No secondary for most situations. If it's a big beer (Belgian, barley wine, etc.) that needs to sit for a few months then fine. Otherwise the consensus is a secondary adds unnecessary risk. I dryhop in primary or in the keg. If you bottle you can't do the second but you can do the primary for a few days and then cold crash, add gelatin or no if not needed and then bottle.
First ever brew day tomorrow
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No secondary for most situations. If it's a big beer (Belgian, barley wine, etc.) that needs to sit for a few months then fine. Otherwise the consensus is a secondary adds unnecessary risk. I dryhop in primary or in the keg. If you bottle you can't do the second but you can do the primary for a few days and then cold crash, add gelatin or no if not needed and then bottle.
What does your Fermometer indicate is the temperature of the wort as it ferments?
I brew 2 gallon batches and sprinkle my yeast onto the cool wort most of the time. My last six batches showed signs of life in less than eight hours and were bubbling along excitedly in under 24. I saw movement in my last batch after just 2 hours. 7 batches ago, I used a liquid yeast that was expired. That beer took 48 hours to start. It was a lager yeast, but honestly, I think it should have started sooner since it was a steam beer lager yeast and my fermentation temps were purposely higher. The beer turned out ok, but wasn't one of my best. I used the yeast cake from that beer and fermented cooler to make a märtzen, which started right up and was great. So anyways, I think your beer will turn out fine, but definitely pitch your yeast based on the calculators, except that the amounts get to be kind of silly for bigger beers, but for five gallons of 5-7% two 11.5g satchets are not unreasonable IMHO. If you go all grain or save your yeast, you'll easily make up the cost of the extra yeast. People swear by rehydrating the yeast and I do it with Danster yeasts because that manufacturer recommends it, but if I'm using Fermentis I just sprinkle. Fermentis' directions say that their yeast can be sprinkled. I guarantee that someone will "correct me" on this thread, but seriously if someone believes they know more about US-05 than the manufacturer...
Have fun, I loved my first beer, I am certain you will be pleasantly surprised with how yours comes out.
Btw, don't buy bottles. If you and a couple friends can't get together 50 bottles in 3 weeks, thats a sixer each per week, you joined the wrong hobby bro. Mostly kidding, many brewers don't drink that much, but I'm absolutely sure you can find someone near you to throw themselves on that grenade for you if ask them to rinse and save their bottles for you. My favorite bottles as far as utility are Redhook. The prettiest bottles look like little wine bottles from Boulevard, but that would be an expensive 50 bottles. Don't use flip tops unless you plan to change the gaskets every batch. I found out the hard way that those bastards start to leak carbonation after the first batch.
Have fun, I loved my first beer, I am certain you will be pleasantly surprised with how yours comes out.
Btw, don't buy bottles. If you and a couple friends can't get together 50 bottles in 3 weeks, thats a sixer each per week, you joined the wrong hobby bro. Mostly kidding, many brewers don't drink that much, but I'm absolutely sure you can find someone near you to throw themselves on that grenade for you if ask them to rinse and save their bottles for you. My favorite bottles as far as utility are Redhook. The prettiest bottles look like little wine bottles from Boulevard, but that would be an expensive 50 bottles. Don't use flip tops unless you plan to change the gaskets every batch. I found out the hard way that those bastards start to leak carbonation after the first batch.
OP, you probably didn't see any action for a while because you've got a lot of headspace in that carboy. I have the same issue when I use mine, it's a 7.5 gallon and I wind up with too much headspace in a 5 gallon batch. NTTAWWT. As long as your sanitation is on point it won't be a problem.
Whatsupbrew
Active Member
Ok thanks guy, still bubbling away.
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jrgtr42
Well-Known Member
When I did ice baths, I would fill soda bottles with water and freeze them. as needed I'd swap them out. also, if you're doing top ups, you can get an extra few degrees lower by (this takes thinking ahead...) putting a bottle of water in the fridge or freezer (don't let it get solid) and using that for top up. I think I got a good 20 degrees lower that way once, I used almost 2 gallons of top up, it went from high-80s to mid-high 60s just by using near freezing water for it.
As they said, ice baths do work, but chillers are way quicker. I found a sale on copper tubing at home depot - $20 for 50' of 1/2" tubing (yeah, I couldn't belive it either...) so with a bit of work and another $20 of tubing and fittings I made my own. Gets from boiling to mid-60s in 15 minutes, even in the dead of summer.
As they said, ice baths do work, but chillers are way quicker. I found a sale on copper tubing at home depot - $20 for 50' of 1/2" tubing (yeah, I couldn't belive it either...) so with a bit of work and another $20 of tubing and fittings I made my own. Gets from boiling to mid-60s in 15 minutes, even in the dead of summer.
Whatsupbrew
Active Member
Starting to think a little more about bottling. For a first time brew should I consider gelatin or cold crashing? Besides a more clear beer does it have much effect on the drink ability?
I wouldn't bother, save that for later in your "career". I have done 93 batches and have only used gelatin in the keg once. And if you can call that cold crashing, only when putting the kegs in the fridge. Then drawing off the sediment in the first couple glasses.
It really has no effect on drinkability unless you are squeamish about cloudy beers.
Whatsupbrew
Active Member
At this point I couldnt care less about a cloudy beer. If it tastes good is all I'm worried about...that and getting it into a bottle.
Us-05 takes forever to flocculate out, that's why I clear with gelatin. I usually do IPAs and can drink the first one after day 12.
You beat me to that, KH.
Was going to say exactly the same thing, except that I haven't done 93 batches. Judging by your inquisitiveness in this thread, I'm going to bet you've enjoyed learning about this. There are a lot of deep layers to brewing, and it's really fun (for me!) peeling back those layers to expose further understanding and truth in brewing.
Assuming I'm correct about this, you'll enjoy the journey. A lot. I want to know everything I can about brewing, and really relish when I pick up some new and interesting tidbit.
Along those lines, I've followed a philosophy of continuous quality improvement as I've been learning brewing. Every time I try to do something better in the process. It has really paid off, too. I think of this as a journey rather than a destination; traveling this route has been very rewarding....both in knowledge and in beer.
I hope you're enjoying it as much as I do.
Whatsupbrew
Active Member
Agree completely. My end goal is a streamlined system where I can continuously brew high quality beer of all kinds, eventually finding some personal recipes, all mash, lagers... etc etc. But baby steps for me.
MonkeyMountain
Member
As other people have mentioned, the clarity of the beer does not have a big impact on the flavor but as oylerck said, US-05 takes time to flocculate. From my experience, a week in the fridge helps a lot. After only a day, it may still taste a bit yeasty.
Baby steps for the first couple brews; then start lengthening your stride.
Whatsupbrew
Active Member
Used BRY-97
Whatsupbrew
Active Member
Took a gravity last night, day 13, and it was 1.016. OG was 1.054. I ran it through an online calc and it came out at 4.99%abv. Sound about right?
I was going to take another reading tomorrow and bottle but have been called into work and won't be able to until the 29th...couple of days won't hurt...
I couldn't help myself and tasted the beer out of the tester....albeit flat, room temp, and not finished...it did taste half decent and smells, and tastes harpish (brewing a harp clone). Very happy with the colour so far.
I was going to take another reading tomorrow and bottle but have been called into work and won't be able to until the 29th...couple of days won't hurt...
I couldn't help myself and tasted the beer out of the tester....albeit flat, room temp, and not finished...it did taste half decent and smells, and tastes harpish (brewing a harp clone). Very happy with the colour so far.
jan_b19
Well-Known Member
- h
Maybe give it an extra day and recheck gravity. If it's the same you should be good. General rule is check 3 days in a row. Skipping a day is just wasting less beer in my book.
Reread this: you are giving it a few days... sorry.
Whatsupbrew
Active Member
Sooo... I went ahead and bottled today anyway. FG was the same 1.016 and I was bored. Primed with 4oz corn sugar and 2 cups water. Ended up with 29.5 500 ml bottles. I was hoping for a couple more but I had quite a thick trub layer. Hopefully everything turns out.
Whatsupbrew
Active Member
i couldnt resist...tried a bottle after 11 days conditioning. chilled it for just a couple hours and gave it a try. quite happy with it. carbonated but not much head.. tastes surprisingly like harp which was the goal. easy to drink. i think a little more time conditioning and a couple days chilled will help.
Sdiddy84
Well-Known Member
Congrats,
Its only going to get better as time goes on.
The beer is still green. This is when you have to have the self control to not down them all. I have a habit of "trying one after work" then the next thing you know I've gone through half my batch haha
But it does feel good to drink that first homebrew eh.
SLAINTÉ!
Its only going to get better as time goes on.
The beer is still green. This is when you have to have the self control to not down them all. I have a habit of "trying one after work" then the next thing you know I've gone through half my batch haha
But it does feel good to drink that first homebrew eh.
SLAINTÉ!
Incubus2112
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Copper Coil Immersion Chiller 50 Feet Length
$68.98 (prime)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004E22PIA/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
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Whatsupbrew
Active Member
Funny you mention the wort chiller. I went into a brew supply shop a couple days ago just to get a 2 dollar 1/2" to 1/2" coupler and walked out with a chiller. I've also bought an O2 regulator, little brass one to sit on a bernzomatic 02 tank. I'm waiting for the regulator to show up in the mail then I'm going to brew #2.
It's going to be the exact same recipe just with changes in technique to see the diff. I want to shorten that lag time etc.
It's going to be the exact same recipe just with changes in technique to see the diff. I want to shorten that lag time etc.
I just listened to a brulosophy podcast that proves mash temp doesn't matter. It only affects your abv and how the yeast react. You can't tell the difference.
So don't waste your time there. If you want more alcohol mash at 148. Less? Mash at 164.
Whatsupbrew
Active Member
That's interesting. My recipe was partial mash, cheese cloth steeped for 20 mins at 158'. I assume you're talking about all mash?
