First brew under my belt - a few questions...

[Addicted]

I received my happy packages from fed ex yesterday so as soon as i got out of work(A little early!)i started my first brew.I got my equipment from Midwest and they seem great,timely shipping and excellent packaging.I got the Honey porter kit from Midwest too.I have high hopes for this first brew,i think i am going to have success.I did not add the yeast till about 10:00pm last night,when i woke up at 7:00am this morning the airlock was already bubbling like crazy.I did end up with a little too much wort though,when i did my test boils to get down how much boil off i would have i never thought to take in to account the half gallon of extract i would be putting in or the honey.

So do you think the extra wort volume will affect anything?

And I'm unsure about my hydrometer readings.According to Midwest the SGshould be 1.054-1.058,and the FG should be 1.010-1.014.But according to my readings if i did it right the SG was 1.046.Does that sound right?.I was certainly drunk by that point so who knows how i read the thing.I did take the reading at the proper temp i know that much.

And also fermentation temps.I set up a chamber for the fermenter thinking i would have to add heat,unfortunately It's the exact opposite.I need to cool i think,which should be easy with some sort of a thermostat.Right now the temp in the fermenting bucket is 72 verified with multiple thermometers.Should i cool it to about 65?

Here's some pics.

This worked alright but clogged towards the end because i kinked the strainer with the wort chiller.

No bottling!

 

[buffalobrewer]

damn nice "starter" kit! The added volume will cut down the original gravity (probably why you came in a little low). Fermentation does create some heat as the yeasties have their fun. Your yeast should have a temperature range on the package or can be found using "the google." Usually the lower end of the range is better unless you are looking for special effects (esters, etc).

welcome to the hobby!

 

[Addicted]

Thanks Man!,The yeast package had no indication for temp.It was a Muntons dry yeast,looking back i should have got better yeast but i had it so it will be compared to next time.Which will be in a few days.I want Lot's of beer.

 

[Addicted]

I think i may have screwed up some,i used the Easy clean that came with my kit as a sanitizer.I'm sure some made it in to the wort,i hope It's Ok.My airlock is also filled with it too.Eithrer way It's going to be drank.

 

[buffalobrewer]

Yeah, that looks like just a cleaner, not a sanitizer. Luckily with new equipment you probably don't have any nasties hanging out in the hoses/fermenter so it will probably be ok. You might want to take your air lock off and refill with vodka just in case you get some suckback from temperature changes.

 

[rsmith179]

Next time you order a kit from Midwest, make sure to get some StarSan as well. Easy Clean is good for cleaning your equipment, but is not a sanitizer so you'll want to be careful if you're just using that.

Regarding the extra wort, it's not that big of a deal. The extra wort is most likely why your OG was off a bit though. If you didn't have that extra wort, the sugars would be more concentrated, giving you a higher OG. Regardless, you'll still have a good beer with decent ABV%. If you do get extra wort next brew, try freezing it so that you can use this for a yeast starter on your next brew. Frozen wort will stay good for quite a while...

Were you able to get a full 5 gallon boil in that keg on your stovetop? That's very impressive if you were... I had a hard enough time boiling 3-4 gallons in a standard pot on the stove. You may want to look into getting a turkey fryer stand so that you can start brewing outside when the weather gets better.

 

[kryolla]

I would get it below 70

 

[Lunarpancake]

love the Nantucket nectar's modded fridge!

 

[Addicted]

Yeah, that looks like just a cleaner, not a sanitizer. Luckily with new equipment you probably don't have any nasties hanging out in the hoses/fermenter so it will probably be ok. You might want to take your air lock off and refill with vodka just in case you get some suckback from temperature changes.

Changing to vodka now.Thanks.

Next time you order a kit from Midwest, make sure to get some StarSan as well. Easy Clean is good for cleaning your equipment, but is not a sanitizer so you'll want to be careful if you're just using that.

Regarding the extra wort, it's not that big of a deal. The extra wort is most likely why your OG was off a bit though. If you didn't have that extra wort, the sugars would be more concentrated, giving you a higher OG. Regardless, you'll still have a good beer with decent ABV%. If you do get extra wort next brew, try freezing it so that you can use this for a yeast starter on your next brew. Frozen wort will stay good for quite a while...

Were you able to get a full 5 gallon boil in that keg on your stovetop? That's very impressive if you were... I had a hard enough time boiling 3-4 gallons in a standard pot on the stove. You may want to look into getting a turkey fryer stand so that you can start brewing outside when the weather gets better.

Thanks for the info!
I can get 7 gallons of hot tap water to a boil in 45 minutes,the keggle sits over two burners so That's the only reason it works.Not a chance with one.I have a turkey fryer,but i was thinking of going electric for the keggle.When It's hot as hell out i want to be inside with the AC cranked!

I would get it below 70

Moved it and It's at 66.7 now.

love the Nantucket nectar's modded fridge!

It works for now,but I'm going to need a chest freezer soon!