Just finished my first batch!!! Got a few questions!!!!!!

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Osborne

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Only thing I messed up on was I forgot to take hydrometer reading before pitching of the yeast is this ok? My kit was a Northern Brewer Irish Red Ale Nottingham dry yeast. I am so impressed with the wort chiller I had the water down to 80 degrees in less than 15 minutes. And the cold water to hit the 5 gallon mark brought it down to 68 degrees (I used jug water and dipped the top when sealed in sanitizer). I think I did good about sanitized (knock on wood) I'm already OCD about "clean" I carry wet one wipes in my pocket everywhere I go. Everything was dipped and sprayed multiple times in StarSan throughout the transfer to ferment or process.

Sorry I'm hastingly typing this from my phone if there's mistakes gotta to clean up!

Thank you all so much I couldn't of done this without your help. I also got two people interested in home brewing during the process haha, the internet technician here while I was brewing and my cousin helping me!
 
Taking the OG before fermentation is necessary if you want to figure out your efficiency, or if you want to compare to the FG for the purposes of finding out your ABV.

However, it's not necessary if you simply want to enjoy the beer that you made. The kits are dialed-in sufficiently so that if you followed the directions and paid attention to sanitation (as you have) you will make good beer.

Pay equal attention to sanitation when you keg or bottle from the fermenter, and you will be rewarded.
 
Congrats, what're you thinking about for your next batch? We all know you're already figuring it out lol.
 
Taking the OG before fermentation is necessary if you want to figure out your efficiency, or if you want to compare to the FG for the purposes of finding out your ABV.



However, it's not necessary if you simply want to enjoy the beer that you made. The kits are dialed-in sufficiently so that if you followed the directions and paid attention to sanitation (as you have) you will make good beer.



Pay equal attention to sanitation when you keg or bottle from the fermenter, and you will be rewarded.


Good to hear! I'll just be sure to take a hydrometer reading next time.
 
Congrats, what're you thinking about for your next batch? We all know you're already figuring it out lol.


Haha my second keg arrived yesterday, I'm thinking a Hefeweizen. I did the Irish red for my cousin he likes ambers, I don't mind them but I prefer wheat beers and hefeweizens or porters.
 
You seem like you're off to a great start. Temp. control (and sanitation) are keys to great beer!

Yup my chest freezer is in the basement it normally stays 60-70in the heat of our very hot summers . And I didn't notice until the kit arrived Nottingham dry yeast is optimal from 58-68 so I thought I would try it out as a fermentation chamber since I don't have any kegs currently to keep cold.
 

Very impressive. Fermentation control right out of the gates.

Just one suggestion (two I suppose)

I would tape the temperature sensor right over the middle of the wort. Looks like you have it right on the top of the wort level.

I would put a little insulation over it too. That way it will be less effected by the ambient temp in the chamber.

Insulated probe over the middle of the wort. Cold Crashed Beer.jpg

Some thing like this although bubble wrap, beer coozie, or something similar will work well. It's not critical by any means. Clearly you planned everything very well. Congrats on your brew.
 
One more question I may have got a bit of sludge in the ferment or from the kettle there was a lot still in the kettle but I hope some doesn't have ill effect.
 
Very impressive. Fermentation control right out of the gates.

Just one suggestion (two I suppose)

I would tape the temperature sensor right over the middle of the wort. Looks like you have it right on the top of the wort level.

I would put a little insulation over it too. That way it will be less effected by the ambient temp in the chamber.

Insulated probe over the middle of the wort.View attachment 285743

Some thing like this although bubble wrap, beer coozie, or something similar will work well. It's not critical by any means. Clearly you planned everything very well. Congrats on your brew.

Will do, I'll go back down here in a little bit and fix it to the middle and work on getting a small computer fan to circulate the air along with insulation that's such a good idea...
 
Your sludge (kettle trub as it's known) with good brewing practices is usually composed of 3 main parts.

1: Hop matter
2: Hot Break
3: Cold Break

Hop matter is easily minimized by using hop socks or a hop spider. The latter is what I do.

Hop SpiderHop spider and Boil.jpg


Hot break without getting over my head, is an aggregation of various proteins which are not desired in the beer. This can easily be removed at the start of the boil but it is not a requirement by any means. Something to read up on

Hot BreakDSC03238.jpg

Hot Break Removed
DSC03246.jpgDSC03244.jpg


Cold Break is less of a problem and many folks, myself included make no effort to keep it out of the fermentor. There is some data to suggest it is beneficial to the beer quality on a home-brew scale. It is much more friable than hot-break and nigh on impossible to filter out. There are ways to keep more of it out of the fermentor but I don't use them. Effort-v-reward is questionable.

Cold Break (looks like egg-drop soup, sort of)DSC03268.jpg

Hope this helps.
 
Your sludge (kettle trub as it's known) with good brewing practices is usually composed of 3 main parts.

1: Hop matter
2: Hot Break
3: Cold Break

Hop matter is easily minimized by using hop socks or a hop spider. The latter is what I do.

Hop SpiderView attachment 285763


Hot break without getting over my head, is an aggregation of various proteins which are not desired in the beer. This can easily be removed at the start of the boil but it is not a requirement by any means. Something to read up on

Hot BreakView attachment 285757

Hot Break Removed
View attachment 285758View attachment 285759


Cold Break is less of a problem and many folks, myself included make no effort to keep it out of the fermentor. There is some data to suggest it is beneficial to the beer quality on a home-brew scale. It is much more friable than hot-break and nigh on impossible to filter out. There are ways to keep more of it out of the fermentor but I don't use them. Effort-v-reward is questionable.

Cold Break (looks like egg-drop soup, sort of)View attachment 285761

Hope this helps.


Thanks, I'll be sure to read more into this, right now I'm just worried about putting out beer and then I will worry about clarity etc. But will the sludge/trub have any bad effect if I did get some into my fermenter?
 
One more question I may have got a bit of sludge in the ferment or from the kettle there was a lot still in the kettle but I hope some doesn't have ill effect.


No problem at all. I always just dump it all in. It will settle out and if you rack carefully to your bottling bucket you can get very clear beer. Here is a pic of one of my brews that I just dumped all the stuff from the boil kettle into the fermenter.

And here is a good read about that subject...http://brulosophy.com/2014/06/02/the-great-trub-exbeeriment-results-are-in/

image.jpg
 
No problem at all. I always just dump it all in. It will settle out and if you rack carefully to your bottling bucket you can get very clear beer. Here is a pic of one of my brews that I just dumped all the stuff from the boil kettle into the fermenter.

And here is a god read baout that subject...http://brulosophy.com/2014/06/02/the-great-trub-exbeeriment-results-are-in/

I bookmarked that page, The Speidel Fermenter is apparently good at keeping the trub at the bottom away from the spigot, and I also have my fermentor at a slight angle backwards some the spigot will be completely clear of the trub.
 
I'm really nervous I hope I see some air bubbles in the airlock tonight or tomorrow morning! I just went and retaped my probe and positioned it in the middle of the wort, and made sure the fermentor was sealed without agitating it...
 
Fermentation is chugging right along! Have been gone all day, and when I got back and opened up the chest freezer I was hit with some strong co2 haha.
 
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