First time

[mugen112]

I'll be making my first batch tomorrow. I have a couple questions. I read a lot about it but some terms are confusing.

What is a secondary fermenter? I hear people put the wort in a secondary after some fermentation. What's the purpose?

If I do biab do I want coarse or fine?

 

[jmprdood]

A secondary is a vessel used to let your beer sit and continue to ferment after the vigorous fermentation has ceased - a good portion of us don't use one, just let it sit in the primary for about 3 weeks.

For BIAB grinding finer is good to help with your efficiency...

Cheers and welcome!

 

[BainbridgeBrewer]

A secondary is another bucket or carboy used after the fermentation has completed. Its main function is to let the beer clear, and it would be the vessel you dry hop in. They are more personal preference though, some people just leave their beer in primary for a month or so and then go straight to a keg or bottling bucket.

I don't BIAB, but I would think finer is better to keep more of the husks and bits out of your wort.

 

[petey_c]

People also use a secondary to add fruits and such....

 

[mugen112]

If using only one fermenter should I put the Jalapeños in at the last 15 min of wort hopping or throw them in the fermenter directly?

 

[karljrberno]

I would add the jalapenos in to a secondary not a boil what is your recipe curios I want to make a novelty beer with this , I have seen before

 

[aidan]

In the past the main reason given for a secondary fermenter is to get the beer off the yeast cake to avoid the risk of yeast autolysis. But these days there is practically no risk of autolysis, either due to better yeast or it was simply a myth in the first place, so a lot of brewers don't do a secondary any more. I think the home brew shops still advise secondaries so that they can sell more equipment. I would advise not using a secondary for first time as it keeps it simpler and cuts out one more thing that can go wrong.

Now why would you put Jalapeños in your first beer? I would recommend a 'normal' beer for first time and later on once you know you can make good 'normal' beer you can experiment with wierd stuff. But if you are intent on Jalapeño beer it could possibly be a reason for a secondary, I dunno as I've never even considered Jalapeño beer.

 

[mugen112]

I can go out and buy any old beer. The whole reason I want to brew my own is to make something I will incredibly enjoy. Other than the Jalapeños the recipe is just like a normal cream ale so I don't see how adding Jalapeños could cause something to go wrong. If a mistake is made then it will be made wether or not I add Jalapeños.

The recipe is inspired by the user sundown but I changed a couple things from his recipe.

Jalapeño Cream Ale

6.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row)
1.00 lb Corn, Flaked
1.00 lb Biscuit Malt
1.00 lb Vienna Malt
0.50 lb Carapils Malt
1.00 oz Crystal Hops (60 min)
1.00 oz Liberty Leaf Hops (30 min)
1.00 oz Liberty Leaf Hops (15 min)
1.00 oz Irish Moss (Boil 15 min)
8.00 Jalapeños (Boil 15 min)
1.00 Pkg Nottingham Ale Yeast

Mash 150F-152F for 60 minutes

Notes:
Slit, rinse & roast Jalapenos 20-30 minutes at 350F, slice and soak in Vodka overnight.

Original recipe called for an extra pound of pale malt in place of the biscuit. I made that change cuz I like the malty flavor and I think the biscuit will compliment the Vienna.

Original used cluster in place of the crystal but I thought this change would make it less hoppy and I don't want it too hoppy.

Original used the tablets in place of Irish moss but my brew shop only has the moss. And I changed his yeast to one that sundown himself recommended.

 

[JohnTheBrewist]

In the past the main reason given for a secondary fermenter is to get the beer off the yeast cake to avoid the risk of yeast autolysis. But these days there is practically no risk of autolysis, either due to better yeast or it was simply a myth in the first place, so a lot of brewers don't do a secondary any more. I think the home brew shops still advise secondaries so that they can sell more equipment. I would advise not using a secondary for first time as it keeps it simpler and cuts out one more thing that can go wrong.

^ Exactly this. When some of us started homebrewing back in the cave brewing days, we simply followed practices performed by commercial breweries. However, in the volumes we brew, its been shown that this autolysis isn't really happening and that letting it sit on the yeast cake longer can be beneficial. However, those old homebrewing books haven't been updated, and they still tell you to transfer to a secondary fermentor after high krausen. So, the hombrewshops still sell the kits laid out to match the books (and make more money).

As mentioned, many brewers still transfer to a secondary vessel for various reasons such as adding fruit or dry-hopping.

I don't like to use the term secondary because of the confusion it causes. But I do transfer most of my beers to a bright beer tank after fermentation is complete to continue cold conditioning the beer. In most cases this bright beer tank is just the keg I'll eventually serve it from.

Sorry, can't answer the jalepeno question, since I don't know how the peppers' oils will react to cooking vs soaking, but i'd probaby follow what worked in the original recipe.

 

[BLUEGOOSE]

I am a relatively new brewer, one year, and thought a jalapeno beer was a good idea also. I made numerious batches before I tried it. I tried it but would probably never do it again. There is more to learn about making a tradition style first and having it turn out. I would save the experimenting till after a few batches.

 

[mugen112]

I don't care if I screw it up I'll drink it anyways. This is just a new hobby I'm not selling it or anything.

One thing I want to do is add the vodka to my wort that the Jalapeños soaked in. Should that be done after the og reading so that it reflects in the fg reading? My concern is finding an accurate alc %.

 

[petey_c]

mugen, I made a Mr. Beer sized batch with dried smoked Serrano and Panca chiles. Very good with a slight burn (to me anyway) at the end. I added the chiles about 10 days into the primary in a hop sack. From my limited experience you don't even have to soak the jalapeños before adding them. I don't think it would greatly impact your FG, unless you plan on dropping a whole lot of vodka in there.

 

[mugen112]

Yes I want to add all the vodka maybe 8-10oz

 

[scubaDAN1985]

Adding that Mitch vodka might kill your yeast

 

[moorerm04]

Adding that Mitch vodka might kill your yeast

That much vodka would have little to no impact on your beer, especially your yeast. I did a bourbon barrel stout with 350 ml of makers mark in the secondary..... My bottles carbed up just fine.

 

[mugen112]

I also want to add the vodka to up the alc %.

 

[mugen112]

Okay u guys have me second guessing the Jalapeños. I must make a specialty brew tho so does anyone have recommendations?

I saw one guy was going to use blueberrys to add sweetness and make the ale blue in color.

Ginger is an option.

 

[mugen112]

So about the secondary. It could make bottling easier in terms of not getting yeast in the bottles when bottling. So have two fermenters, and after switching to secondary clean the primary and start another batch. Have two going at once.

Also when starting the secondary add Jalapeños or whatever fruit u want for flavoring. I read boiling can reduce flavor from fruit and veggies.

I read that introducing flavors during secondary can have smaller risk of concontamination.

 

[tektonjp]

"I don't see how adding Jalapeños could cause something to go wrong"

I can see this quote going golden.

Brew a few boring beers. After opening, drinking, and relaxing from the alcohol from your VERY OWN beer, you will see that maybe an ordinary beer isn't so ordinary, just because YOU made it. Even my mediocre brews are enjoyed because I made it. That's why I make them. And also because my good ones blow the caps off most of the stuff I can buy.

But jalapenos, never. Ever. Ever.

 

[thedude00]

A secondary is a vessel used to let your beer sit and continue to ferment after the vigorous fermentation has ceased - a good portion of us don't use one, just let it sit in the primary for about 3 weeks.

For BIAB grinding finer is good to help with your efficiency...

Cheers and welcome!

+1 with leaving it in primary for around 3 weeks then rack to bottling bucket then bottle. Only time i us secondary is when I Dry hop, Adding fruit or when i brewing a lager and need it to be super clear

 

[thedude00]

I also want to add the vodka to up the alc %.

Don't add vodka dont get in that habit. If you want a higher alc content adjust you recipe so you have more fermentable sugar by adding more grain or DME.

Okay u guys have me second guessing the Jalapeños. I must make a specialty brew tho so does anyone have recommendations?

Dont second guess anything thats what great about brewing you can do and try anything. But what type beer do you plain on brewing for you first batch? If you do want to add Jalapenos i would brew a lighter beer like a wheat then add Jalapenos to secondary

 

[SittingDuck]

Make the beer you want, not the beer people think you should drink. I was probably 25 gallons in before I made a "normal" batch. Adding fruit, vegetables, coffee, what have you isn't any harder than basic beer.

It does have the potential to go wrong, since you've never brewed with jalepenis and would have no idea whether to add two ounces or two pounds or whether to secondary on the fruit for a few days or a few weeks. You want to look at established recipes to get a feel for that.

Those strong flavors can also mask off flavors in your beer, so you might not know you were doing something wrong and could correct for it.

But neither one of those is a reason for you to just fall back and say, oh well, I will just make a plain old cream ale. Make what you want, drink what you want. That's why we homebrew.

 

[SittingDuck]

Also, I would add "jalepenos" to your beer, not "jalepenis" as I suggested in my last post. I'm not even sure what that is, but I am sure I don't want it in my beer.

Yeah, usually I edit to correct my typos, but that one I think I'm going to leave.

 

[petey_c]

SittingDuck, I'd have to agree with you on that. Jalepenis...

 

[Kingfish]

I was just like you before I brewed my first beer. Wanted to do all the funky stuff just because I thought I could. I decided against it and just brewed "normal" beers. I started out with an extract kit, then bulk extract then went to all grain. I am very glad I did. I am glad I got the basics down before I jumped into anything crazy. But then, I would never add vodka just to up the %.

 

[JohnTheBrewist]

So about the secondary. It could make bottling easier in terms of not getting yeast in the bottles when bottling. So have two fermenters, and after switching to secondary clean the primary and start another batch. Have two going at once.

I read that introducing flavors during secondary can have smaller risk of concontamination.

None of this is really true. If you transfer to secondary just after high krausen, you're still going to have yeast flocculation and therefore sediment. Since you would transfer your beer to a bottling bucket in order to bottle, you are pulling it off the sediment no matter how much there is.

For the cost of a glass carboy as secondary fermentor, you could have at least 3 more buckets to do all your fermenting in. Its much easier and more cost effective to keep a lot of buckets around, and never transfer to a secondary vessel.

Anytime you introduce anything to your wort/beer after the boil you risk contamination. However doing so after primary fermentation, means there is alcohol in the beer to give it some protection. This has nothing to do with transferring it to a secondary vessel, which in it self, would allow more opportunities for contamination.

 

[mugen112]

I thought about extract brewing but that's like making a cake from the box and saying u made it from scratch.

I will be sure to post updates an results. Place your bets now!

Still thinking of using jalapenis but maybe strawberry cream ale would be good too.

 

[Kingfish]

I thought about extract brewing but that's like making a cake from the box and saying u made it from scratch.

I will be sure to post updates an results. Place your bets now!

Still thinking of using jalapenis but maybe strawberry cream ale would be good too.

If you have never made a cake before it might be a good idea to make one from a box first unless you have someone you can learn the techniques from?

VERY few of us brew "from scratch". There are very few home brewers that grow and malt their own grain. There is nothing wrong with extract brewing.

 

[SittingDuck]

If you have never made a cake before it might be a good idea to make one from a box first unless you have someone you can learn the techniques from?

VERY few of us brew "from scratch". There are very few home brewers that grow and malt their own grain. There is nothing wrong with extract brewing.

This. Extract, especially with specialty grains, makes excellent beer with proper procedures. AG makes awful skunk pi$$ with bad procedure. And vice versa.

Like I said before, adding extra ingredients is no big shakes, but proper sanitation, boiling process, fermentation temps, yeast pitching, etc. are. You want to learn those, for extract or AG. The difference is, if you start with extract you dont have to try to learn while also learning all the mashing process. Not saying its impossible, or even hard, but it is easier to get the process one step at a time.

If you just hate that "kit" feeling, make your own extract recipe by replacing the base grains in your recipe with DME.

To answer your question, I have added fruit to primary and secondary. I prefer to secondary. I never add jalepenis.

 

[Kingfish]

If you just hate that "kit" feeling, make your own extract recipe by replacing the base grains in your recipe with DME.

Or LME (Liquid malt extract) if you want something that is not powder.

 

[madchemist83]

Extracts help when you don't have room for 25 lbs of grain. And yes brew whatever the hell you want.

 

[mugen112]

I just bought everything I need to get my first batch fermenting. I also found a pound of lactose to add in.

The guys at my brew shop were very helpful.

They helped me pick a white labs liquid "cream ale yeast blend".

 

[mugen112]

 

[petey_c]

mugen, Keep us informed about this goes. Good luck. Pete

 

[mugen112]

 

[petey_c]

View attachment 49485

Brew in a Bag?

 

[mugen112]

Ya but that's just a paper bag

 

[mugen112]

 

[mugen112]

Ya but that's just a paper bag

O u were being sarcastic lol

 

[JohnTheBrewist]

Did your LHBS tell you about making a starter for that yeast? (starters should always be used with liquid yeast, unless your using more than one vial).

Why the lactose? Lactose is unfermentable and only serves to add sweetness to your beer. It won't add any alcohol content. Doesn't make much sense in a cream ale. Also have to ask, why the flaked corn? This really looks like you're just throwing ingredients together without much thought or knowledge as to how they will affect the end product. Care to share your recipe?

I understand wanting to jump in to all grain, in fact I'm one of the very few brewers here who think its a good idea. I also understand wanting to brew something out of the ordinary. But... wouldn't you want to be sure your beer is going to be drinkable after you've spent that kind of time and money to brew it?