First time brewing without secondary tips please

[The_Cosworth]

Sort of long time lurker (2-3 months) first time poster. This site has been awesome at clarifying and giving me ideas. I have made a Red Ale and Pumpkin BrewHouse kit and just picked up an IPA kit yesterday.

It will be my first time hacking the kit up as I also bought a S-04 yeast instead of the generic coopers. What I would also like to try is single stage brewing. I know this is controversial so I will keep my questions simple. I understand the gist of single stage (I think) but some of the steps elude me. I know when you first start you use a hose into a container with Sani-Star. My LHBS had this orange nipple when I told them I was thinking of doing primary in a glass carboy. I didnt pick it up yet though.

- Do you ever switch over to the airlock on the brew? When you would normally rack from the primary, after you hit FG, do you then just swap with the water airlock and let it sit again?

- What do you guys do for bottling? The reason I am going single is that I want to upgrade from the beginner non-sealing 'garbage can' and the plastic carboy. I was thinking of just picking up a single glass carboy for space and cost but then I realized after how would I bottle?

- Really anything else I should know before I get into it? There are a lot of threads on single stage but none are really a how to (perhaps that is to stop the arguing, haha).

thanks for all the help

Cos

 

[NathPowe]

Sounds like you're overthinking this a bit. Just ferment your batch in a vessel with enough headspace (i.e. don't try and ferment 5 gallons in a 5 gallon carboy - use a 6-6.5 gallon vessel for that batch size). Be sure to use an airlock or blow-off tube on this vessel. Let it do its fermentation thing and when it's done, rack it to a bottling bucket to bottle, or a keg. Not sure what the 'garbage can' thing is that you're referring to, but I'm assuming since you've made a couple batches, you have some sort of bucket/vessel with a spigot for bottling. This is what you rack to after the beer has finished fermenting in the other vessel.

That's it. Good luck and enjoy the brew.

 

[E_Marquez]

I understand the gist of single stage (I think) but some of the steps elude me. I know when you first start you use a hose into a container with Sani-Star.

Your describing a blow off tube ... and it's not a requirement only doing a primary.. it's just a need when you have little head room and a very active yeast fermentation that may block up a bubbler or three piece airlock.

- Do you ever switch over to the airlock on the brew? When you would normally rack from the primary, after you hit FG, do you then just swap with the water airlock and let it sit again?

Unless you have a need (more room? ease in moving it from place ?) just leave the blow off tube in place.... makes it nice if you cold crash as well, no suck back worries like you'll see in a three piece airlock.

- What do you guys do for bottling? The reason I am going single is that I want to upgrade from the beginner non-sealing 'garbage can' and the plastic carboy. I was thinking of just picking up a single glass carboy for space and cost but then I realized after how would I bottle?

Your choice of one type of fermentor or another aside...
If you're using a glass carboy, you just rack the beer to a bottling bucket, same as you would if you were using a plastic fermentation bucket without a spigot.

- Really anything else I should know before I get into it? There are a lot of threads on single stage but none are really a how to (perhaps that is to stop the arguing, haha).

thanks for all the help

Cos

Leaving the beer in the primary till fermentation is done, really is less to do, not additional things.

 

[suckmyale]

If single stage you mean no secondary, there is nothing wrong with that. With your IPA, you can dry hop in the primary.

Onto your bulletted questions:

- Using a blow-off tube vs airlock depends on how much headspace you have. I start with a blow-off tube for 3 days, or when the bubbles start to die down. Then switch to a airlock (filled with vodka or star san) NOT just water. There is a possibility for it to suck the liquid back in.
Other than switching the airlock, I wait 2 weeks before testing the gravity of the beer. If it is at the FG, I go ahead and keg.

- Bottling will be the same like your other kits. Transfer to clean and sanitized bottling bucket, and bottle.

There is nothing wrong with plastic carboys. As long as you take care of it. Of course there is a debate of glass vs. plastic and you should way what options are most valuable to you. Personally, I'd rather accidentally drop a plastic carboy than a glass one. That is my deciding factor.

 

[The_Cosworth]

Thanks guys! Yeah I think I am over thinking it a bit. Currently I have a 5 gallon plastic carboy that I use as a secondary, ill make sure I get a 6.5 glass one. The primary is one of the basic craptastic kit ones. It has worked fine for me so far but no airlock. You can kind of see it behind the HB box below here:

I was almost wondering if there was a way to just go from primary - bottle. One step rack. Doesnt sound like a great idea though so I will maybe just keep my crummy primary fermenter for bottling purposes.

There is nothing wrong with plastic carboys. As long as you take care of it. Of course there is a debate of glass vs. plastic and you should way what options are most valuable to you. Personally, I'd rather accidentally drop a plastic carboy than a glass one. That is my deciding factor.

Damn, I didnt think about that honestly. Good point. Perhaps I wont upgrade then. My brews have been good so far so I am not too worried.

 

[p40whk]

The reason you rack out of the primary into a bottling bucket is to get the beer into the bucket without the sediment. Going directly from primary to bottling leaves you open for getting all that crap in there.

I've only made a few batches myself but never went to a secondary, just left it in the primary till I hit my FG then racked to my bottling bucket and bottled. Much simpler that way. I use a 6.5 gal primary with an air lock