First time carboy fermentation

[mikerunsmountains]

This is my first time using a carboy for primary (or at all, actually). On 3/14 I brewed NB's Plinian Legacy (extract). It appears that the layer of yeast near the top (just below the krausen) has dropped off since there was a distinct "creamy" looking layer there yesterday. And it looks like there are layers along the inside that match up with the "ridges" on the outside of the carboy; is this normal? Just a little confused since I thought carboys were totally smooth inside.

Had a really active blow off for about 3-4 days, now it's slowed considerably, bubbling once about every ten seconds. It had been really hot on brew day and the few days following (90F+) and my fermometer was reading at the very end of the scale (78F?) so I put the carboy into a cool water bath about half the depth of the carboy and the temp stabilized to around 68-72F. Doesn't seem to be much activity going on now from the looks of it. Should I rack to secondary?

 

[Onkel_Udo]

This is my first time using a carboy for primary (or at all, actually). On 3/14 I brewed NB's Plinian Legacy (extract). It appears that the layer of yeast near the top (just below the krausen) has dropped off since there was a distinct "creamy" looking layer there yesterday. And it looks like there are layers along the inside that match up with the "ridges" on the outside of the carboy; is this normal? Just a little confused since I thought carboys were totally smooth inside.

Had a really active blow off for about 3-4 days, now it's slowed considerably, bubbling once about every ten seconds. It had been really hot on brew day and the few days following (90F+) and my fermometer was reading at the very end of the scale (78F?) so I put the carboy into a cool water bath about half the depth of the carboy and the temp stabilized to around 68-72F. Doesn't seem to be much activity going on now from the looks of it. Should I rack to secondary?

Carboys are far from perfectly smooth inside unless they are lab/acid carboys.

Everything here looks normal.

I am completely confused by your process.

I am pretty lazy on temp control but I cannot imagine fermentation over 70 f...especially the first three days. The method you used to cool down the fermentation is likely how you should be starting...add a a t-shirt over the carboy that laps into the water and you can easily achieve fermentation temps at or below you tap water temps.

Why did you start in a carboy? If you intent is to use a secondary fermentor, which is likely unnecessary, why not start in your bucket and secondary in the carboy?

 

[Culbetron]

Take a gravity reading before racking to a secondary. If it's too high, don't rack it.

I think you went through a whole lot of work to make a beer and then got lazy during the very very important step of fermentation temperature control. Your beer might not be undrinkable, but it would have been so much better with a little more attention during (at least) the first few days of fermentation.

Live and learn, i've made lots of mistakes!

 

[flars]

Your beer looks normal in the carboy. With about 21 days in the primary the excess yeast and dry hop debris will drop and the beer will be mostly clear. Take a SG reading about day 15 or 16. Take a second SG reading about day 21. You will likely be at FG. You can then decide if a secondary vessel is needed. Most likely you will be able to rack from the primary to the bottling bucket.

Watching a fermentation in a carboy is always interesting.

 

[mikerunsmountains]

Definitely should have put the carboy into a water bath from the get go. That was dumb. I'll give it a few more days, take a reading and go from there.

 

[passedpawn]

Don't bother with the secondary. 10 days in the primary fermentor and you can bottle.

 

[nthammer]

Don't bother with the secondary. 10 days in the primary fermentor and you can bottle.

I believe the kit he made calls for dry hopping

OP I would recommend taking a sample to test the specific gravity and to get an idea of how it tastes. If its done fermenting, decide if you want to dryhop in the primary or rack in to a secondary for dry hopping. I've read of people doing it both ways. Be careful to sanitize everything properly.

 

[mikerunsmountains]

Yeah, there are two dry hop additions which is why I'm planning to move to secondary. I'll take a reading tomorrow and see what it's sitting at. Sounds like the FG should be somewhere around 1.010

 

[passedpawn]

Dry hop in the primary.

 

[day_trippr]

^That^

No reason to use a secondary just for dry hopping...

Cheers!

 

[mikerunsmountains]

I guess I'm just one of those folks that likes to secondary.

Just took a reading and I'm at 1.014 so I'll move it over tomorrow.