first brew question

[dicowitz88]

First off i kno im supposed to wait however this is my first brew i am having no bubbles in the airlock its approximately 11-12 hours after i put it into ferrmenter should i have any reason to be concerned? Also at which point should i be concerned

 

[duboman]

You know you're supposed to wait......at least 72 hours, something will be happening in less time than that. RDWHAHB! Cheers!

 

[helibrewer]

I have one pail/lid combination that NEVER shows airlock activity because there is a seal leak somewhere....after 24-48 hours peak in through the airlock and see if there is a krausen layer if you are really curious.

 

[amurphyz]

I am by no means a brew master, I've only been doin this about 8 months, but I learned this on my second brew, ignore the airlock! I know how you feel, if it's farting away your happy cause it's doing something! But just be patient, wait a week to 10 days and take a hydrometer reading, that's the only sure fire way to tell, but peeking will let you know too.

 

[helibrewer]

I am by no means a brew master, I've only been doin this about 8 months, but I learned this on my second brew, ignore the airlock! I know how you feel, if it's farting away your happy cause it's doing something! But just be patient, wait a week to 10 days and take a hydrometer reading, that's the only sure fire way to tell, but peeking will let you know too.

Hey, I'm amurphyz too

 

[andys_got_it]

12 hours is too early to determine if there is any activity unless you pitched with a yeast starter.

 

[bob1006]

Go to bed! Dream of the smell of fresh wort and tasty beer! Check it in the morning, if you have none, wait longer.

 

[dicowitz88]

Ok so to continue i went to bed woke up andwe checked again still no bubbles however i popped an edge of the bucket open and saw tons of foam

 

[duboman]

Ok so to continue i went to bed woke up andwe checked again still no bubbles however i popped an edge of the bucket open and saw tons of foam

That's good, that 's krausen so seal it back up and rest easy for the next 2-3 weeks

 

[bob1006]

Nice! Its alive!

 

[Jayhem]

Get yourself a 6gal better bottle carboy to ferment in. It is much more fun to be able to watch the fermentation. I only use my bucket now for mixing in my yeast!

 

[ahaley]

I've read of about 3 or 4 people on this site who had a carboy "pop" I like my bucket thank you. Lol

 

[stonewall86]

I've read of about 3 or 4 people on this site who had a carboy "pop" I like my bucket thank you. Lol

Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Lol

 

[ahaley]

My plastic bucket is way lighter than your heavy carboy, which at one point in time considering buying, won't pop, hopefully. Lol

 

[bleme]

My plastic bucket is way lighter than your heavy carboy, which at one point in time considering buying, won't pop, hopefully. Lol

A Better Bottle is plastic, just like your bucket but clear.

 

[ahaley]

Oh, lol I thought you were like me and say "more better" so I thought you meant a better carboy like... More good lol

 

[dicowitz88]

Going to transfer to my carboy in a few days probably thursday

 

[bob1006]

Don't do that. Let it chill in the fermenter for a couple Weeks. Let it finish doing what it needs to. After that, do what you want.

Most people let it sit in primary for 3 Weeks then bottle.

if I plan a secondary I wait until fermentation is done by taking gravity readings then rack.

 

[FattySparks]

Don't do that. Let it chill in the fermenter for a couple Weeks. Let it finish doing what it needs to. After that, do what you want.

Most people let it sit in primary for 3 Weeks then bottle.

if I plan a secondary I wait until fermentation is done by taking gravity readings then rack.

You shouldn't say "don't do that" like he's doing something wrong. A lot of people rack into a secondary with great success. I am one of them.

Just make sure that everything is sanitized and that you're gentle with the beer as you rack it.

I'm not saying that leaving it in the primary is wrong either, but it really just comes down to personal preference. I did one beer without a secondary and it was much cloudier than my other beers. It tasted fine. In fact it tasted great, but so did my other beers.

And if you follow the 1-2-3 rule, there is still plenty of yeast to clean up with in the secondary. Plus I don't like leaving my beer anywhere near the nasty crud ring.

Like I said, ALL PERSONAL PREFERENCE, but these are my reasons for doing it. And usually you won't persuade someone one way or the other.

 

[bob1006]

You shouldn't say "don't do that" like he's doing something wrong. A lot of people rack into a secondary with great success. I am one of them.

Just make sure that everything is sanitized and that you're gentle with the beer as you rack it.

I'm not saying that leaving it in the primary is wrong either, but it really just comes down to personal preference. I did one beer without a secondary and it was much cloudier than my other beers. It tasted fine. In fact it tasted great, but so did my other beers.

And if you follow the 1-2-3 rule, there is still plenty of yeast to clean up with in the secondary. Plus I don't like leaving my beer anywhere near the nasty crud ring.

Like I said, ALL PERSONAL PREFERENCE, but these are my reasons for doing it. And usually you won't persuade someone one way or the other.

I was not scolding him for wanting to do secondary. My point was wait because fermentation had just begun. Look at the dates and times of his posts and you will see. Would you move a beer to secondary within the first 24 hours of fermentation? Probably not.

 

[dicowitz88]

I didnt take it as a scolding ( ima big boy) the racking into the secondary would be happing approx 4-5 days after being put into the primary

 

[NickTheGreat]

This is why I put my fermentor in the basement. Out of sight, out of mind

 

[bob1006]

Yeah, personally I would wait another week to rack to secondary.
But hey, its your beer.

I didn't mean it as a scolding, lol. Think maybe I could have stated it differently.

I built a ferm box in my garage for ales and have a refrigerator for lagers. I just leave them be for 2 Weeks most of the time then rack to secondary depending on what i'm doing. Some beers are perfect to go from primary strait to bottle after 3 weeks. There are 1000 's of threads on here about this subject.

in the end the choice is yours and yours alone. If the beer comes out tasting like beer, then job well done.

 

[mr_bell]

Not sure if this is the lack of bubbling in the airlock thread or the secondary thread. Lord knows there are plenty of both.

My airlocks bubble when fermentation is going on-bucket, glass carboy or better bottle, I have all three--doesn't matter. That said friends, and I think this is the best practice, I still use my hydrometer to gauge fermentation progress.

 

[mr_bell]

in the end the choice is yours and yours alone. If the beer comes out tasting like beer, then job well done.

^^+1^^

 

[FattySparks]

I didnt take it as a scolding ( ima big boy) the racking into the secondary would be happing approx 4-5 days after being put into the primary

I would give it at least a week in the primary. A lot of people follow the 1-2-3 rule with great success. 1 week in primary, 2 weeks in secondary, 3 weeks bottle conditioning @ 70*. If you have a hydrometer then that is the best way to tell when to bottle, but for most low gravity beers 3 weeks is plenty of time for the fermentation to complete.

Many people also just leave it in the primary for the first 3 weeks or take gravity readings and once it's consistent for 3 days then they bottle it.

If it were me, I wouldn't wait the 3 weeks to transfer it a secondary. At that point it's either done fermenting or damn close and I don't think a secondary would accomplish anything.

 

[dicowitz88]

Ok to continue i am having good fermenting going on i can smell it ( smells fantastic btw) what is the best temp to keep t at right now im at 64-68 f range

 

[bleme]

what is the best temp to keep t at right now im at 64-68 f range

There isn't really a "best" temp. 64-68 is right in the middle and a fine range. You will get different characteristics if you brew higher or lower and that can be fun to experiment with. In general, lower temps will produce a 'cleaner' taste. Higher temps usually bring out more of the yeasts flavors. That can vary with some of the more 'exotic' yeast strains though.

 

[dicowitz88]

If i so choose to do could i use my 6.5 plastic carboy as another primary fermentor

 

[Getzinator]

I'm a firm believer to do whatever you want with your first batch. Most people only learn the hard way (me included), so experiment!
There are three keys to making your first batch of beer:
1. SANITIZE EVERYTHING. Twice if you have any concerns
2. Get everything into a big pot and boil it for about an hour, transfer to a fermenter
3. Try to be a little patient

My first batch of beer tastes great, and I did a lot of things people consider "no-no's". I racked to a secondary 4 days in, left it there about another week and a half, bottled and drank a week and a half later.
Could it have been better if I did everything the right way? Absolutely.
Have I ever enjoyed a beer more? HECK NO!
It was my first beer I've ever made and it didn't suck at all. That's all that really matters for a beginner.

 

[bleme]

If i so choose to do could i use my 6.5 plastic carboy as another primary fermentor

That sounds like a great primary. On the bottom it will have a number, 1 thru 7, inside a triangle that tells you what kind of plastic it is made from. #1 is preferred but #2 and #7 are acceptable.

 

[dicowitz88]

Well it came with the kit i bought it had a primary bucket a carboy and bottling bucket from what ive been told racking into the carboy is 100% necessary i could just use the carboy as another fermentor

 

[bleme]

That sounds like a nice kit! I have friends interested in getting into brewing. Where did you pick that up?

Secondaries are a matter of preference. Personally, I only use one if I am adding fruit or dry hopping. If I am adding fruit, I don't worry about the size of the container as I know it is going to produce enough CO2 to blanket and protect the beer. If I'm not adding some form of sugar, like if I am just dry hopping or wood chipping, then I secondary in a 5 gallon carboy to limit the headspace/oxygen contact.

 

[dicowitz88]

I got it at a local home brewing store but its a brewers best kit came with all that a bottle capper brusher hydrometer thermometer bottling wand siphone cane and tube

 

[Getzinator]

I got it at a local home brewing store but its a brewers best kit came with all that a bottle capper brusher hydrometer thermometer bottling wand siphone cane and tube

I got the same one, and I love it! It's not a bad price for everything you're buying, and it comes with pretty much everything you need for a first time brew.

I upgraded to a floating thermometer and starsan. The One Step cleaner it came with just didn't have the rave reveiws starsan did.

Edit: You can find some more info on it here