weeks. Taste is pretty good, pretty mild right out of the fridge but more citrus flavors as it warmed up. A slight head lasted all the way to the end. This picture was after a few repours since this mug is less than 12 ounces.

 

[TwistedGray]

Guess what? You made beer

 

[Saunassa]

Congratulations!
I found that giving it a few weeks in the bottle better carb and a little more hop flavor/bitterness

 

[jimmyjusa]

Thanks, i know it was a little early to try but since i was using my grandpa's capper i was wanting to make sure i had a good seal. Plus i was anxious to try my first beer Haha

 

[Griffin495]

Congratulations!! Welcome to the world of homebrewing. Whenever I get a half bottle, that's my one week tester. I always try one at a week, even though I know its not ready and it usually isn't. Just to see where its at. A lot can change from week one to two. Just cracked open a two week pale ale last night. At one week, I wasn't impressed. At two...its my best pale ale so far.

 

[TwistedGray]

I use the mini-Coke bottles as testers...works okay.

 

[davidabcd]

I like the outdoor setup picture on brew day. Makes me want to brew my extract outside.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Congratulations, JimmyJ - looks great ~

In the bottling photo, is that a bottle of Dragon's Breath that I see? Good stuff, one of the best that Montana has to offer!

 

[jimmyjusa]

Congratulations, JimmyJ - looks great ~

In the bottling photo, is that a bottle of Dragon's Breat that I see? Good stuff, one of the best that Montana has to offer!

It sure is, i tried it as an alternative to regular hefeweizen and hopefully if all goes well I'll be brewing a dunkelweizen/ dark hefeweizen tomorrow morning. I may need to buy another 6 pack to use as a comparison once that is ready.

 

[TwistedGray]

I like the outdoor setup picture on brew day. Makes me want to brew my extract outside.

Except, probably consider some closed toes shoes I can't imagine wort on the foot ending well, lol. I've got a little in my crocs once...it sucked.

 

[Griffin495]

Except, probably consider some closed toes shoes I can't imagine wort on the foot ending well, lol. I've got a little in my crocs once...it sucked.

I was thinking the same thing, yet I've been guilty of it on numerous occasions as well.

 

[jimmyjusa]

Gotta have a little danger in your lives, right? Haha. I'll probably throw on real shoes tomorrow since I'll be dealing with grains and mashing.

 

[davidabcd]

Except, probably consider some closed toes shoes I can't imagine wort on the foot ending well, lol. I've got a little in my crocs once...it sucked.

Honestly, didn't notice. I had to scroll back up to see. I saw the sunshine, green grass and nice pot going. I worked at restaurant and an unlucky coworker drained hot fry grease (350 degrees) down his leg while cleaning out the fryer and into his shoe...where it pooled--bad deal but he was fine.
The open shoes let you know if you're being to "splashy" without much harm! Product looks very good.

 

[RM-MN]

I like the outdoor setup picture on brew day. Makes me want to brew my extract outside.

Let me post some pictures of my brew day and you might decide that inside brewing isn't all bad. I usually brew on days when outside activity is limited by the temperature (-20 to -30), wind (20 to 30mph) and snow depth (12-30 inches).

 

[jack13]

Congrats not only for completing your first batch, but also on making 47 bottles of your first brew and actually waiting a week and a half before trying one! I'm very patient in general, but with my first batch I made 9 bottles and tried one after like 5 days.

 

[jimmyjusa]

Congrats not only for completing your first batch, but also on making 47 bottles of your first brew and actually waiting a week and a half before trying one! I'm very patient in general, but with my first batch I made 9 bottles and tried one after like 5 days.

Yes, luckily i could just set it in an unused room so i wouldn't have to see it constantly

 

[davidabcd]

Let me post some pictures of my brew day and you might decide that inside brewing isn't all bad. I usually brew on days when outside activity is limited by the temperature (-20 to -30), wind (20 to 30mph) and snow depth (12-30 inches).

Yes, luckily i could just set it in an unused room so i wouldn't have to see it constantly

I don't think inside is all bad. I hope I didn't "poo-poo" on those that are indoor extracters! I like indoors very much--that was just a pretty picture and in a perfect world that's how we'd brew.
I have my space set up perfectly with not distractions (bugs, weather, etc.). I lay everything out, in time order, and I have sanitized the heck out of everything which could possibly be difficult for an outdoor setting. I wouldn't be allowed to set out a bowl of DME without worrying about flies.
Bring on the pictures though. I am curious as to what prompted you to boast about your setup. I'm certain it is nice and maybe I could steal an idea or two. I'm not savvy enough (yet) to transfer pictures to the site but I will be eventually.

 

[jimmyjusa]

I don't think inside is all bad. I hope I didn't "poo-poo" on those that are indoor extracters! I like indoors very much--that was just a pretty picture and in a perfect world that's how we'd brew.
I have my space set up perfectly with not distractions (bugs, weather, etc.). I lay everything out, in time order, and I have sanitized the heck out of everything which could possibly be difficult for an outdoor setting. I wouldn't be allowed to set out a bowl of DME without worrying about flies.
Bring on the pictures though. I am curious as to what prompted you to boast about your setup. I'm certain it is nice and maybe I could steal an idea or two. I'm not savvy enough (yet) to transfer pictures to the site but I will be eventually.

Well my comment about an unused room was regarding beer after being bottled and letting it carbonate, not about brewing. I really have no room inside the house so it's outside for me

 

[ancientmariner52]

Folks who know me, know that I'm a safety fanatic. That's OK, people don't get hurt on my watch.

Brewing is an industrial process, at home or in a major brewery. If you don't take precautions, you WILL suffer industrial grade injuries.

Leather shoes or boots and long pants should be a minimum for anything involving hot liquids. OK, I'll put my soapbox away now. Brew safe, everybody.

 

[jack13]

Folks who know me, know that I'm a safety fanatic. That's OK, people don't get hurt on my watch.

Brewing is an industrial process, at home or in a major brewery. If you don't take precautions, you WILL suffer industrial grade injuries.

Leather shoes or boots and long pants should be a minimum for anything involving hot liquids. OK, I'll put my soapbox away now. Brew safe, everybody.

On that note, I've identified only point in the process where death is a possibility, although remote: carrying the glass fermenter down the basement steps after I've drained into it. Tripping and falling onto the fermenter would be really, really bad. I could take the kettle down, then drain down there, but my solution instead is to just be extremely careful. And it's only half a flight and carpeted.

 

[davidabcd]

On that note, I've identified only point in the process where death is a possibility, although remote: carrying the glass fermenter down the basement steps after I've drained into it. Tripping and falling onto the fermenter would be really, really bad. I could take the kettle down, then drain down there, but my solution instead is to just be extremely careful. And it's only half a flight and carpeted.

Those carboys are the real deal. I'm sure you guys have talked about using a milk crate to carry one or a full harness that kind of surrounds the carboy. I even read of one guy who was cleaning his and broke off a shard.

 

[davidabcd]

Folks who know me, know that I'm a safety fanatic. That's OK, people don't get hurt on my watch.

Brewing is an industrial process, at home or in a major brewery. If you don't take precautions, you WILL suffer industrial grade injuries.

Leather shoes or boots and long pants should be a minimum for anything involving hot liquids. OK, I'll put my soapbox away now. Brew safe, everybody.

I doubt I'll get much (if any) agreement, but if we're talking safety, BWI (brewing while intoxicated) could be potentially dangerous.

 

[Bilbo1usa]

One extra note on the glass carboys; just dropping a full one will cause it to explode. A quick search on this site or google will reveal the potentially gruesome results.
I dropped a glass one on my first brew day many moons ago and sliced my leg open to the bone with a flying chunk of glass.
They're heavy and dangerous.
After that I switched to PET carboys and never looked back; been brewing excellent beer for many years with them!

-Bilbo

 

[davidabcd]

One extra note on the glass carboys; just dropping a full one will cause it to explode. A quick search on this site or google will reveal the potentially gruesome results.
I dropped a glass one on my first brew day many moons ago and sliced my leg open to the bone with a flying chunk of glass.
They're heavy and dangerous.
After that I switched to PET carboys and never looked back; been brewing excellent beer for many years with them!

-Bilbo

I used the glass twice, I think, but now only do the plastic bucket. My carboy sits there looking pretty but has gone unused.

 

[Saunassa]

One extra note on the glass carboys; just dropping a full one will cause it to explode. A quick search on this site or google will reveal the potentially gruesome results.
I dropped a glass one on my first brew day many moons ago and sliced my leg open to the bone with a flying chunk of glass.
They're heavy and dangerous.
After that I switched to PET carboys and never looked back; been brewing excellent beer for many years with them!

-Bilbo

Reading and seeing pics is why I went straight to plastic BMB because I have been known to slip and drop things.