Little Help For A Virgin

[cbpatter]

So I made my first batch last night without a kit. I made dogfish head 60 min IPA. Everything seems to have gone smoothly. Made the wort, no issues. Chilled it down, added the yeast and got it into the carboy without pretty smoothly. This morning I wake up to find my airlock bubbling and visible signs of fermentation.

It almost seems like things went to smoothly and I have been reading posts about explosions and stuff ending up on the ceiling. Do I need to be concerned about this? Right now it is in the front closet of my apartment and I do not want to find my coats covered in beer.

Also, this recipe calls for me to dry hop, does anyone have any advice of when and how I should do this?

Thanks in advance.

 

[passedpawn]

If it's going to blow, it will blow within 48 hours of the start of active active fermentation. You're playing with fire by putting a carboy near your coats. Best find a large box to put it into.

Dry hop after that krausen drops. If it appears that fermentation is finished and the krausen is still there, just shake a bit and it should fall. Then toss your pellets in there.

 

[jaycount]

Just keep an eye on it for the first few days. When fermenting in a carboy for primary I normally would use a big blow off hose instead of an airlock but it looks like you have enough headspace in that fermenter you'll be ok.

For dry hopping, if you have another fermenter you can rack the beer to that fermenter (secondary) and add the hops to it. If you don't have another fermenter you can add the hops directly to your primary carboy.

 

[cbpatter]

So after my first post I went back and checked and it looks like my airlock is getting stuff in it. I just sanitized my blow off hose to switch it. Is this a bad idea or is it okay to pull my airlock and put a hose on it instead?

 

[akervin]

The magic numbers that I usually here are 7-10 days on dry hopping or some will say to dry hop when the airlock is bubbling about once a minute (this only works if you have a great seal and the co2 isn't leaking out somewhere else) but generally I dry hop when I rack to secondary (7-10 days). I just pour the hops into secondary and siphon on top of the hops.

 

[akervin]

So after my first post I went back and checked and it looks like my airlock is getting stuff in it. I just sanitized my blow off hose to switch it. Is this a bad idea or is it okay to pull my airlock and put a hose on it instead?

I'd put the blowoff on if it's only been 24 hrs. It's going to get worse in the next 24-48 hrs and that home depot box is going to get nasty.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

yeah, get a blowoff on there. no worries about removing the bung and doing that, just be quick and sanitary.

for dry hopping, i usually like to dry hop in secondary, but it can easily be done in primary. i wait until my FG is stable for a few days and when the beer begins to fall clear and then either add your hops, or rack into secondary on top of the hops.

 

[AdamPag]

Yup, switch to blow off for the next 72 hours at least. Clean and sanitize everything obviously

 

[JTylerSingletary]

I would suggest using a blow-off tube rather than airlock. That way you won't have to worry about your clothes.

As far as dry-hopping, I dry hop while racking to the secondary. Just be sure you sanitize everything and minimize the amount of time the lid is open to the elements.

 

[cbpatter]

Okay, sanitized my blow off hose and bucket, waiting on them to dry. Is it okay to use tap water in my blowoff bucket or should it be filtered? Also, how dry does my hose and bucket need to be before making the switch?

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

Okay, sanitized my blow off hose and bucket, waiting on them to dry. Is it okay to use tap water in my blowoff bucket or should it be filtered? Also, how dry does my hose and bucket need to be before making the switch?

use a star san solution. switch back to an airlock after the krausen starts to fall back.

 

[cbpatter]

I switched to the blowoff hose and the top has blown off 3 tomes now. I assume this is pretty normal but am concerned that this is bad for the beer... Make that 4 times, now. Is it okay to put duct tape around the base of the cap?

 

[BrewHobby1]

I know it may be too late now, but..... (hindsight is always easier with someone else's mess) Considering the amount of headspace you have in that fermentor, you may want to use some Fermcap foam control on the next batch straight into the fermentor. You will need to check directions for use. It works very, very well.

I set a fermentor full in my jetted tub, thinking, "This should be easy clean up if anything happens." The bubbler blew off at two in the moring and sprayed the ceiling in a 10ft wide pattern. I spent hours reaching over my head with a toothbrush cleaning up that one. And SWMBO was watching closely!

 

[passedpawn]

I switched to the blowoff hose and the top has blown off 3 tomes now. I assume this is pretty normal but am concerned that this is bad for the beer... Make that 4 times, now. Is it okay to put duct tape around the base of the cap?

It's not bad for the beer. Don't worry, the beer will be OK. If you're married, I'd start worrying about that.

Don't use the airlock with the blowoff tube. Shove the tubing into the stopper. Worst case, just place a plastic cup over the thing and set it in your tub overnight. Blowoffs cease in about 12 hours (or less).

 

[cbpatter]

Thank you again for all of your help on my first brew. It has now been 72 hours and have switched from the blow off tube to the air lock. There are a small amount of bubbles forming in the air lock, which in assume is a good thing.

What should I expect at this point? And when should I plan on moving to my secondary fermenter and add the dry hop? Additionally, should my krausen look as dirty as it does?

 

[AdamPag]

if you're going to dry hop you can rack to 2nd although many people dry hop in primary. Whole hops or Pellets?

 

[cbpatter]

Actually it is a combo, my Amarillo is whole and my Simcoe and Glacier are pellets. Is it not a good idea to mix and match?

 

[BrewHobby1]

What should I expect at this point? And when should I plan on moving to my secondary fermenter and add the dry hop? Additionally, should my krausen look as dirty as it does?

The continued bubbling is a good thing! Expect the time interval between bubbles to increase over the next few weeks.

I have never dry hopped in the secondary. I like to leave it alone and let it sit on the yeast cake longer. Less work and sanitizing concerns for me.

I also like to add a hop tea before kegging. There are differing opinions about what works better, dry hopping or hop tea.

 

[cbpatter]

So it seems like the bubbles have stopped and the Krausen has sunk back into the beer. It has officially been 9 days now. Should I add the dry hop and continue to let it sit? How many days, in you experience, until I should begin to bottle the beer.

Side note: I am planning on keeping the beer in the primary fermenter, as many people have suggested it is easier this way and I run less of a risk of ruining the beer.

Thanks again for the help.

 

[AdamPag]

you probably wont be bottling for atleast another 10 days minimum

 

[cbpatter]

Would you suggest adding the dry hop when I get home from work?

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

dry hop for about a week before bottling.

 

[daksin]

Yea, don't dry hop until you are positive your gravity is not dropping any more. I like to take two gravity readings 3 days apart and if they're the same, I can go to dryhop, secondary, or cold crash.

 

[cbpatter]

Thanks again everyone for all the helpful advice. I bottled the first batch last night and have learned a lot from the experience. My roommate and I also tried it for the first time an it seems to have turned out pretty tasty, even though it is on the sweeter side for a Dogfish head 60 min. Could this have been because I was not necessarily exact with hops in the dry hopping process?

I am excited to give the bottles a week or more to sit and get some carbonation to them. Any advice on what I should be looking for to make sure that the beer is ready to drink?

Also, based upon this experience and the cloudiness of the beer I will actually use my second carboy for my next batch. Could the fact that I never switched it be an issue?