just starting out..
- Thread starter theother1
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
Welcome. Drink beers while brewing, come here if you end up in trouble, relax and don't over think it. Brewing should be something enjoyable and not stressful. It helps if you take your time before brewing and make sure you have everything you need sanitized and ready to go. Your airlock is not a gauge for fermentation. Starring at your yeast will not make it ferment faster, trust me I know from experience. Cheers and good luck with your first batch.
Hernando said:
Really? I could've sworn my yeast understood my coaching about telling them to ferment faster...
Pretty much all has been said here. Get a radio, listen to the game or music, tv, expect to take longer than people tell you. I honestly expected my first all grain batch from prep to clean up to take like 8 hours. It took me like 3 or 4 max. With me procrastinating. Good luck!
BadBeagleBrew
Well-Known Member
Don't rush it try to at least follow the 1, 2, 3 rule. I bottled my first beer way to early, lucky no bottle bombs but I think most soda is carbonated less lol.
IkeKrizzule
Well-Known Member
Sanitize, have your steps planned ahead of time, have fun, ferment at the proper temps, and then be patient.
Sanitize - seriously - get that all lined up before you open your first beer.
Lay everything out in advance.
Print or write out a step by step plan for what you are going to do.
Both those beers are great starting points - normal gravity, no crazy complications. Just do the boil, cool, pitch your yeast, and leave it alone for 2 weeks before you even think about touching it. The only thing you should do in those 2 weeks is keep the temp regulated. A great way to do that is a "swamp cooler". Super easy, cheap and very effective.
If you have good sanitation and can control the temps, you'll be 90% of the way to brewing really good beer right off the bat.
Lay everything out in advance.
Print or write out a step by step plan for what you are going to do.
Both those beers are great starting points - normal gravity, no crazy complications. Just do the boil, cool, pitch your yeast, and leave it alone for 2 weeks before you even think about touching it. The only thing you should do in those 2 weeks is keep the temp regulated. A great way to do that is a "swamp cooler". Super easy, cheap and very effective.
If you have good sanitation and can control the temps, you'll be 90% of the way to brewing really good beer right off the bat.
Great Advice here... No matter what do not rush. Enjoy every minute of the process. And be patient
You must provide the temperature environment for the yeast strand you are using and then walk away. Dont count the days, but count the weeks (1-2-3). If that's too hard, brew every weekend and/or buy beers you've never tried before. If you bottle condition, there goes another 3 weeks. More brewing and more craft beer. Enjoy! The weeks go fast once you establish a pace. And then you have too much beer, which is a terrible problem. 
squeekybobo
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2011
- Messages
- 240
- Reaction score
- 18
From experience... Don't get drunk until after you've pitched the yeast. I usually don't even crack open a beer until I've added my first hop addition. Then I set timers on my phone for the other additions. While the boil is going on, I'm usually cleaning up the mash tun, sanitizing my fermenter and other things like airlock and hose.
It's not entirely standing around drinking and watching the kettle for me. I learned after trying to do 2 consecutive batches in a day, and not remembering too much as far as cooling and pitching, although I know they both happened ;-)
It's not entirely standing around drinking and watching the kettle for me. I learned after trying to do 2 consecutive batches in a day, and not remembering too much as far as cooling and pitching, although I know they both happened ;-)
ectoplasmicfunk
Well-Known Member
Welcome to the right place buddy. You will learn so much here from some good people.
As mentioned before, just enjoy yourself, take it slow, and remember sanitization and organization.
As mentioned before, just enjoy yourself, take it slow, and remember sanitization and organization.
Running_Crazy
Active Member
Also a Noob here. Reading and knowing your recipe and plan/sequence for your brew day helps. Have it right in front of you so that you can refer to it all along the way. Laying out everything and making sure all is sanitized and that you have everything. Most of all enjoy and know that it will all be worth it when you are popping that first one open! Good Luck and Enjoy!
Sanitization is key, because no matter how good your process is, if your sanitization is off your beer will suffer. Fermentation temp control is #2...keep it consistent and in the optimum range for the yeast you are working with.
