Lessons Leaned - First Brew

[Megiddo]

1. Get something to measure water better (gallon wise)
2. Get a different strainer (Mine was flat, I need a round one)
3. Get a better thermometer that measures down to 70 degrees (mine goes to 100 degrees ).
4. Get a 6.5 carboy strap (or carrier). That wet glass jug was scary to carry (it rhymes).
6. Get a turkey baster to test with the Hydrometer and a tall/skinny container to put the beer in to test.

When I started to pour my water in the carboy it really blurpped up. Hours earlier I saw one of my plastic clips I used to hang outside Christmas lights. I thought it could be used to hold my racking cane next week. So I had this soaking in my cleanser along with some other things. It fit nicely over the mouth of the glass carboy and prevented the funnel from sealing.

I also used a large plastic container to hold the carboy to prevent any spillage from hitting the floor.

Oh and next time I will have my wife go shopping. Cooking that wort was a stinky business. Like cooking 2 gallons of green beans... yuck.

But now I have a 6.5-gallon glass carboy bubbling away nicely.

1 Week until the secondary... wahooo!

 

[david_42]

Wort STINKY?! What did you make?

 

[Genghis77]

Wort doesn't stink. It has a wonderful aroma. I even have a hops pillow.

 

[El Pistolero]

Yes, you're certainly the first non-SWMBO who's used the word stinky in conjunction with the heavenly aroma of boiling wort.

 

[mezman]

My wife was not too fond of the smell of boiling wort, but I think its the marvelous aroma of things to come

 

[Truble]

I am hoping that by stinky you just mean strong or overpowering, because the aroma can be that at times, but oh so good at the same time.

 

[Speedie]

"stinky business"?????

I ended up cooking two batches today. Figured I this way I would only have to hear about the aroma once. Kinda that 'two birds with one stone' bit. <G>

 

[Pumbaa]

When I started to pour my water in the carboy it really blurpped up. Hours earlier I saw one of my plastic clips I used to hang outside Christmas lights. I thought it could be used to hold my racking cane next week. So I had this soaking in my cleanser along with some other things. It fit nicely over the mouth of the glass carboy and prevented the funnel from sealing.

clips work nice, so does a piece of tin foil folded dozen or so times, thing is ya just might drop it in your fermentor. I try to pour it into the funnel so I get a clockwise vortex. That way the wort goes in on the outsides and in the middle of the vortex the air comes out . . . no burbs at all

Kinda like if you are trying to empty a bottle and dont want a bunch of foam from your cleaner. Just use your wrist and put a spin in your pour and it comes out clean and fast

1. Get something to measure water better (gallon wise)

A gallon milk jug or juice bottle works good. EZ to clean and ez to replace if you crunch it up

 

[Megiddo]

Wort STINKY?! What did you make?

American Cream Ale. It was a kit from Brewers Best using Hallertau Hops, both bittering and finishing.

 

[Megiddo]

non-SWMBO... I'm afraid to ask, but what does that mean?

 

[Megiddo]

It was overpowering. I suppose if I liked green beans, it might have smelled good. It was kinda funny, because for a few minutes I thought I would defend the smell, but I couldn't.

Now remember I've never smelled wort, so I was expecting a sweet smell.

 

[Megiddo]

"stinky business"?????

I ended up cooking two batches today. Figured I this way I would only have to hear about the aroma once. Kinda that 'two birds with one stone' bit. <G>

My wife laughed at that one.

 

[Megiddo]

A gallon milk jug or juice bottle works good. EZ to clean and ez to replace if you crunch it up

I was thinking that might be hard to clean... but that looks to be my best bet. easy to pour.

 

[Megiddo]

Wort doesn't stink. It has a wonderful aroma. I even have a hops pillow.

Sleep alone do ya?

 

[Blender]

Megiddo, sounds like you had some fun. I used the auto siphon to move the wort to the primary and did not use a filter funnel. I works like a charm.
SWMBO = She Who Must Be Obeyed. Than one had me puzzled as well.

 

[Megiddo]

SWMBO = She Who Must Be Obeyed. Than one had me puzzled as well.

Nice... But I wear the pants in this family... oh, darn she's coming I have to run.

 

[McCall St. Brewer]

Is it pretty much universal that guys who brew love the smells their worts emit while SWMBO detests it?

My wife claims to become ill almost to the point of throwing up every time I brew. I on the other hand marvel every time I brew at how much it smells like a "real" brewery.

 

[Speedie]

After one of my first batches I was talking with a friend who's been home brewing for a while. I told him how cool it was that my kitchen smelled like the breweries we had toured.

He responded .... you know you enjoy home brewing when you visit a brewery and think to yourself that the brewery smells like your kitchen!!!!

 

[Beer Snob]

1. Get something to measure water better (gallon wise)

Oh and next time I will have my wife go shopping. Cooking that wort was a stinky business. Like cooking 2 gallons of green beans... yuck.

This is what I did with my 6.5 Gal carboy. Measured out 2 gallons and mark it... I used a P-Touch. Then I measured out 3 more gallons and labeled it again at a 5 gallon mark.

"Stinky business".... you know I have never seen a reference to beer brewing as "Stinky business".... first for everything you know I realy like the smell (my wife could differ here though, but she seems to cope well if she does).

 

[Megiddo]

This is what I did with my 6.5 Gal carboy. Measured out 2 gallons and mark it... I used a P-Touch. Then I measured out 3 more gallons and labeled it again at a 5 gallon mark.

Why I didn't think of measuring my 6.5 gallon carboy ahead of time is beyond me. Doh!

What is a P-Touch? I'm thinkin' a Sharpie pen would come off when cleaned. Maybe some black enamel paint.