first brew

[littlewoy]

Our first brew's been in the tub for nearly a week now. We used a tin of extract and about 2lbs of DME and 2 packets of yeast. The fermentation went really quickly. No more bubbling after about 2 days. Also, a layer of what appears to be DME has settled on the bottom of the tub. Is this normal or should we stir it up a bit??

 

[Windaria]

As the yeast dies off it will usually leave a layer at the bottom, that is fine. Part of the brewing is making sure that the stuff settles. Now, if fermentation starts to slow then some people give it a stir to wake stuff up, this is the primary after all, but if you use a secondary then you will be looking for stuff to settle.

 

[Darth Konvel]

Sounds like your in good shape. That stuff at the bottom is usually called "trub", and is mostly yeast and break material that has settled out of the beer.

As Windaria mentioned, you don't normally want to stir it up unless you suspect that the fermentation has "stuck". The only real way to know if it has or not is to take a gravity reading.

 

[Windaria]

Woo hoo, I got something right! May not have had all the fancy terms at my disposal... but oh well. <smiles>

 

[littlewoy]

ok, thanks guys. How much trub should there be? This white layer is about half a cm thick.

 

[Walker]

this will vary from batch to batch and brewer to brewer.

I've had less than a half inch (1cm) of trub in some batches, and over 2 inches (5cm) of it in others.

-walker

 

[david_42]

Trub is high in protein, B vitamins and tastes like Vegamite.

 

[Windaria]

... are you suggesting that people eat it?

 

[david_42]

Australians do, they even pay for the stuff. Vegemite

Brewer's yeast and beer are the only non-animal sources of certain B vitamins. Real ale is such a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals, that the FDA will not allow breweries to list the nutritional values. Companies that tried have been "shot down". It's BOOZE and all that matters is the ABV and the Surgeon general's warning.

 

[justbrewit]

eeeeeewwwwwwwwww

 

[God Emporer BillyBrew]

So are you saying that Vegemite is the same as Trub. Or is it that they're both made from brewers yeast?

 

[Caplan]

It is an acquired taste - the UK version (Marmite) is marketed with the slogan 'love it or hate it'.

But i wouldn't eat your trub even if you loved marmite/vegimite!

They're yeast extract products that have been processed of course - nothing like the 'dead yeast cell soup' in the bottom of our carboy!

 

[Windaria]

What would it taste like though... would the stuff in hard cider be any better? Hrm... <ponders the horrid thoughts>

 

[Darth Konvel]

yummy ( )

 

[rohan]

i love my vegemight. it is best to have it on toast in the morning with heaps of butter..... hmmmmmmm vegemight!!!!

 

[littlewoy]

thanks everyone. We're going to siphon it to the keg tomorrow. Do we need to prime it with any sugar when we transfer it? We plan to serve it straight from the keg after a few days.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

If you're serving 'straight from the keg after a few days' that implies that you are going to be force carbonating it with CO2 in which case there is no point in priming with sugar when you transfer.

 

[littlewoy]

we haven't got any of the CO2 stuff yet. We're just going to see how it goes with this batch and then buy CO2 stuff if we think it's worth it. Would priming with a bit of sugar build up some more pressure and so make it easier to serve?

 

[Orfy]

It depends how quickly you plan to drink it. Pouring the Ale will draw in air if you serve more than a pint or so a day and spoil the beer. If you plan to use it in a day then no extra CO2 will be needed.

 

[littlewoy]

mmmm, it's been in the keg for about 2 days. I couldnt wait any longer and just poured myself a glass. Very drinkable stuff. I was having a pint of IPA in the pub last night, and that wasnt any nicer than this. Not bad for a first attempt methinks.

We're probably gonna leave it in the keg until next weekend and drink it all fairly rapidly then. It really isnt very fizzy at all at the moment, will it build up more before the weekend? I think all the fermentation finished after only about 2 days in the bin, so I can't see it getting any more CO2. Would stirring in a bit of sugar a day or so before serving add some more fizz?

 

[Orfy]

You should prime all at once when you first keg.

There's all sorts of calulations and look up styles for pressure, temp and style of beer but I just put in 140 grams for 5 gallon.

Others may disagree but I'd rather keep it simple and adjust next time if I want more or less fizz. When I get a little more used to all the thing with each brew then I may try to get a bit more technical with the priming.

 

[littlewoy]

dang, is it ok to open up the keg now and prime?

 

[Orfy]

I guess so, make sure everything you use is sanitised, make sure you don't leave it open for too long and don't do it with dust flying around. Boil the water, add the priming sugar off the heat so t doesn't char. Then allow to cool to the same temp as the brew before adding and gently mix (with sterilised spoon) .

I hope this is right, I'm sure others will say if it's not.

 

[littlewoy]

thanks orfy.