First Extract Full Boil Complete

[flandsberg]

Today, I took advantage of the warm weather and brewed me first 5 gallon batch. I made the Caribou Slobber that came with my starter kit from Northern Brewer.

Overall, the process went well. Until I pitched the yeast. Some of it got stuck on the funnel that I used. Hoping that it doesn't slow the fermentation process. Just have to wait 6 weeks before I know.

I do not have a hydrometer yet...so I do not know the OG.



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[Dynachrome]

Six weeks seems like a rather long time for a kit. You're using a carboy I take it?

Wait a couple days, my bet is it will be fermenting nicely. What temp are you keeping it at?

Good luck man!

 

[flandsberg]

2 weeks in primary, 2 weeks in secondary, 2 weeks of bottle conditioning. They say you don't need to rack to a secondary, but the instructions recommend it to help clear up the beer.

Using a carboy. Keeping it around 68 degrees.

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[Dynachrome]

...4 weeks of bottle conditioning....

I start drinking mine before then, but the bottles that last longer are better.

 

[SeeAliceBrewery]

I am gonna keep my Caribou in the primary for the whole four weeks rather than moving it. From reading the advice of many I feel confident in trying this out..then I will cold crash for a few days on my deck...as long as it gets above freezing that is....then another 3 weeks at least in the bottle...I am sure I will have to try some before that final 3 weeks are complete though...

 

[hehawbrew]

I've done their AG slobber kit. Great beer.

I kept in primary the whole time. Life happened and it sat for almost three or months before bottle day.

It was beautiful and tasty!

And tho it's hard, wait at least four weeks in bottle to drink. I usually save 4 to drink to see how things change. One at 5 days, then one every week until the 4th is over .

It's interesting to taste how things can change in a matter if days!


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[kombat]

2 weeks in primary, 2 weeks in secondary, 2 weeks of bottle conditioning. They say you don't need to rack to a secondary, but the instructions recommend it to help clear up the beer.

How would racking it to another container result in clearer beer?

Or, to put it another way, how would a yeast bed at the bottom of the carboy impede the beer above it from clearing?

The notion of using a secondary to clear the beer is an outdated myth. In fact, racking to secondary is actually detrimental to beer clarity. Think about it logically. There are particles in the beer that are slowly sinking to the bottom of the fermenter. Thus, the top of the beer will clear first, agreed? The longer you wait, the farther down those particles fall, until eventually the top half of the beer is clear, then the top 3/4, and finally the whole beer is clear.

But what if the beer is only partway through that clearing process? The top half is clear, but the particles that started at the top are only halfway down to the bottom yet, so the bottom half of the beer is still a little cloudy. Then you rack the beer to another carboy, and all those particles that had fallen halfway down the beer are mixed back into uniform solution, and must begin precipitating all over again, starting from the top.

Also, it sounds like you sprinkled your yeast in dry. You'll dramatically improve cell viability if you rehydrate it in water first, according to the instructions on the manufacturer's website. Sprinkling dry yeast directly into wort can decrease cell viability by up to 50%. So you end up underpitching, unless you pitch twice as much dry yeast as you "need," or you rehydrate.

 

[flandsberg]

Thanks for the tip about pitching the yeast. I had very active fermentation for a few days...but I will try that next time to see if there is a difference. I am new to this and am going by the kit instructions which say to move to a secondary. Plus, I could get another batch going...I only have one primary fermenter.

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[kombat]

I am new to this and am going by the kit instructions which say to move to a secondary.

Understandable, given you're new to the hobby, but understand that the kit instructions are wrong. They're outdated. They were written back when autolysis wasn't as well understood as it is today. It was (still is) a concern for bigger breweries with large fermenters exerting a high amount of osmotic pressure on the yeast cells, but newer research has concluded that such pressures don't exist on the homebrew scale. The instructions have simply never been updated. You've got experienced brewers here who've personally brewed dozens/hundreds of batches each, without using secondaries, who are telling you it's an unecessary risk.

Plus, I could get another batch going...I only have one primary fermenter.

Now THAT is an acceptable reason for racking to secondary. At least until you can get your hands on more fermenters. A good source is Kijiji or Craiglist. There is no shortage of people who brewed some wine kits at home and then never bothered keeping up with the hobby and are looking to unload their fermenters. I would be hesitant to buy a used plastic bucket, as you can never be sure how they cleaned it and they may have scratched it, putting future batches at risk of infection. But I would have no hesitation buying a used glass carboy, as a good Oxyclean/PBW soak and a little scrubbing can return them to showroom condition. Around here, I can find them for $10-$15 each.

 

[flandsberg]

So my furnace had to be replaced today...which meant that my house got down to about 49 degrees (it was 10 below zero overnight). Should I be concerned about the impact to my beer? The house is warming up...but it will probably be a day or two before my beer gets above 60 degrees.

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[DrWill]

So my furnace had to be replaced today...which meant that my house got down to about 49 degrees (it was 10 below zero overnight). Should I be concerned about the impact to my beer? The house is warming up...but it will probably be a day or two before my beer gets above 60 degrees.

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I wouldn't panic. It will probably be fine, though big temperature swings aren't good for fermenting beer. When in the ferment did the temperature go down? Was it right at the beginning? Or further toward the end of the ferment? If it's the latter if say you probably have little to worry about.




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[jekeane]

You could help warm it up by placing a heating pad or electric blanket on it. You could also keep a lightbulb on nearby if it is in an enclosed space. Just be sure to keep the fermenter covered with something to block the extra light.

 

[flandsberg]

It was about 1.5 weeks into fermentation. I had a blanket over it...but that was it. My main focus was to keep the family warm....Beer was an afterthought.

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[kombat]

After a week and a half, it's pretty much done anyway, you're in the clear.

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[myelo]

It was about 1.5 weeks into fermentation. I had a blanket over it...but that was it. My main focus was to keep the family warm....Beer was an afterthought.

Hmmm, save the beer or save the family? That could be a tough decision …

depending on the beer.

 

[kh54s10]

So my furnace had to be replaced today...which meant that my house got down to about 49 degrees (it was 10 below zero overnight). Should I be concerned about the impact to my beer? The house is warming up...but it will probably be a day or two before my beer gets above 60 degrees.

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No, if there is any further fermentation to be done it would probably only be slowed by the time that the beer got cool.

You should be certain to check the final gravity though. If for any reason the cool stalled the fermentation a gentle rousing of the yeast and slightly warmer temperatures should make it finish.

 

[flandsberg]

Racked to the bottling bucket and bottled on Saturday. It had 4 weeks in the primary. Sampled a little bit when I had poured too much into a bottle. Tasted great...can't wait for the bottles to be ready. Already planning my next beer...picked up the supplies for the Jawbreaker Wheat recipe from Midwest.

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[Trox]

Racked to the bottling bucket and bottled on Saturday. It had 4 weeks in the primary. Sampled a little bit when I had poured too much into a bottle. Tasted great...can't wait for the bottles to be ready. Already planning my next beer...picked up the supplies for the Jawbreaker Wheat recipe from Midwest.

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I hope that doesn't mean you sipped it out of the bottle directly? If so you will probably be ok, but just remember that the mouth is full of all kinds of nasty bacteria and drinking straight from the bottle probably destroyed any sanitation you had done prior to bottling.

 

[flandsberg]

I hope that doesn't mean you sipped it out of the bottle directly? If so you will probably be ok, but just remember that the mouth is full of all kinds of nasty bacteria and drinking straight from the bottle probably destroyed any sanitation you had done prior to bottling.

Nope....I poured the extra into a glass.

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