First Brew Nerves

[CBurgles]

Hi everyone, I’m getting ready to brew my first batch either this weekend or next. This is technically my second batch but the first batch was such a disaster it never even got to the point where I could taste it. I’ve been doing my research and learned a lot about steps I may have messed up or rushed through being too anxious.

This time around I decided to go with a brewers best beginners kit. I feel pretty good going into this batch with the new equipment and this kit. The one instruction I’m getting hung up on though, is second fermentation. The recipe I’m going with calls to transfer into a secondary fermenter and dry hop. After reading some similar posts my gut is telling me to dry hop and keep it in the primary for the whole fermentation process before bottling.

Looking for some feedback on pros and cons and whether or not the risk is worth it. Thanks.

 

[El Nino]

Honestly going by how nerve wracking my first brew was (despite reading anything and everything i could to prepare me), i honestly would do whatever i could to make the process less stressful, so I'd ditch secondary fermentation for now. I've dry hopped in primary every time and the beer came out great.

I'm a bit tipsy of home brew at the moment though so don't take my words as verbatim lol

 

[passedpawn]

Hi everyone, I’m getting ready to brew my first batch either this weekend or next. This is technically my second batch but the first batch was such a disaster it never even got to the point where I could taste it. I’ve been doing my research and learned a lot about steps I may have messed up or rushed through being too anxious.

This time around I decided to go with a brewers best beginners kit. I feel pretty good going into this batch with the new equipment and this kit. The one instruction I’m getting hung up on though, is second fermentation. The recipe I’m going with calls to transfer into a secondary fermenter and dry hop. After reading some similar posts my gut is telling me to dry hop and keep it in the primary for the whole fermentation process before bottling.

Looking for some feedback on pros and cons and whether or not the risk is worth it. Thanks.

Don't do the secondary. Give it two weeks in the fermentor, then bottle.

 

[AZBeer]

Go with your gut, skip secondary. I never rack to a secondary, and dry hop in primary often...unless I am doing a something real big that I am bulk aging for an extended period of time.

 

[biochemedic]

The only time I used a secondary in the past 10 years was when I did a beer with multiple pounds of dried fruit...unless you're adding something that needs to be racked off, there's no good reason to transfer to secondary.

Edit: I always like it when AZBeer and I post back to back...mmmm, hops...

 

[TGFV]

Agreed in skipping secondary.

My first batch was also an nigh undrinkable abomination that I look back on fondly. I used old (very old) extract and yeast, poorly sanitized everything and added sugar like cheap kit instructions told me.

And in the end I still got beer. It may have tasted terrible but it was beer nonetheless.

 

[cactusgarrett]

Secondary vessel (notice how i didn't say "fermentation") is usually used to clear up the beer quickly before packaging. I employ the process, now, only when i'm doing something like monster loads of dry hopping, adding fruit or other material that would leave the beer hazy, or simply need to free up my primary fermenter. However, given enough time, that material would drop out anyway.

 

[flars]

I've done a Brewers Best kit and found the instructions were awful. I would recommend writing out the steps and addition times in plain language.

Everything does not have to be done to the minute. This was one of my main stresses with my first solo brew.

Late extract addition will result in a lighter colored beer. Noticeable if this brew will be a pale beer rather than a stout or porter. Late extract addition is adding half of the fermentables in the last 15 to 1 minutes of the boil. Heating less of the extract for an extended will leave it lighter in color.

I don't use a secondary anymore. Dry hopping is in the primary.

Take a specific gravity reading about day 10. Take another a few days later. You will most likely find the the beer is at final gravity. When you take the second reading you will notice the sample has less suspended sediment. Time in the primary will give you clear beer to bottle.

What do you plan for fermentation temperature control?

 

[kh54s10]

I wonder when kit manufacturers are going to start giving instructions that weren't put together decades ago.

Maybe leave out descriptions of how good their beers will be and verbose paragraphs describing the flavors in term noobs don't understand anyway. That would leave some room to address fermentation temperatures, Gravity readings, more reasonable timetables, and a description of what secondaries actually do (or don't do!) etc.

 

[shoengine]

My third and fourth batches were Brewer's Best kits, and I didn't have any complaints. Yes, they do say to rack it to secondary, but that isn't exactly bad advice, just out of vogue. They had complete kits and instructions, included necessaries such as the steeping socks, bottle caps and the instructions were step by step, prompted for data such as gravities. Very helpful as a stepping stone to brewing other recipes.

 

[AJinJacksonville]

I agree with all that skip secondary on this type of brew. I frequently do additions, dryhopping, etc. in primary and have not had any issues. I also agree with those who comment on the poor instructions. I would write out step by step on your own, and post any questions with the process if you can't figure them out. If you have brewing software or an online recipe generator, you could also plug in your ingredients from the kit so you can 1) have better instructions printed on hand and 2) have a better understanding on how the additions in different amounts/times affect color, IBUs, etc. In my experience, my brews only got better once I really started breaking everything down to my learning level (which is arguably very low, if you ask my wife). Cheers and good luck!

 

[VirginiaHops1]

There is a lot of information to process when you're just starting out and it can be overwhelming. I did my first batch and am drinking it now and getting ready to brew my 2nd. I didn't bother with secondary and dry hopped in the primary. I didn't even take gravity readings for the first one because I was just so overwhelmed with everything else. Turned out pretty good though. I'm trying the Brewers Best DIPA next. I think their instructions are actually pretty good. Seems a bit more robust than the NB instructions from my first brew.

 

[bigrbuk]

I've racked to secondary and i dont know if the pros outweigh the cons of potential aeration during transfer and chance of infection, I could do with an ordering system of bad things to avoid lol.

I'm currently brewing a lager where the beer will be sat on the yeast cake a lot longer but I still don't know whether to lager in secondary or the bottle. I'm edging towards bottling and layering in the bottle. A bit of bottle trub never hurt anyone now did it?

 

[CBurgles]

I've done a Brewers Best kit and found the instructions were awful. I would recommend writing out the steps and addition times in plain language.

Everything does not have to be done to the minute. This was one of my main stresses with my first solo brew.

Late extract addition will result in a lighter colored beer. Noticeable if this brew will be a pale beer rather than a stout or porter. Late extract addition is adding half of the fermentables in the last 15 to 1 minutes of the boil. Heating less of the extract for an extended will leave it lighter in color.

I don't use a secondary anymore. Dry hopping is in the primary.

Take a specific gravity reading about day 10. Take another a few days later. You will most likely find the the beer is at final gravity. When you take the second reading you will notice the sample has less suspended sediment. Time in the primary will give you clear beer to bottle.

What do you plan for fermentation temperature control?

This one is a grapefruit ipa and the directions say to add the LME all at the beginning of the boil. Thanks for the tip on adding late for a lighter color beer.

As far as fermentation goes I’m still contemplating. I’m keeping a thermometer in my basement shower and reading every few hours to see if the temp is stable in there. which stays very cool. Thinking about possible putting my extra window ac in my extra bedroom and setting it to 66.

 

[CBurgles]

Agreed in skipping secondary.

My first batch was also an nigh undrinkable abomination that I look back on fondly. I used old (very old) extract and yeast, poorly sanitized everything and added sugar like cheap kit instructions told me.

And in the end I still got beer. It may have tasted terrible but it was beer nonetheless.

I made the mistake of trying to bottle condition in some of my favorite local brewery growlers. One exploded in my closet the other had a gusher infection.

 

[CBurgles]

I wonder when kit manufacturers are going to start giving instructions that weren't put together decades ago.

Maybe leave out descriptions of how good their beers will be and verbose paragraphs describing the flavors in term noobs don't understand anyway. That would leave some room to address fermentation temperatures, Gravity readings, more reasonable timetables, and a description of what secondaries actually do (or don't do!) etc.

I’m not too fond of the instruction either. I don’t think they would be that awful if instead of adding notes and tips off to the side, they would just include them in that section of the directions. But I at least got a good trial run with a Brooklyn Brew Shop starter kit, and have watched the northern brewer starter videos.

 

[kh54s10]

I made the mistake of trying to bottle condition in some of my favorite local brewery growlers. One exploded in my closet the other had a gusher infection.

This of course was not the fault of the local brewery growlers. Unless they were really thin glass. You probably either overprimed or had and infection.

 

[CBurgles]

This of course was not the fault of the local brewery growlers. Unless they were really thin glass. You probably either overprimed or had and infection.

Oh I’m fully blaming myself on that. I didn’t have the better sealing tops on them and I don’t think I cleaned and sanitized them enough. Then I also watched something on the NB YouTube explaining how those type of growlers are notorious for that sort of thing.

 

[TGFV]

Not sure how many times I have read it here and elsewhere, but most growlers are not capable of withstanding pressure for carbonation as far as creating carbonation goes.

 

[kh54s10]

I made the mistake of trying to bottle condition in some of my favorite local brewery growlers. One exploded in my closet the other had a gusher infection.

Not sure how many times I have read it here and elsewhere, but most growlers are not capable of withstanding pressure for carbonation as far as creating carbonation goes.

Ok, this brings up a question. Did the one that exploded break or did it just low out of the top. If it broke it certainly withstood the pressure of carbonation.

 

[CBurgles]

Ok, this brings up a question. Did the one that exploded break or did it just low out of the top. If it broke it certainly withstood the pressure of carbonation.

One of them fully exploded. I went to check on it and found beer and shards of glass everywhere. The other one wasn’t as full but when I opened that one it went Old Faithful all over me and my kitchen.