Just finished 1st brew day! Notes & mistakes

[brewer1222]

Brewed a Hefeweizen. Have two shirts around plastic fermenting bucket, fan running, but it's so dry here in Southwest that the shirts won't help much. I also used White Labs liquid yeast with a starter that I made about 2 hours before pitching it into teh fermenter. John Palmer says make the starter days before, but I wanted to brew today.

1. I left the lid off during the boil, on my stove. The brewpot was hot, but I am not sure it was ever boiling. I don't want to buy any more equipment (a camping boiler) but I'm not sure what to do to get the wort to be hotter. If I sanitized 2.5 gal beforehand and brewed the wort with only 2.5 gal water? Maybe that's the answer.

2. I accidentally chucked the airlock cap out with the sanitizing water. Thank goodness I was able to find it later, rub Starsan on the bottom surface and pop it on the fermenter. Wasn't sure what to do if I didn't find it.

3. Various small sanitation things - putting a wet hand over the kettle to judge temperature, putting a thumb on the inside of the plastic bucket, etc

4. Trouble cooling the kettle because it was 110 outside and the water was coming out of the tap warm - used a bunch of ice and it still took about 50 mins

Questions

1) How can I check the temperature of the fermenting beer? Remove the airlock and put in the thermometer?

2) After you've sanitized the airlock, stirring spoon etc. - where do you put them? I laid them on a fresh paper towel on the counter.

Appreciate your help! will go smoother & quicker the next time

 

[Parker36]

1) There are sticky aquarium thermometers that work ok. You can also look into probe thermometers, but those are more expensive and advanced.
2) I usually make up a starsan solution in a bucket and leave it there until I'm done brewing. Just keep everything in there until needed.

As for your boil, doing partials boils is fine and is better than having hot, not boiling wort. You can add water later to ge tthe right volume.

On the starter issue, if you want to get the benefits of using a started, you need to make it at least a day ahead of time. Your 2 hour adventure probably didn't help - didn't hurt either, but no advantage.

Also, on the tshirt issue- dry air is good air for this method. You want the shorts to wick up the water so it evaporates and cools down your beer. Dry air will help the evaporation process.

 

[businesstime]

Woah, does everyone cap the airlock? How does CO2 escape? I just filled the airlock with vodka and left it open.

 

[Parker36]

I think we are talking about the 2 types of airlocks here.

There is the three piece airlock which has three pieces (including the lid)

There is also the s type airlock which you do not need a cap on although the one picture has some dust inhibitor hoomajig (technical term)

 

[brewer1222]

I have the simpler type of airlock (with the clear cap). The cap has little holes in it. The co2 escapes through those, I imagine. I didn't know if it was a big deal.

Parker36, I had about 4 gallons in the kettle, next time I'll try less.

 

[Rick500]

Airlock caps have holes in them to let the CO2 escape. Keeps flying insects out. But if you leave yours off, you're probably not going to have any problems, especially with it being filled with vodka.

brewer1222: Get a spray bottle and fill it with sanitizer. I keep my brewing stuff (that will fit) in a container of StarSan while I'm brewing, but the spray bottle is very handy to have around to re-sanitize anything you might need to. (Hands, spoons, hoses, siphons, etc.) I wouldn't be without it.

 

[dmob29]

There are 2 main types, a 3 piece that has a little hat thing that goes inside and also a cap with holes and the other type which is an 'S' bubbler, or something like that. You probably don't have to put the caps on them, but it keep hair and other crap outa of it.

 

[dmob29]

Looks like we are on the same page here!!

:rockin:


PS... "inhibitor hoomajig" .... sweet!

 

[Jsamp]

Woah, does everyone cap the airlock? How does CO2 escape? I just filled the airlock with vodka and left it open.

The 3 piece airlock I have has air holes around the perimeter of the cap.

 

[fratermus]

Brewed a Hefeweizen. Have two shirts around plastic fermenting bucket, fan running, but it's so dry here in Southwest that the shirts won't help much.

The shirts should work best in the dry conditions. The shirts are wet, yeah?

 

[brewer1222]

I got them wet under the sink but three hours later they are almost dry.

 

[brewer1222]

Yes but they dried out about 4 hrs after I draped them over the bucket

 

[MurderMittenBrewing]

Questions

1) How can I check the temperature of the fermenting beer? Remove the airlock and put in the thermometer?

2) After you've sanitized the airlock, stirring spoon etc. - where do you put them? I laid them on a fresh paper towel on the counter.

Contrats on the brew! My first brew was an American Hef and it turned out really well.

Get a stick on thermometer for your fermenter. They're cheap, relatively accurate, and they don't require you to open your fermenter every time you check the temp.

I leave my stirring spoon in the boil kettle or in my sanitizer bucket. Anything that touches the wort before boiling or during the boil only has to be clean, not sanitary, because the boiling will kill off any contaminants. I leave my airlock and stopper in sanitizer till I'm ready to use it.

 

[Yooper]

Yes but they dried out about 4 hrs after I draped them over the bucket

Put the fermenter in a trash can, a cooler, or some other "tote" that is water proof. Add some water, and put the bottom of the shirt in the water so it can "wick up" through the shirt. It'll stay wet as long as you have water in the bin.

 

[brewer1222]

How do you read the stick on thermometer? The wort's in a sealed plastic bucket with an airlock - if you put a thermometer in you'll also let in oxygen.

I left the spoon in the brew kettle but one time it slipped into teh wort - I had to dig it out with another spoon. If you leave your airlock + spoon in a sanitizer bucket does that mean you use a separate container for fermenting?

I tihnk the key is to just have a bunch of sanitized containers, some with boiled + chilled water and some empty so you're always ready to wash things off, etc

 

[JohnnyO]

The stick-on thermometer is like a decal/sticker that goes on the outside of your fermentation bucket.

 

[Rick500]

How do you read the stick on thermometer? The wort's in a sealed plastic bucket with an airlock - if you put a thermometer in you'll also let in oxygen.

I left the spoon in the brew kettle but one time it slipped into teh wort - I had to dig it out with another spoon. If you leave your airlock + spoon in a sanitizer bucket does that mean you use a separate container for fermenting?

I tihnk the key is to just have a bunch of sanitized containers, some with boiled + chilled water and some empty so you're always ready to wash things off, etc

I promise you, a spray bottle of StarSan will solve all of your sanitation concerns.