How does it look ?
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midfielder5
Well-Known Member
Welcome to HBT!
Looks fine; let it sit 10-14 days from brew day before messing with hydrometer readings.
cheers
Looks fine; let it sit 10-14 days from brew day before messing with hydrometer readings.
cheers
midfielder5
Well-Known Member
You know, you are right. Let SWMBO package it in bottles, and mail it out to us for further testing.
Hahahah, I would love to share and I'm hoping it turns out well.
So I should leave it till mid week and then start taking a look ? I did take a reading and it was 1.020. Only problem is I didn't take an original reading. So ill never truly know the alc except by feel.
So I should leave it till mid week and then start taking a look ? I did take a reading and it was 1.020. Only problem is I didn't take an original reading. So ill never truly know the alc except by feel.
midfielder5
Well-Known Member
yeah that is 5 ounces you won't get back 
Seriously, it looks to be actively fermenting so wait a few more days. Then dry hop for 4-7 days- it is an IPA!
Then take a gravity reading to bottle - it should be ready.
What yeast did you use? Recipe?
You can input ingredients in brewer software to figure a rough OG.
Seriously, it looks to be actively fermenting so wait a few more days. Then dry hop for 4-7 days- it is an IPA!
Then take a gravity reading to bottle - it should be ready.
What yeast did you use? Recipe?
You can input ingredients in brewer software to figure a rough OG.
yeah that is 5 ounces you won't get back
Seriously, it looks to be actively fermenting so wait a few more days. Then dry hop for 4-7 days- it is an IPA!
Then take a gravity reading to bottle - it should be ready.
What yeast did you use? Recipe?
You can input ingredients in brewer software to figure a rough OG.
Well I used a kit. It came with the bry-97 yeast. I have no more hops to dry hop. They were all used during the boil. I don't remember all the other ingredients off hand. Its bubbling a little looking at the airlock.
Don't rely on the ait lock to tell you if anything is going on, especially since you have it in a bucket. It does look like it is still actively fermenting. The kit should tell you what the OG should be and if it was an extract kit and you followed the directions then you should be close enough. I would let that go for another 5-10 days, and in the mean time get some more hops to dry hop with (if it supposed to be an IPA it really should be dry hopped). If you know what kit youused you could get some suggestions of hops to use.
Let it sit till the 2 week mark before testing it again. Def looks like it isn't done yet. The kit should give OG/FG ranges in the instructions.
A full krausen like that means it isn't done, and it isn't even going to start to clear until the krausen drops back.
Wait until there is no krausen and then wait three days- then take a reading. That's the earliest that you can consider doing anything at all. Sometimes beer will ferment out pretty quickly, but sometimes it takes a bit of time. BRY-97 is finicky like that, so let it finish before taking any readings. They are pointless right now.
Wait until there is no krausen and then wait three days- then take a reading. That's the earliest that you can consider doing anything at all. Sometimes beer will ferment out pretty quickly, but sometimes it takes a bit of time. BRY-97 is finicky like that, so let it finish before taking any readings. They are pointless right now.
I don't ever take readings in-between. I used to just give it the three weeks and prepare for bottling. Check the FG and if it's good continue (never had to wait yet).
But I've had an IPA that changed dramatically from the first week to the second using the 3/3/3 method. It began tasting like a variant of Ranger IPA, and when my friend finally came by about a week later it wasn't even similar anymore.
Since then I've changed my method to 4/4/1. Time only helps. The yeast will go back through and clean up what all they created during fermentation. It can only help your beer.
It's also not a good idea to take the lid off of your bucket while it's fermenting.
I second or third the advice of buying more hops for a dry hop (7-10 days). You likely cannot go wrong with a citrusy style of hop.
But I've had an IPA that changed dramatically from the first week to the second using the 3/3/3 method. It began tasting like a variant of Ranger IPA, and when my friend finally came by about a week later it wasn't even similar anymore.
Since then I've changed my method to 4/4/1. Time only helps. The yeast will go back through and clean up what all they created during fermentation. It can only help your beer.
It's also not a good idea to take the lid off of your bucket while it's fermenting.
I second or third the advice of buying more hops for a dry hop (7-10 days). You likely cannot go wrong with a citrusy style of hop.
Thanks for all the reply's. So to give a little background on what the kit came with.
Fermentables
6.6 lb light dme,
1 lb golden dme,
Grains:
1 lb caramel 40L
8 oz Victory
Hops:
2 oz Columbus
1.5 oz Cascade
1 oz Cascade
1 packet yeast BRY-97 <---- My name & my ice hockey #
So I followed the instruction, pitched the yeast and it started to show activity about 2 days later at 64 deg. Now 7 days later is what you saw earlier. I only opened it to take the reading. Maybe it was bit too early to do that, but I'm learning on the job...
So all are saying I should let it sit a bit longer ? Reading some things on the instructions and it said I may want to transfer to a secondary. Then let it sit there a bit ? Some are saying I should hop it more ? Also, according to the instructions I should be at FG 1.014-1.017. So I'm not too far off.
Fermentables
6.6 lb light dme,
1 lb golden dme,
Grains:
1 lb caramel 40L
8 oz Victory
Hops:
2 oz Columbus
1.5 oz Cascade
1 oz Cascade
1 packet yeast BRY-97 <---- My name & my ice hockey #
So I followed the instruction, pitched the yeast and it started to show activity about 2 days later at 64 deg. Now 7 days later is what you saw earlier. I only opened it to take the reading. Maybe it was bit too early to do that, but I'm learning on the job...
So all are saying I should let it sit a bit longer ? Reading some things on the instructions and it said I may want to transfer to a secondary. Then let it sit there a bit ? Some are saying I should hop it more ? Also, according to the instructions I should be at FG 1.014-1.017. So I'm not too far off.
Don't bother transferring to a secondary, when you dry hop just put them in a hop bag and toss them into the primary. On the scale homebrewers operate at there is no need to worry about off flavors from the beer witting on the yeast, unless it is going to be sitting there for more than a couple of months (even though some people have let it sit in primary for up to a year with no issues). If you transfer to a secondary you end up risking oxidation and infections while really gaining nothing in the process, so its best to just leave it in the primary.
Don't worry about a secondary as you were told.
An IPA is typically dry hopped. It adds a strong hop punch of aroma to your beer.
Kits generally seem quite basic. And on that note you'll want to check out a priming sugar calculator to ensure you are using the proper amount of sugar for carbonating. MoreBeer just tosses in a 4 oz pack of corn sugar regardless, and doesn't explain that you may or may not need all of it or possibly more. This is the one I like to use:
http://www.northernbrewer.com/priming-sugar-calculator/
An IPA is typically dry hopped. It adds a strong hop punch of aroma to your beer.
Kits generally seem quite basic. And on that note you'll want to check out a priming sugar calculator to ensure you are using the proper amount of sugar for carbonating. MoreBeer just tosses in a 4 oz pack of corn sugar regardless, and doesn't explain that you may or may not need all of it or possibly more. This is the one I like to use:
http://www.northernbrewer.com/priming-sugar-calculator/
SteveM
Well-Known Member
And last thing, don't feel compelled to open it and check on it. There is little good that can come of that habit and lots that's not so good. Your job as a brewer is to set conditions that will allow the yeast to do its thing. Taking the top off the fermenter can interfere with that process.
I'm taking everyone's advice letting it sit for at least another week. I'm not going to hop it or play with it. It's my first brew and I went with the kit. Shortly I'll sway from the kits in hopes of creating my own. Thanks for all the help and I'll keep all updated.
