First timer could use a little guidance

[vpvinci01]

Hi all. Excellent forum you have here. I just started my first ever home brew. I went and got my equipment and a ready-to-go Festa Brew wort (Double Oatmeal Stout) in order to get my feet under me and go through the process.

So I started fermenting in the primary bucket about 56 hours ago. My first observation was that the home brew store guy sold me a bucket with a lid that just sits on top and doesn't snap closed. Of course I was not pleased and plan to let him know next time I see him. My solution was to grab some heavy rocks out of the garden, clean and sanitize them thoroughly and cover them with foil to use as weights on top of the bucket. But nevertheless, after poking around here I learned that the loose lid probably explains why I've seen no activity in the air lock but for some very fine condensation.

So after about 32 hours I was compelled to peak under the hood to see what was happening. Lo and behold there was a nice foam covering, with what looked like powdered cocoa sprinkled about. I come to learn that's the krausen and meant that all was as it should be.

Then tonight (about 56 hours in), I went to take a gravity reading and saw the krausen had completely settled already, leaving some gunk floating on top and a chocolately crust around the rim of the bucket - also as God intended I presume.

I took the reading and it's at about 1.020, right about where it should be according to the product details (OG = 1.0545 - 1.0550 / FG = 1.0196 - 1.0211). I also poured a little sample and tasted a flimsy Guinness that was opened and sitting out for a day and lost its carbonation.

You should know the temperature in the room has varied more than I would have liked, from a low of 65 to a high of 72. I assume a more steady temp at the mid point would be better, so I'll have to work on this in the future.

So my questions are: where exactly am I at here? I'm surprised the fermentation stopped so soon, as I was expecting to leave it in the primary for at least a week and then possibly go to a secondary for another week like the directions suggest. Is the disappearing krausen an indication that it's done doing its work? Or will it benefit from just leaving it alone? If so, how long? Would you bother with the secondary or just leave it here until bottling?

Thanks so much for your help

 

[cheezydemon3]

drop of krausen does not mean fermentation is done. Let it primary for 3 weeks and then bottle it.

 

[smizak]

drop of krausen does not mean fermentation is done. Let it primary for 3 weeks and then bottle it.

+1

With time, you'll learn when batches are done, but as a noobie there is no harm in letting it sit for 3 weeks to be sure.

 

[Tinga]

+2 let it sit. and a secondary isnt going to do anything but risk getting your beer infected.

 

[DirtyPolock]

The more you read on this forum you will eventually learn that the only way to tell if your fermentation is done is to get consecutive gravity readings that are the same.

Most instruction kits state to bottle after 5-10 days, but I agree with everybody above saying that leaving it in the primary bucket for 3 weeks is a good habit to get into. The yeast will go through their fermentaton process but because everything happens so fast they have the potential to produce bad by-products which can cause off flavors. By leaving it in the fermenter for a longer time the yeast have time to clean-up after themselves and remove the bad by-products of improper fermentation.

 

[viking73]

I don't even bother with gravity readings until the 3 week or more mark. Got an amber thats almost a month on the primary. I won't know it's FG until I put it into a secondary or bottling bucket. Just keep the dogs/kids out and you'll be ok! You don't need to rack to a secondary if you want to get it bottled and try it!

 

[vpvinci01]

Thanks for the suggestions. I will take your advice. But just to be clear, I shouldn't worry about the gravity being nearly at it's expected final value after only 2.5 days, with still another 2.5 weeks to go in the primary?

Thanks again. You guys rock.

 

[smizak]

Thanks for the suggestions. I will take your advice. But just to be clear, I shouldn't worry about the gravity being nearly at it's expected final value after only 2.5 days, with still another 2.5 weeks to go in the primary?

Thanks again. You guys rock.

No worry at all! Oatmeal stouts tend to finish pretty high anyway, lots of unfermentables. Another thing to learn, don't sweat a couple of gravity points here and there. You'll get that down in time. Take comfort in the fact that you'll have some great beer that you made!

 

[lumpher]

Hi all. Excellent forum you have here. I just started my first ever home brew. I went and got my equipment and a ready-to-go Festa Brew wort (Double Oatmeal Stout) in order to get my feet under me and go through the process.

So I started fermenting in the primary bucket about 56 hours ago. My first observation was that the home brew store guy sold me a bucket with a lid that just sits on top and doesn't snap closed. Of course I was not pleased and plan to let him know next time I see him. My solution was to grab some heavy rocks out of the garden, clean and sanitize them thoroughly and cover them with foil to use as weights on top of the bucket. But nevertheless, after poking around here I learned that the loose lid probably explains why I've seen no activity in the air lock but for some very fine condensation.

So after about 32 hours I was compelled to peak under the hood to see what was happening. Lo and behold there was a nice foam covering, with what looked like powdered cocoa sprinkled about. I come to learn that's the krausen and meant that all was as it should be.

Then tonight (about 56 hours in), I went to take a gravity reading and saw the krausen had completely settled already, leaving some gunk floating on top and a chocolately crust around the rim of the bucket - also as God intended I presume.

I took the reading and it's at about 1.020, right about where it should be according to the product details (OG = 1.0545 - 1.0550 / FG = 1.0196 - 1.0211). I also poured a little sample and tasted a flimsy Guinness that was opened and sitting out for a day and lost its carbonation.

You should know the temperature in the room has varied more than I would have liked, from a low of 65 to a high of 72. I assume a more steady temp at the mid point would be better, so I'll have to work on this in the future.

So my questions are: where exactly am I at here? I'm surprised the fermentation stopped so soon, as I was expecting to leave it in the primary for at least a week and then possibly go to a secondary for another week like the directions suggest. Is the disappearing krausen an indication that it's done doing its work? Or will it benefit from just leaving it alone? If so, how long? Would you bother with the secondary or just leave it here until bottling?

Thanks so much for your help

leave it alone. never pull any beer off the yeast (primary) in less than 10-11 days. the first 5-6 days it ferments, the next few days it eats the rest of the sugar and settles to the bottom. secondarying a beer is a big argument, but something like that, yes, i would secondary it for at least 2 weeks. bottle- or keg-condition for 2 months or more, as it is a double. i have a vanilla porter i primaried for a month, secondaried for a month, then kegged. it'll be in the keg for probably 3 months

 

[chrispykid]

Thanks for the suggestions. I will take your advice. But just to be clear, I shouldn't worry about the gravity being nearly at it's expected final value after only 2.5 days, with still another 2.5 weeks to go in the primary?

Thanks again. You guys rock.

Echoing posters above, you're right where you need to be. Most of the work the yeast does happens early on in the fermentation. The extra time will allow the yeast to finish up cleaning out off flavors and dropping out of solution to clear up your beer. If you've got the means of temperature control this would be a good time to bump up the temp a few degrees, but if not don't sweat it. Let it be and bottle after three weeks of primary. Enjoy your first beer.

 

[Centexbear]

+1

With time, you'll learn when batches are done, but as a noobie there is no harm in letting it sit for 3 weeks to be sure.

I don't get it. I thought the purpose of leaving it on longer, say 3-4 weeks, was to give the yeast a chance to clean up everything behind themselves?

Why would an experienced brewer rack off to 2ndary in a faster amount of time but a newb need to leave it on to give the yeast a chance to clean up?

Sorry...don't mean to hijack thread.

 

[cheezydemon3]

There is enough yeast in suspension for a beer to condition in secondary cbear, it is just not necessary to secondary, and risks oxidation or infection.

Secondary was THE WAY TO DO IT for a long time, many fantastic brewers will not hear otherwise. Many other great and persistent brewers (REVVY) will insist (as I do) that secondary is not needed, unless you just have to have the yeast cake for another brew.

 

[smizak]

I don't get it. I thought the purpose of leaving it on longer, say 3-4 weeks, was to give the yeast a chance to clean up everything behind themselves?

Why would an experienced brewer rack off to 2ndary in a faster amount of time but a newb need to leave it on to give the yeast a chance to clean up?

Sorry...don't mean to hijack thread.

3 weeks is just a guideline for new brewers who have never seen a fermentation before. At that point, it's almost surely done. As one becomes experienced, you can tell when a beer is done and letting it sit further in the fermenter will not improve it anymore. I just bottled an IPA after 8 days. Would I recommend that to a new brewer? Hell no! But the yeast was crashing out, the hydro reading was right, and it tasted good. You just develop an intuition after awhile.

 

[vpvinci01]

Again, thanks for all your responses and suggestions. I'd like to keep it simple for this first batch and maximize my chances for success, so I think I'll forego the secondary and just let it be for another couple of weeks, maybe do some more reading in the mean time.

 

[baystatebrew]

yeah the thing about brewing as a hobby is...it's mostly a hobby of killing time doing other things. unfortunately, the yeast gets to do all the work. reading about brewing during fermentation is about all you can/should do.

i got charlie papazian's joy of homebrewing out of the library last week and highly recommend it. he seems pretty well respected within the HB community, and while you can get all his advice in here...his book is very thorough and well organized.

from your original post i think you will be fine letting that beer sit in the primary 2-3 weeks, then bottle.

 

[johnnyspade]

I've made that beer a few times. It's fine after a couple of weeks in the bottle but if you can wait a couple more weeks, it's fantastic.

 

[RCCOLA]

The Lid--> Some lids are a total pain to get on. I mean, you nearly have to beat them on with a hammer the first few times. Try leaning on it with your weight and really pushing down hard right on the edge--see if it goes on.

 

[akthor]

I don't even take gravity readings anymore, I used to back when I did the 5 - 10 days in primary like directions said.

Now I just leave everything in primary for 4 weeks. Don't check it, don't move it, don't touch it. After 4 weeks I transfer it to a keg. Cleanest, clearest beer I have ever made, I can even move the keg around from upstairs and down with no sediment and still clean clear beer.

I am totally sold on the new wave 4 week primary movement. I encourage anyone who hasn't tried it to do it.

As said above the lids go on HARD I have to lean all my weight on them to snap them closed, getting them off is even worse. I got a lid opening tool at home depot for like $3 that helps.

Someday I would like to get those screw top lids for all my fermenters.

 

[smizak]

I don't even take gravity readings anymore, I used to back when I did the 5 - 10 days in primary like directions said.

Now I just leave everything in primary for 4 weeks. Don't check it, don't move it, don't touch it. After 4 weeks I transfer it to a keg. Cleanest, clearest beer I have ever made, I can even move the keg around from upstairs and down with no sediment and still clean clear beer.

I am totally sold on the new wave 4 week primary movement. I encourage anyone who hasn't tried it to do it.

As said above the lids go on HARD I have to lean all my weight on them to snap them closed, getting them off is even worse. I got a lid opening tool at home depot for like $3 that helps.

Someday I would like to get those screw top lids for all my fermenters.

You can get those same results in less time with cold crashing, if you have fridge space. I use a Son-of-Fermentation-Chiller and when the beer is done, I crank it down to 45F for three days. I get barely a light dusting of yeast on the bottom of my bottles.

 

[vpvinci01]

I've made that beer a few times. It's fine after a couple of weeks in the bottle but if you can wait a couple more weeks, it's fantastic.

johnnyspade - do you recall the FG reading you got on it?

 

[johnnyspade]

johnnyspade - do you recall the FG reading you got on it?

Not off the top of my head, but I'll have it in my notes. I'm on the road for a couple of weeks but will post it once I get home, if it still helps. Details on that beer can be found here as well.

http://www.magnotta.com/Festabrew/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=222

 

[vpvinci01]

I'm getting giddy. Almost 1 week in. Did a gravity check and taste test. Gravity hasn't changed much at all from where it was after day 3, maybe .01 points or so, but I have to say the beer tastes much better already. Still flat and warm of course, but the flavor is as good as any Stout I've had. I'm gonna do my best to control myself and let it sit the suggested 2 weeks longer, but it won't be easy.

 

[vpvinci01]

Update - just finished bottling the Stout. Was an adventure for sure. Will let you know how it turns out.

 

[kgfitz]

I'm gonna do my best to control myself and let it sit the suggested 2 weeks longer, but it won't be easy.

that is my problem. i keep checking on how it is doing. by the last bottle it tast great then i only wish i had more:cross:

 

[boo boo]

Not off the top of my head, but I'll have it in my notes. I'm on the road for a couple of weeks but will post it once I get home, if it still helps. Details on that beer can be found here as well.

http://www.magnotta.com/Festabrew/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=222

Those kits are pretty well on the mark when it comes to gravities when they are brewed correctly.
I did a couple of them recently that I got from Noble Grape in Halifax, and must say I was pleased with the beers.
My advise to the OP is to let it work for 2 to 3 weeks and bottle from there, making sure you keep all nasties out of the bucket.
Next time use a closed fermentation process if you can.