Just started my First Brew

[Passload]

I do the 1..2..3.. method. One week primary Two weeks secondary (for clearing the beer more) and (at least) three weeks in the bottle.

 

[BrewProject]

I do the 1..2..3.. method. One week primary Two weeks secondary (for clearing the beer more) and (at least) three weeks in the bottle.

that's cool, i have not heard of that method.

i was thinking 1 in primary, 1 in secondary, 2 in the bottle.

if you think 1, 2, 3 will produce a better beer, then i can wait


EDIT: BTW, i appreciate both of you guys and the pointers...

 

[Passload]

if you think 1, 2, 3 will produce a better beer, then i can wait


EDIT: BTW, i appreciate both of you guys and the pointers...

No problem for the pointers.
As for the 1, 2, 3 method it will for sure make the beer much better. Oh.... and do not forget to tast, your beer at every stage in the brewing process.

Cheers!
Justin

 

[BrewProject]

No problem for the pointers.
As for the 1, 2, 3 method it will for sure make the beer much better. Oh.... and do not forget to tast, your beer at every stage in the brewing process.

Cheers!
Justin

i can absolutely follow through on the tasting at every stage. no problemo there...

BTW, i know some people live and die with hydrometers and others could care less. i guess as a beginner it's interesting to me at this point. so i would think i should take a reading at each stage also. true?

i'll look up the formula again soon so i can measure my alcohol percentage. i would assume that after the primary most of the fermentation has taken place. true?

 

[Passload]

BTW, i know some people live and die with hydrometers and others could care less. i guess as a beginner it's interesting to me at this point. so i would think i should take a reading at each stage also. true?

Hydrometers are great for jumping committng suicide. That said hydrometers are also great for making sure fermentation is complete in very big beers (very high alcohol). For regular beer it is not as necessary unless you want to know the ABV. At each stage that would be berfore you pitch the yeast and before you bottle.

i'll look up the formula again soon so i can measure my alcohol percentage. i would assume that after the primary most of the fermentation has taken place. true?

Yes

Cheers!
Justin

 

[BrewProject]

fun stuff here...

looking forward to my first brew

 

[Truble]

Agree with the hydro advice above. I was too focused on my readings in the beginning. On my lates batch I used it just to get a ballpark on the brew, which was around 1.060, not adjusted for temp. I might measure it again when I bottle, but I am not too worried. I know that I got a got fermentation, so I am all set.

 

[BrewProject]

well no bubbles in the airlock yet, 12 hours in... i was hoping to see them this morning, but i realize that in reality it usually takes longer than that.

one other thing. my air temps right around my primary are 78-80 degrees. i hope this will work.

should i consider the wet towel and fan trick?

thanks

 

[BrewProject]

FERMENTATION HAS STARTED

So roughly 18 hours after pitching... :rockin:

Getting 1 bubble through the airlock every 10-15 seconds.

 

[Willsellout]

Congrats. I just racked my first batch to secondary after about a week in primary. I had kreusen after about 6 hours within my pitch and fermentation was almost nonexistent within 24-36 hours. I took a taste when I was racking, and it does indeed need some aging, but the flavor is there and it is really good. I kept my batch at around 68-70 degrees by putting it in a bucket of water and letting it sit. It kept the temps constant which was really nice.


Dan

 

[BrewProject]

Congrats. I just racked my first batch to secondary after about a week in primary. I had kreusen after about 6 hours within my pitch and fermentation was almost nonexistent within 24-36 hours. I took a taste when I was racking, and it does indeed need some aging, but the flavor is there and it is really good. I kept my batch at around 68-70 degrees by putting it in a bucket of water and letting it sit. It kept the temps constant which was really nice.


Dan

cool, i will be racking to a secondary next weekend, and tasting of course.

What is Kreusen? The foam that forms? I am fermenting in plastic, so I haven't popped the top to look, just been watching the airlock.

BTW, is it safe for me to pop the bucket top off and look inside?

May try some water around my primary for cooling, not sure how much it will help however.

 

[Fatabbot]

Yes, it's the foam that forms during fermentation.

You could certainly open up the lid to take a quick peek. Just don't do it every day.

 

[BrewProject]

Yes, it's the foam that forms during fermentation.

You could certainly open up the lid to take a quick peek. Just don't do it every day.

thanks man...

btw, i am beginning to believe that my thermometer may be reading a little high.
i bought an $8 floating thermometer at my LHBS yesterday. i have kept it right on top of my primary bucket lid since fermenting began and it has consistently read 80 degrees.

for grins just now i filled up a bucket of cold tap water and floated the thermometer in it. It read around 88 degrees. Then I was really wondering what was up. So I used meat thermometer in the same water and it read 78 degrees.

Running a test now back on top of the primary lid with both thermometers.

a couple of questions.

1. which should be more accurate, floating glass thermomter or stainless meat thermometer?

2. can both types be accurate for air temps as well?

i am beginning to think my floater is a lemon... this means my temps are really 5-10 degrees lower than i thought which is great !!!

 

[BrewProject]

thanks man...

btw, i am beginning to believe that my thermometer may be reading a little high.
i bought an $8 floating thermometer at my LHBS yesterday. i have kept it right on top of my primary bucket lid since fermenting began and it has consistently read 80 degrees.

for grins just now i filled up a bucket of cold tap water and floated the thermometer in it. It read around 88 degrees. Then I was really wondering what was up. So I used meat thermometer in the same water and it read 78 degrees.

Running a test now back on top of the primary lid with both thermometers.

a couple of questions.

1. which should be more accurate, floating glass thermomter or stainless meat thermometer?

2. can both types be accurate for air temps as well?

i am beginning to think my floater is a lemon... this means my temps are really 5-10 degrees lower than i thought which is great !!!

ok, my air temp results are in with both thermometers. Glass 80 degrees. Stainless steel meat thermometer 70 degrees...

i think it's safe to say, i may have to return the glass to my LHBS and get another one.

any comments from you guys regarding this discrepancy....

 

[Willsellout]

You know what I have found useful is a Fermometer. You attach it to the side of your fermenter and it shows the temp of the wort. They cost like a buck fifty a piece. It has been accurate within a degree when I checked. It's cool to just look at it on the outside, it makes things much easier. The water in the bucket helped me out a lot as my garage sits right arount 74 degrees. The water kept my temps about 4-6 degrees cooler. Although It's a lot hotter where you are and it might not do as much for you.


Dan

 

[BrewProject]

You know what I have found useful is a Fermometer. You attach it to the side of your fermenter and it shows the temp of the wort. They cost like a buck fifty a piece. It has been accurate within a degree when I checked. It's cool to just look at it on the outside, it makes things much easier. The water in the bucket helped me out a lot as my garage sits right arount 74 degrees. The water kept my temps about 4-6 degrees cooler. Although It's a lot hotter where you are and it might not do as much for you.


Dan

Well my other bucket has one of those, but i wanted to use a secondary so i started my fermentation in my bottling bucket.

good point there however, i will purchase another one for my bottling bucket when i exchange my floating thermometer...

 

[apparatus]

ok, my air temp results are in with both thermometers. Glass 80 degrees. Stainless steel meat thermometer 70 degrees...

i think it's safe to say, i may have to return the glass to my LHBS and get another one.

any comments from you guys regarding this discrepancy....

You can test the accuracy of your thermometer by filling a regular drinking cup with ice and then add enough water to cover the ice. Place your stem thermometer in and you should get a reading of 32 degrees.

 

[BrewProject]

You can test the accuracy of your thermometer by filling a regular drinking cup with ice and then add enough water to cover the ice. Place your stem thermometer in and you should get a reading of 32 degrees.

that's true enough, or close to 32 degrees.

however, i have already determined it to be faulty.

the fermometer on my other bucket reads 75 degrees, the thermostat in the apartment does too. and the floater reads 85

just for grins, i am trying the ice water measurement now.

 

[BrewProject]

as suspected, my floater is off by 10 degrees

glass read 42, stainless read 32 in ice water.

oh well, good news is, all my temps are in the ideal range. :rockin:

 

[apparatus]

Cool! Sounds like you should have some good brew in a short while.

 

[BrewProject]

Cool! Sounds like you should have some good brew in a short while.

that's the plan. finding my thermometer off by that much makes me feel much better about my chances now.

 

[BrewProject]

picture from yesterday about 4 hours after the airlock started releasing C02...

 

[BrewProject]

well the airlock went from 1 bubble every 10 seconds, up to 1 every second until late yesterday when it started slowing down to a bubble every 2 seconds. Tonight its slowed to a bubble every 4 seconds.

Seems as though everything is coming along nicely.

Just out of curiosity, I smelled the release of C02 from the airlock. It has a distinct beer/alcohol smell :rockin:

This Friday night will be 1 week in the primary. I plan on moving it into the secondary either then or during the weekend...

Can't wait for a little taster when racking to the secondary.

 

[Exo]

I taste every time I rack...it's just what has to be done and I am more than happy to have the job!

 

[Truble]

Tasting is a must! After a couple batches, you will be able to compare in flight tests to the finished product, and gauge progress a little better. So far, looking good. If you don't get to racking to sec on Friday night, and extra day is not the end of the world- my first brew did not even use a secondary-just 2 in the primary, and 2 in bottles. It was great. I do use secondaries all the time now, though, and even tertiaries if needed.

 

[BrewProject]

just out of curiosity do you guys do your tasters with room temp beer or do you put in the freezer for 15 mins first?

i know i used the freezer trick when tasting just before pitching my yeast.

 

[Truble]

Taste it at room temp. You will get the most flavor.

the colder it is, the less the flavors come out. that is true of finished beer as well.

 

[BrewProject]

Taste it at room temp. You will get the most flavor.

the colder it is, the less the flavors come out. that is true of finished beer as well.

cool, thanks for the heads up...

 

[Truble]

No problem. Since I have been home brewing, I find that I drink most beers a lot warmer than I used to. That is not to say that an ice cold ale is not great on a hot day, but I don't like losing the ability to taste them. Now, I just chill them a bit prior to serving. In the winter, I just take them straight from the basement.

 

[BrewProject]

that's interesting. might take a little getting used too, as i have been programmed to get my beer as cold as possible...

makes sense however, that the warmer the temps the more the flavors and aroma's would divulge themselves...