Just finished my first batch!!!...and I think I nailed it!

[DudeThatBrews]

So.. I decided to take on home brewing. I purchased a kit from Northern Brewer with the Amber Ale. I let it ferment in primary for a month, and just bottled it las Sunday (Veterans Day). I was worried because I thought I may have let it ferment too long...I’m in the Navy and had to go out for 2 weeks unexpectedly. Once I returned, I decided to bottle immediately and to my surprise it smelled delicious...so delicious that I decided to have a few drinks. It was awesome! The next day I couldn’t resist and decided to open a bottle that had only been conditioned for a day... still awesome!

 

[parjay]

Congrats! I bet those beers will get better and better over the next few weeks.

 

[DudeThatBrews]

No doubt! Gotta keep patient!

 

[RM-MN]

It's really hard to leave the beer in the fermenter too long. My longest was 9 weeks but I talked to another brewer who left his for 6 months and said that that wasn't too long yet. It takes about 8 to 10 days to ferment a beer and get the majority of the yeast and trub to settle but beers also need a little time to mature. Your month in the fermenter counts toward maturing. In the next few weeks your beer will continue to mature and improve in flavor (yes, it will get better yet). Try to not drink all of them before you get the next batch started.

 

[PapaGanj]

That is some awesome looking HB!

Enjoy the fruits of your labor my friend. Very well earned.

[emoji485][emoji485]

 

[DudeThatBrews]

That is some awesome looking HB!

Enjoy the fruits of your labor my friend. Very well earned.

[emoji485][emoji485]

Thanks! I went ahead and got a holiday ale started last night... I think I got the fever. I would like to learn how to get away from the extract and go full grain...starting from scratch.

 

[PapaGanj]

Thanks! I went ahead and got a holiday ale started last night... I think I got the fever. I would like to learn how to get away from the extract and go full grain...starting from scratch.

I think I've caught the fever as well.
I have been very interested in those extracts for homebrewed beer. I'd really love a try at it.

This post is definitely going to send me to the local hbs this week.

Again, very nice turn out it looks like.
Id be interested in seeing how your 'from scratch' brewing goes as well.

[emoji485][emoji485]

 

[Calder]

You have started right. Brew some simple beers, find out this is something you want to do, then research which is the best way forward. Partial mash or all-grain. All grain requires bigger burners and cannot be done on the stove unless you make small batches (why would you want to?).

Do some research on Brew in a Bag, or using a regular mash-tun.

Ingredient are much cheaper, but you end up with bags (50+ lbs) of grain, and lbs of hops in the freezer. Start re-using yeast and price drops again.

I usually get myself a glass when racking to the bottling bucket. Then have one bottle after a week. Then go all-in after 2 weeks. Try and keep your hands off them for a couple of weeks, or you will end up regretting it ... taste gets better when carb'd.

Congrats on your first (and second) brew. Glad to hear it turned out well.

 

[DudeThatBrews]

It's really hard to leave the beer in the fermenter too long. My longest was 9 weeks but I talked to another brewer who left his for 6 months and said that that wasn't too long yet. It takes about 8 to 10 days to ferment a beer and get the majority of the yeast and trub to settle but beers also need a little time to mature. Your month in the fermenter counts toward maturing. In the next few weeks your beer will continue to mature and improve in flavor (yes, it will get better yet). Try to not drink all of them before you get the next batch started.

No doubt! I’m going to try my best to be as patient as possible. From reading, I’ve learned the higher the gravity, the longer the wait in fermentation and bottling. I love stouts, I can’t wait to finally make my own, I just know the wait will be excruciating!!!

 

[jrgtr42]

Definitely not too long in fermenter. I typically let mine go three weeks before even thinking about bottling - I used to go by the "instructions" and bottle after 2 weeks, but one time I let it go for an extra week, for one reason or another, and it turned out to be my best batch yet. I have let it go that long ever since. if I need something for a given date, I just work backwards and put an x on the calendar the last date I can brew to make my 3 weeks fermenting, and another 3 weeks conditioning.
TBH, go for a couple more extract brews and make sure you get that process down before switching over to all-grain. It's not that big a difference, but it's just a couple more steps to worry about.
Welcome to the hobby and thanks for your service.

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

3-4 weeks is normal for me. You can bottle after fermentation levels out. You can tell when you get three hydrometer measurements in a row that are the same that the yeast has eaten all the sugar in the beer. Some then let it mature in the fermentor for a week for the yeast to reabsorb some of the not as tasty chemicals they create during fermentation. But I just watch it and see when it clears up, which takes at least three weeks regardless of how high the gravity was to start. I just bottled an Imperial IPA that was in the fermentors for 3 weeks.

As far as your next move, decide why you want to brew first. Some reasons are to save money over commercial craft brew, to make the best beer you’ve ever had, to have a fun pass time, to be part of a community, to share with old and new friends, or just to make a lot. Depending on your goals and resources, your questions will answer themselves.

 

[fendersrule]

One month is no problem in primary.

 

[RM-MN]

I think I got the fever. I would like to learn how to get away from the extract and go full grain...starting from scratch.

I was brewing from extracts and had 3 kits on hand when I decided to try all grain. I had read about the coolers and manifolds and big burners and was intimidated by the startup costs and the long time it would take. Then I read about BIAB and decided to try one small batch in the 5 gallon pot I already had and had been using for the extract batches. It was real hard to go back to making those extract batches after I found out how easy and fun the all grain brew with BIAB was.

All grain requires bigger burners and cannot be done on the stove unless you make small batches (why would you want to?).

A bad back makes it necessary as I can't lug around the 5.5 gallon pot to put the beer into the fermenter. The fun of making lots of different beers without having 5 gallons of each makes it worthwhile. I'm just starting into my winter brewing season and already have 6 varieties on hand and expect to have somewhere near 20 when I quit for spring work.

 

[Jag75]

Congrats ! Looks good . Its definitely a fun hobby .

 

[balrog]

First, congrats on finding a way to keep from messing with your fermenting brew. Most beginners can't leave it alone.
Secondly, I concur w BIAB. I went 5g batch BIAB but had to upgrade to 10G pot from 5G pot to do so. I already had propane burner available so all I had to do was get pot and Wilserbrewer bag. All other equipment was what I already had. Oh, and I eventually made a wort chiller. I have a friend who does 2.5g batches, still cools in ice bath/sink, so you can do that pretty easily with all the same equipment you have, only getting a BIAB bag.

 

[VirginiaHops1]

Was it the block party amber from NB? That was one of my first batches too. I didn't quite hit my gravity so mine was a little on the lighter side, but still a solid easy drinker. Congrats on your first brew

 

[VirginiaHops1]

First, congrats on finding a way to keep from messing with your fermenting brew. Most beginners can't leave it alone.
Secondly, I concur w BIAB. I went 5g batch BIAB but had to upgrade to 10G pot from 5G pot to do so. I already had propane burner available so all I had to do was get pot and Wilserbrewer bag. All other equipment was what I already had. Oh, and I eventually made a wort chiller. I have a friend who does 2.5g batches, still cools in ice bath/sink, so you can do that pretty easily with all the same equipment you have, only getting a BIAB bag.

I do this. I actually have a propane burner and 8g kettle for turkey frying but would need a wort chiller for 5g grain. I like 2.5g BIAB because I can still brew in my kitchen(late at night if necessary) with all my starter equipment, and it's only 24 beers so easy to plow through even when results are mediocre. I think I'm getting close to finding recipes I will want to churn out 48 beers of. OP, something to consider if you want to jump into grain but don't want to upgrade your 5g equipment quite yet. I bought some 3g Better Bottles to ferment in because they have a smaller footprint but I've also fermented small batches in the big 6 carboys no issues.

 

[OG-wan Kenobi]

Congrats and as others have said that will get better with a little age on it. BIAB is my favorite way to brew if your looking into all grain already I suggest you try it you can get a cheap kit from Norther Brewer and see if you like it. And most importantly Thank you for your service

 

[DVCNick]

It was that carbed after one day of conditioning?

 

[DudeThatBrews]

Was it the block party amber from NB? That was one of my first batches too. I didn't quite hit my gravity so mine was a little on the lighter side, but still a solid easy drinker. Congrats on your first brew

Yep, it was the block party. I feel it’s a great starter that’s pretty forgiving to rookie mistakes. I was pretty nosey in the beginning, always lifting the lid, even moved the primary around quite a bit to find the most stable temp in the house..I also didn’t notice any krausen layer on the surface, ...it bubbled like crazy the first two days and just stopped all of a sudden after day 4...I was like, whatever...I’m just going to let it sit and see what happens. I didn’t do OG and FG readings, but caught a good buzz off of 5 pre conditioned beers... so in my expert sailor opinion, I’d say I’m sitting somewhere between 5-6 ABV...lol

 

[DudeThatBrews]

Yep, it was the block party. I feel it’s a great starter that’s pretty forgiving to rookie mistakes. I was pretty nosey in the beginning, always lifting the lid, even moved the primary around quite a bit to find the most stable temp in the house..I also didn’t notice any krausen layer on the surface, ...it bubbled like crazy the first two days and just stopped all of a sudden after day 4...I was like, whatever...I’m just going to let it sit and see what happens. I didn’t do OG and FG readings, but caught a good buzz off of 5 pre conditioned beers... so in my expert sailor opinion, I’d say I’m sitting somewhere between 5-6 ABV...lol

Also like to add that I can usually drink about 4 or 5 domesticated non light beers and feel the same way...(don’t judge)

 

[DudeThatBrews]

It was that carbed after one day of conditioning?

Yeah, but I think me not pouring down the side added to the pronounced head... I tend to think that how airtight your primary fermenter is...adds to some carbonation. Just a guess, but it kind of makes sense.

 

[balrog]

Unless you pressurize your ferment vessel, you will have essential 1 atm. CO2 dissolves based on temp and pressure and you'd have to ferment in tight vessel like a closed keg with spunding valve to get more pressure to cause more CO2 to dissolve than in open bucket. And anything with an airlock is open to pressure change. That's how some people suddenly freak out when temp changes a little higher and voila, the airlock suddenly bubbles again. It's just a change in temp causing CO2 to come out of solution, along with headspace expansion from temp change.

 

[bleme]

All grain requires bigger burners and cannot be done on the stove unless you make small batches

This isn't exactly accurate. I use a 10 gallon aluminum tamale pot that barely fits over two natural gas burners. It certainly isn't the fastest to get to boil, but I can still make a 5.25G batch in under 6 hours.

 

[bracconiere]

No doubt! Gotta keep patient!

Buy more buckets, brew more often! And being in the navy, we'll station you off the cost of Belgium. Keeping other americans safe from InBev!

edit: or what ever country you serve for....

 

[DudeThatBrews]

Buy more buckets, brew more often! And being in the navy, we'll station you off the cost of Belgium. Keeping other americans safe from InBev!

edit: or what ever country you serve for....

[emoji631]

 

[RM-MN]

Was it the block party amber from NB? That was one of my first batches too. I didn't quite hit my gravity so mine was a little on the lighter side, but still a solid easy drinker. Congrats on your first brew

Assuming that this was an extract kit and further assuming that you measured the amount of water correctly when you topped of the fermenter, the original gravity was correct but the mixing wasn't. It's really difficult to mix the concentrated wort with the top off water.

I actually have a propane burner and 8g kettle for turkey frying but would need a wort chiller for 5g grain.

You may not need the wort chiller. Wort chillers cool faster than just setting the pot in a tub of water but the critical points are, did you have late addition hops and are you in a hurry to get the wort into the fermenter. Any late addition hops continue to add bitterness and lose aroma while the wort is hot but the bittering is pretty much over when the wort gets below 170F. It isn't real difficult to get the wort that cool without the wort chiller. If you have no late addition hops, your wort can cool really slowly and it will be fine. Some of us do "no-chill" where our wort may cool for 12 to 24 hours and it makes beer.

 

[VirginiaHops1]

You may not need the wort chiller. Wort chillers cool faster than just setting the pot in a tub of water but the critical points are, did you have late addition hops and are you in a hurry to get the wort into the fermenter. Any late addition hops continue to add bitterness and lose aroma while the wort is hot but the bittering is pretty much over when the wort gets below 170F. It isn't real difficult to get the wort that cool without the wort chiller. If you have no late addition hops, your wort can cool really slowly and it will be fine. Some of us do "no-chill" where our wort may cool for 12 to 24 hours and it makes beer.

Interesting. I figured it would take forever to chill 5g without a wort chiller and would be detrimental to the flavor. Maybe I'll give this a shot with one of my recipes that I want 5 gallons of. Thx

 

[DudeThatBrews]

Assuming that this was an extract kit and further assuming that you measured the amount of water correctly when you topped of the fermenter, the original gravity was correct but the mixing wasn't. It's really difficult to mix the concentrated wort with the top off water.



You may not need the wort chiller. Wort chillers cool faster than just setting the pot in a tub of water but the critical points are, did you have late addition hops and are you in a hurry to get the wort into the fermenter. Any late addition hops continue to add bitterness and lose aroma while the wort is hot but the bittering is pretty much over when the wort gets below 170F. It isn't real difficult to get the wort that cool without the wort chiller. If you have no late addition hops, your wort can cool really slowly and it will be fine. Some of us do "no-chill" where our wort may cool for 12 to 24 hours and it makes beer.

I chilled the Amber slowly and it was fine... took about 30-40 minutes in the tub...

 

[RM-MN]

I chilled the Amber slowly and it was fine... took about 30-40 minutes in the tub...

I'm not sure that qualifies as slowly. I've done a no-chill batch that took 24 hours.

Hops added later than 30 minutes will be affected by slow chilling but not a 60 minute addition as all of the possible hop oils have pretty much isomerized by then. It's the 15 minute to flameout hops I would worry about. Read the recipes well before you try the no-chill.