First brew session, last minute advice

[Jcoz]

I have no way to measure what's in the kettle during the boil at this point.

 

[Bithead]

Wow, that's a big loss. Sometimes you need a few batch to dial in your processes and find your boil off rate. If you ended up with 4 gallons @ 1.064 and were expecting 5 gallons @ 1.050 I'd have added a gallon of water (boiled briefly and cooled) to the fermenter.

Also, you might want to learn to use some of the brewing tools like Beersmith or whatever you like or learn how to do the math on paper.

 

[Jcoz]

Ok so from what I'm reading this morning, it seems like I had too aggressive a boil, maybe by alot. And I could be headed for some off flavors as a result.

Guess I need to look into exactly what a slow rolling boil looks like.

I'm thinking I should boil and cool a gallon of water and pitch today, I didn't pitch yesterday because I couldnt get down to 62F and it was really late, but it's all sealed up and has an air lock with sanitized solution, so I should be ok id think. No idea what this will end up tasting like.... I'll be having a second go next weekend, so ill keep reading and make some adjustments.

 

[Jcoz]

Wow, that's a big loss. Sometimes you need a few batch to dial in your processes and find your boil off rate. If you ended up with 4 gallons @ 1.064 and were expecting 5 gallons @ 1.050 I'd have added a gallon of water (boiled briefly and cooled) to the fermenter.

Also, you might want to learn to use some of the brewing tools like Beersmith or whatever you like or learn how to do the math on paper.

I have brewmaster for ipad but I'm not sure if it's full featured enough to replace a beersmith, I'll look into it today.

 

[theonetrueruss]

just brew it

 

[usfmikeb]

Okay, a wider pot will lead to additional boil loss, so that's good for you to know for the future. The best thing about your setup is that you're using a 15 gallon kettle. That means that you can do more sparging than most people do for a 5 gallon batch, which will allow you to increase efficiency and start with a larger amount of wort as you begin the boil.

Since you ended up at 4 gallons, now you know you need to start a 90 minute boil in your setup with at least 8.25 gallons. As another poster said, you'll learn from experience, and hopefully you'll have some fun along the way.

 

[Jcoz]

Okay, a wider pot will lead to additional boil loss, so that's good for you to know for the future. The best thing about your setup is that you're using a 15 gallon kettle. That means that you can do more sparging than most people do for a 5 gallon batch, which will allow you to increase efficiency and start with a larger amount of wort as you begin the boil.

Since you ended up at 4 gallons, now you know you need to start a 90 minute boil in your setup with at least 8.25 gallons. As another poster said, you'll learn from experience, and hopefully you'll have some fun along the way.

I definitely had some fun, good to finally just get a batch done, whatever the results. I ended up boiling and cooling another gallon, adding it, and aerating and pitching A little on the cool side, about 60F.

I feel I did ok on sanitation, but a routine will make that go much smoother.

I bought a utility pump, so hitting my pitch temp should be allot easier next time. I still got it under 80F in 40 min, so not terrible, I just couldn't get it under 70 until today.

Ambient is 64F so I think I should be ok as it warms up over the next 48 hours, we'll see.

 

[genes]

Too aggressive of a boil?? I don't think there is a such thing.

 

[Jcoz]

Too aggressive of a boil?? I don't think there is a such thing.

Well If that's true I should have a pretty good beer on my hands, but I read in a byo article that too much reduction causes off flavors, so I guess well see.

Hope you are right.

 

[Jcoz]

Ok so it's now been 29 hours since I pitched, and the fermenter is up to 65F which is the same as ambient. Sat there for five min, no bubbles, but the closet smells pretty funky, so something is going on for sure. Not really sure what fermentation smells like so I can't tell you one way or the other. Hopefully it's just coming along slowly due to the colder pitch temperature.

 

[Jcoz]

So I pulled a sample of my first brew today....been fermenting for 8 days, it's down to 1.014.... Tasted it, it was Good! Very good. Tasted and smelled quite a bit like the weihenstaphaner dunkel.....really excited.

I'm extremely pleased. I'll wait till Friday night, see if I can squeeze another point or two out of it, need the time to get bottles ready anyways.

 

[usfmikeb]

Awesome, Jcoz!

 

[Smashing]

Nice!

 

[Jcoz]

Thanks for the help guys, nothing like a little experience to settle down some first brew panic, lol.