First brew in about 24 hrs, getting excited

[lcbjr77]

I have the starter in the fridge and will be picking up some large tupperware containers to keep sanitizer in while I brew tomorrow.

Getting excited about the first brew (It feels like Christmas Eve). My main concerns right now are as follows...

Boil over: If the brew boil ends up like my starter I will sh*t my pants, that or my fiance will kill me. I will try to keep my eye on that pot the entire time.

Sanitation: I thought I did a pretty good job with the starter but I know that many people say sanitize sanitize sanitize!!!

Hop Schedule: I didn't really inspect the packaging of the hops but I think I will place the hops in dixie cups of small plates with times on them so i don't foul that up.

After seeing how heavy a glass carboy I cleaned last night was I'm still wondering how I'm going to aerate the wert. I don't own a device to go on a drill or fancy gizmos that connect to CO2... Hmmm, I will probably just dump through a funnel a couple times and see how that goes.

 

[kev211]

Good luck! Welcome to the addiction. AS for boilovers... I would suggest picking up some fermcap. It can be found at your LHBS. Works wonders at preventing boil overs AND will keep you krausen down a little during fermentation. Your hop idea sounds good. I usually just lay mine out in the correct order at the start of the boil, start the timer on my phone and add the next one each time I hit the correct mark. As for aeration. Pouring through a funnel (especially one with a screen) and be a good way to aerate wort. Glass carboys can be tricky, because they can break (plenty of threads on this). I use glass carboys and I usually put mine on a soft mat and rock it back and forth. I have hosted it on my lap to shake it, but if it breaks, you're screwed so I advise against that.

Just remember relax, have fun, and hey... at the end you get beer!

 

[mrgrimm101]

If you're attentive, you shouldn't have a boilover. I brew 5 gallons at a time, and my preboil volume is usually about 4 gallons in a 5 gallon kettle. I just make sure to stand by it and stir as needed to keep it from boiling over. If it gets too close to boing over, you can lower the heat a bit or spray some water in the kettle. Be careful not to cover it too much..I don't cover mine anymore because it boils over too quickly. At the start of the boil, it will foam up like crazy for about 5-20 minutes. The proteins will get heavy and sink into the kettle and you will have what is called a "hot break". This is when I start my 60 min hop additions and start the timer.

Sanitation is very important. The kettle doesn't necessarily have to be sanitized..just clean. The boil will sanitize anything in the wort. Be sure to treat cleansing and sanitizing as 2 separate procedures. Everything that the wort comes into contact with should be cleaned with PBW and then rinsed off before being sanitized.

I toss my hops in from the packaging. You can take them out if you need to weigh them or mix different kinds, but if it calls for an ounce, I just cut open the bag and toss them in.

Yea, get a funnel with a screen on it or a strainer and rack through that. Lots of splashing will aerate nicely.

I got 1 of these 6.5 gallon plastic Big Mouth Bubbler carboys for Christmas..I brewed 1 batch with it so far. I love it, it works wonderfully and is much lighter than glass. I used to use 6.5 gallon buckets, which were nice too, but I couldn't see the fermenation!

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/...rmentor.html?gclid=CPrAkq_JlsMCFZGCaQodEosAXA

 

[Barley_Bob]

Best of luck tomorrow! I remember how excited I was when I was in your shoes, but you can go ahead and multiply that excitement by 100 to estimate my excitement at my first sip of my own delicious homebrew. You have a lot to look forward to!

It's good you're concerned about these things... a little anxiety can ensure you're thorough. As long as you follow through on all of these, you should be fine.

I had a boil over on my first batch, and I'm not sure I've had one since. Using a big enough of a pot is key, and then I just watch mine until it starts boiling (I usually do dishes or something during this period). As long as you're diligent, it won't happen.

Sanitizing is key, but again, just be diligent! Rub everything down with starsan and all will be well.

I would be a little bit careful with your plan for hop additions... I see a fair number of threads where folks have set out all their additions in cups or containers and then have pitched in the wrong one! If you're going to use this method, write the interval on each cup!

Good luck with aeration... it can be tricky with a carboy. In a bucket, you can really rock it back and forth vigorously, but I would not recommend you do that with a carboy. For now, I think you have a good strategy. I will also urge some caution with a funnel. If you pour into it too fast, it's easy to wind up with it overflowing.

One thing you don't mention is your fermentation temperature. Make sure you have a plan to keep it cool and stable!

Again, best of luck and welcome to the hobby! Don't forget to take a deep breath and savor the moment!

 

[mrgrimm101]

Good luck! Welcome to the addiction. AS for boilovers... I would suggest picking up some fermcap. It can be found at your LHBS. Works wonders at preventing boil overs AND will keep you krausen down a little during fermentation.

I forgot about Fermcap! I've seen several good reviews of this product.

 

[stpug]

Fermcap-S for boilovers is a huge help. A spray bottle of plain water (or even starsan if that's all you have) works wonders for knocking down a quick foam-up if you don't have fermcap. Make sure you have some room above your wort in your pot because the hotbreak (foam-up) and vigor of boil will require it (I'd say a minimum of 2 inches is needed, but more is better).

As far as sanitation, you're only concerned with anything that comes into contact with the wort while it's chilling or afterwards. Everything before that is virtually unimportant as far as sanitation goes.

Your hop schedule cups is perfect!

I used to fill a glass carboy (leave headspace for the krausen), and on a kitchen mat or rug, I would tilt it on a corner and slosh it back and forth. It doesn't take much muscle aside a little forearm and bi/tricep. Certainly do not pick up the carboy off the ground and shake it around while full - you're just asking for problems. Also, your idea of funneling a couple times should work well.

Most importantly, have fun!!!

 

[mrgrimm101]

Best of luck tomorrow! I remember how excited I was when I was in your shoes, but you can go ahead and multiply that excitement by 100 to estimate my excitement at my first sip of my own delicious homebrew. You have a lot to look forward to!

It's good you're concerned about these things... a little anxiety can ensure you're thorough. As long as you follow through on all of these, you should be fine.

I had a boil over on my first batch, and I'm not sure I've had one since. Using a big enough of a pot is key, and then I just watch mine until it starts boiling (I usually do dishes or something during this period). As long as you're diligent, it won't happen.

Sanitizing is key, but again, just be diligent! Rub everything down with starsan and all will be well.

I would be a little bit careful with your plan for hop additions... I see a fair number of threads where folks have set out all their additions in cups or containers and then have pitched in the wrong one! If you're going to use this method, write the interval on each cup!

Good luck with aeration... it can be tricky with a carboy. In a bucket, you can really rock it back and forth vigorously, but I would not recommend you do that with a carboy. For now, I think you have a good strategy. I will also urge some caution with a funnel. If you pour into it too fast, it's easy to wind up with it overflowing.

One thing you don't mention is your fermentation temperature. Make sure you have a plan to keep it cool and stable!

Again, best of luck and welcome to the hobby! Don't forget to take a deep breath and savor the moment!

I couldn't agree more. I tend to overthink everything, which in the case of brewing is not necessarily a bad thing. It just ensures that I am being thorough and have thought everything out.

Ha, I've overflowed my funnel more times than I can admit. It helps to have another person to help hold the hose while I hold the funnel and use a stirring stick or something to try and loosen up any break material that clogs the screen.

A good tip for sanitizing is to get some StarSan and prepare some in a spray bottle. That way you can give something a quick spray if you need to quickly resanitize. 1 thing to remember with StarSan is to not fear the foam!

 

[kev211]

I forgot about Fermcap! I've seen several good reviews of this product.

This stuff is the bees knees. I never really needed it when brewing indoors (my propane stove in my kitchen could get a boil... Just not that great of a boil). On my first brew outside on my propane stove I managed to have catlike reflexes and shut it off right before a boilover. I ran inside and grabbed some of the fermcap and added it in, brought it to a boil and all was well. Ive used it on every brew since

 

[flars]

The boil does not need to resemble miniature volcanoes. Reduce the heat to keep most of the surface rolling. Having a lid partially on the BK reduces heat needs even further. with Pilsner malts in the BK, I wipe the large droplets of condensation from under the lid, as a preventive measure against DMS remaining in the kettle.
Anything you do during the boil, must be done next to the kettle, or you will have a boil over.

 

[CJ-3]

One thing you may want to consider is locating a spare milk crate to keep the carboy in. It makes it easier to carry and helps protect against accidental breakage. Aside from that have a great brew day and welcome to the hobby.

 

[mrgrimm101]

One thing you may want to consider is locating a spare milk crate to keep the carboy in. It makes it easier to carry and helps protect against accidental breakage. Aside from that have a great brew day and welcome to the hobby.

I've been looking for a plastic milk crate to use with my big mouth bubbler, but I can't find any locally. There is a local dairy here that doesn't sell them to the public. I've found them online, but the shipping is a bit much. $15 shipping on a $5 plastic crate sucks!

 

[Staestc]

Good luck with your brew tomorrow!

Not sure if you are boiling inside or out, but I would be leary of hops on plates or in paper cups. If outside paper plates or cups with a little hops on/in them will blow around very easily, and even inside they are easy to knock over or off the counter, leaving you picking up and trying to salvage. I use Zip Lock snack bags, and mark them with a shapie. Just a thought.

 

[eadavis80]

Given how much you've thought about your debut brew, I'm confident you'll be fine. I never drink during brewing until I pitch my yeast. Too easy to have one too many and then screw something up. Once the yeast are in the wort and you've put your fermenter in its place, it's out of your hands (for a few weeks at least). Enjoy!

 

[airbrett]

I've been looking for a plastic milk crate to use with my big mouth bubbler, but I can't find any locally. There is a local dairy here that doesn't sell them to the public. I've found them online, but the shipping is a bit much. $15 shipping on a $5 plastic crate sucks!

Try the Container Store if there's one near you:
http://www.containerstore.com/shop/storage/crates?productId=10000531

$9.99

 

[CJ-3]

I've been looking for a plastic milk crate to use with my big mouth bubbler, but I can't find any locally. There is a local dairy here that doesn't sell them to the public. I've found them online, but the shipping is a bit much. $15 shipping on a $5 plastic crate sucks!

I am unfamiliar with the size of the Big Mouth Bubbler, but if it fits in a milk crate, Home Depot has them for $8.99 (13" square).

http://www.homedepot.com/p/GSC-Tech...13-in-Black-Milk-Crate-MC131311-002/204793156


You can also check Craiglsist to see if anyone is getting rid of one cheaply.

 

[lcbjr77]

Thanks for all the info.. My new dilemma. Do I ferment in a 6.5 gallon bucket or a 5 gallon carboy with blowoff tube? Mind you this is going to be a 5 gallon batch. I have two 5 gallon glass carboys and one 6.5 gallon bucket in my inventory.

 

[muels]

Primary fermentation will be done in the 6.5 gallon. You have to have the headspace or you will have a mess. 5 gallon would be for secondary, if you use one. Do a search on secondary and decide for yourself, there's a million threads!


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

 

[mrgrimm101]

Thanks for all the info.. My new dilemma. Do I ferment in a 6.5 gallon bucket or a 5 gallon carboy with blowoff tube? Mind you this is going to be a 5 gallon batch. I have two 5 gallon glass carboys and one 6.5 gallon bucket in my inventory.

I usually do the 6.5 gallon with an airlock. I've only ever had a blowout when I used a 5 gallon carboy on my first batch..there was NO headroom. I quickly learned to set up a blowoff rig during this batch.

It's really your call. In primary, headspace is not too important, as the C02 that it gives off will protect the beer. So the extra 1.5 gallon room of headspace won't harm your beer. If you were to use a secondary, I would reserve the 5 gallon carboys for that..less headroom = less chance of infection or oxidation.