Just put my first beer into the fermenter

[FSumac]

Question:

As I was moving the cooled wort from the kettle into the fermenter, I decided for some reason I wanted to strain it. I strained about 3/4 of the batch before I had a thought that maybe I should not be straining it so I let the rest of the solids go into the fermenter.

What was the proper course of action there?

Also, I had a good time working on my first beer. I was probably way overparanoid about santization and I kept dipping everything back into a bucket of sanitizer (I used the c-brite that came with the kit) before I used it again.

I hydrated the yeast in some warm water (that had been boiled and cooled) and some of the extract. I got this method from the howtobrew.com website.

Right now the fermenter is reading 66* and this is an IPA.

I just hope this turns out decent.

 

[Laurel]

Now just leave it alone for a week, then start taking your hydrometer readings.

I'm sure it'll be a good beer. Paranoia with sanitation is never a bad thing! It's hard to screw up a beer, and the straining thing shouldn't hurt so long as you sanitized the strainer. You'll likely have a little less trub than people who don't strain depending on the size of the strainer.

 

[FSumac]

So in the future I should not strain from the kettle into the fermenter?

And yes I santized the strainer.

 

[Sea]

Some remove the break and hop material prior to fermentation, some don't (me). Honestly, I've heard arguments as to why both methods result in clearer, better tasting beer. I say, do what works for you.

 

[DUCCCC]

It's really a personal preference. I strain out the trub, myself. Others just toss in everything. And yet others "whirlpool" to separate most of the wort from the trub, and then siphon the wort off into the fermenter.

I don't like leaving any wort behind, and I also don't care for two inches of crap at the bottom of my primary, so I strain. Those who toss it all in are probably getting a little better hop utilization.

You beer will be fine. Welcome aboard, by the way.

 

[GunnerMan]

I strained my first brew that actually used hops and grains. I did it because I just didn't want to risk somehow sucking up a bunch of hop pellet particle from siphon to bottle bucket when the time comes, thus making a very grainy beer. Also since I don't have a scale that measures fractions of an ounce it is hard for me to select the right hop amounts anyway so I added a bit extra to my wort(probably a good thing because my OG came in 10 points above the target.)

From my reading it dosen't really matter im just in that paranoid stage I guess.

 

[enderwig]

A sanitized strainer not only catches break material, it also aerates on the way into the fermenter:rockin: can't beat free aeration. I still siphon all of my batches from the brewpot through a strainer into primary for just that reason.

 

[FSumac]

2 more beginner questions:

1) I just poured the yeast starter on top of the wort. Should I have stirred it in?

2) Since I am fermenting in a plastic bucket, does it matter if it stays in a room where there is some light?

Thanks guys.

 

[enderwig]

2 more beginner questions:

1) I just poured the yeast starter on top of the wort. Should I have stirred it in?

2) Since I am fermenting in a plastic bucket, does it matter if it stays in a room where there is some light?

Thanks guys.

Relax, Don't Worry, Have A Homebrew!

You're alright!

 

[DUCCCC]

Ale yeast works from the top down, you're cool.

Ambient incandescent light is no problem to an Ale Pail. Keep it away from the windows though.

 

[FSumac]

Thanks!

I don't have any homebrew yet, but I think I'll have a DFH 90 minute.

 

[squeekysheep]

i use my grain bag to strain my wort.

and just avoid sun and florescent light my house has only 2 non florescent lights i the house( can anyone think where they might be)

 

[FSumac]

Well, 24 hours has passed and not much movement at all out of the airlock. Certainly doesn't help the nerves.

 

[TheFlatline]

Well, 24 hours has passed and not much movement at all out of the airlock. Certainly doesn't help the nerves.

It can take up to 3 days to begin fermentation, and your airlock is not a good sign of fermentation.

Seriously, forget about it for a few days if you can. Look in on it at day 3 and see if you've got a big foam ring shadow (I can see my krausen ring through the bucket plastic). If it's to thick, don't worry about it. If you can see, if you see a foamy head that looks absolutely disgusting, it's fermenting.

Otherwise give it a week and take a hydrometer sample to see if it's down near the FG range. If it is, give it 2 more days, then take another reading to see if you're done fermenting.

Then, if you have the patience of a zen spider, either rack to secondary, or do what a lot of us are doing nowadays, and just let it sit in primary for a total of 2-3 weeks. You'll get very clear beer this way.

I suggest reading books on brewing to help pass the time. The Complete Joy of Homebrewing is considered classic, although it's a little out of date. You can also look into http://www.howtobrew.com and read that excellent book, and even order the latest edition (the web version is 1st edition) to read. I also have some recipe books that I pour through, and I spend a lot of time in this forum just talking about (and learning about) beer.

Do yourself a favor though, and skip the "troubleshooting" sections of whatever you read, because it *will* give you nightmares.

 

[GunnerMan]

Yeah fermentation start I found is pretty spontaneous. My first batch took off right away(within hours). My next one took about 12 hours. One after took about 15 hours. You see nothing and then all of a sudden your airlock sounds like a machine gun.

 

[FSumac]

So what is the best method to "rob" some of your beer from the fermenter to take a hydrometer reading if you don't have a wine thief?

 

[enderwig]

So what is the best method to "rob" some of your beer from the fermenter to take a hydrometer reading if you don't have a wine thief?

Turkey baster..

 

[DeathBrewer]

i currently use an in-line filter for transfer from kettle to fermenter for anything above 5 gallons. it's got a small stainless screen which works very well when combined with the false bottom in my kettle.

when i do 5 gallons, i just pour it in. Makes for a lot of break material and a lot more trub, but no big deal.

The filtered beers do seem to be much cleaner, leaving all that break behind. But the other beers still come out great. As soon as i get a spigot installed on my 8 gallon stockpot, i'll start using the filter. I can always filter post-fermentation as well