Learned my first beginner lesson today

[RiseAgainstMe]

So I posted yesterday cause I made my first two batches saturday. One was in a carboy and I could see what was going on and the other in a bucket. The one in the carboy was bubbling pretty good since saturday night and I could see the krausen forming on the top. Of course the one that was in the bucket seemed to be doing nothing. Well Revvy and a few others repeated a few things I've already read about patience and such...but still one was doing it why wasn't the other.
So today still nothing so I was sure I had to go to the lhbs tomorrow and get some more yeast. Well shocker I was wrong and Revvy and the others were right. I decided I'd take a hydro reading and it was down to 1.1 so no more worries for me. Still shocked there was pretty much no foam on top but hey apparently I have ninja yeast and they only work when I'm not watching them Anyway thanks for the advice and teaching me my first of many hands on lessons.

 

[lumpher]

just make sure the top is on the bucket squarely (on a round bucket ) , the airlock is in good, and the grommet is seated. 1 of these probably isn't happening. not necessarily, but most likely

 

[ACbrewer]

hydrometer was1.1 or1.010? I mean it read '10' not '100'? right?

 

[RiseAgainstMe]

hydrometer was1.1 or1.010? I mean it read '10' not '100'? right?

And lesson number 2 ...haha ...yea it was 1.010 down from an original of 1.045-049 which brings me to one more question. I hate the hydrometer that came with my brewers best kit, so what is a better one or one everyone prefers?

 

[Xaphoeous]

I am still using the one that came with my Brewer's Best kit. No idea what brand or model that is, but it seems to work fine. About all I know about it is that it's calibrated to 60-degrees F.

Are they really that different?

And hey, Okemos? No ****? I'm in EL over at Castle Pointe! Garden level apartments here are PERFECT for brewing with the 2nd bathroom. Constant temp of 67F with the door closed and furnace vent shut.

EDIT: nobody uses that bathroom...sanitized it from floor to ceiling before using it as a fermentation room.

 

[RiseAgainstMe]

Nice and ha, I'm at knob hill and I have a giant storage room that mine are in. The only problem with the hydro is that I have a hard time reading it. I can clearly read it in increments of .010 but that's why I said my og was 1.045 to well basically 1.050 I couldn't really tell. And do you go to red salamander or somewhere I don't know of for your stuff?

 

[Xaphoeous]

I go to Red Salamander and Michigan Brewing Company. MBC is at exit 122 heading east on I-96, in Webberville. Their store is called Things Beer. Good selection, but I've had some pretty crappy advice from the workers. The guys at Red Salamander seem to know their stuff better. Prices are about the same. MBC does have a nice selection of kits, grains all portioned and bagged, extras, blah blah blah

 

[RiseAgainstMe]

Ok yea I knew MBC had theirs I just don't like them. I've tried the place in downtown Lansing twice and both times it was terrible. They were out of half their beers the first time and out of most of their food and half the beers the second.

 

[Xaphoeous]

Have you been to the Webberville location? That's the good one. The service downtown Lansing is pretty bad, and the cooks are worse. The beer on tap is all the same, but it's just not like the brewery. The service is pretty slow at the brewery too, but if you sit right at the bar it's good.

Give Webberville a try if you haven't been there. Heck, I'll meet you out there and we can drink beers, blow tons of money on "necessary" equipment, and eat all the free peanuts we can handle.

 

[Hang Glider]

And lesson number 2 ...haha ...yea it was 1.010 down from an original of 1.045-049 which brings me to one more question. I hate the hydrometer that came with my brewers best kit, so what is a better one or one everyone prefers?

I don't usually make anything bigger than 1.070, so I sprung for this one --much easier to read!

 

[Snafu]

And lesson number 2 ...haha ...yea it was 1.010 down from an original of 1.045-049 which brings me to one more question. I hate the hydrometer that came with my brewers best kit, so what is a better one or one everyone prefers?

If your like the rest of us out there, don't worry about replacing the hydrometer, more than likely you'll break it sooner or later. I think I'm on my 3rd which is why I use my refractometer more often than not.

 

[RiseAgainstMe]

Have you been to the Webberville location? That's the good one. The service downtown Lansing is pretty bad, and the cooks are worse. The beer on tap is all the same, but it's just not like the brewery. The service is pretty slow at the brewery too, but if you sit right at the bar it's good.

Give Webberville a try if you haven't been there. Heck, I'll meet you out there and we can drink beers, blow tons of money on "necessary" equipment, and eat all the free peanuts we can handle.

Yea I figured the actual brewery was better...and I know it's close I just haven't really had a beer by them that impressed me. Everything is meh or worse. I just go to Old Chicago too much and have good beer and great service there. Either way I still wouldn't mind going there sometime.

 

[RiseAgainstMe]

If your like the rest of us out there, don't worry about replacing the hydrometer, more than likely you'll break it sooner or later. I think I'm on my 3rd which is why I use my refractometer more often than not.

Ok...I guess I'll worry about maybe getting a fancier one when I break this one or get a refractometer if I am that worried.

 

[midastouch]

that is a nice one. my personal favorite!

 

[superjunior]

I don't usually make anything bigger than 1.070, so I sprung for this one --much easier to read!

in the pic that appears to be a thermometer built in?

 

[Hang Glider]

in the pic that appears to be a thermometer built in?

hmmm - not in mine...