My first batch.. with a unusual story...

[eseavey]

Well,
I bought a brewing kit this weekend and started my first batch last evening, YES!
I thought it was a good idea to choose my bedroom as the fermentation room and keep it air conditioned at 70 deg F.
So I went to bed, and woke up a few hours later with the boiled wort smell filling my room! So I checked to make sure the lit was on tight, which it was. The airlock was bubbling and that was where that smell was coming from. I assumed the fermentation already started (that was quick!). Went back to bed and kept dreaming of the lid of the fermentation bucket trying to pop off by it self and me trying to push it back on. What a frustrating dream....
Well this morning I sniffed the airlock again and now it is actually starting to smell like a beer! Tonight I hope to dream about drinking beers LOL

Eric

 

[WCrane]

Awesome! I too had a dream about brewing right before I got into it. crazy how the mind works. Hope it comes out ok.

1 piece of advice - you may want to get your fermentator colder. If the air temp is about 70F the ferementing beer will most likely be a few degrees warmer, which can lead to off flavours. Happened to me with my firest brew, a bitter, that now tastes like a hefe.

 

[MrWiggles]

Can you tell us what type of beer it was? Because you could probably use the experience to come up with a witty name. Such as my first batch, when putting on the airlock the rubber seal on the lid of the bucket fell into my fresh 5gallons of wort and I had to go in after it. Thus, "Brett's Bareknuckle Brown ale" was born (thanks to the suggestion of another board member). WCrane is right though about the temp, but you should be fine for the most part. If you are really concerned about the temp of the fermenter make a "Swamp cooler". You can use the forum's search function to find out how to make one, really simple.
Prost!

 

[eseavey]

It is the amber beer kit that came with the deluxe beer kit I purchased from Beer & Wine Hobby in Woburn, MA. When I get home I can check for more details..

Maybe I should call it "Dreamber"....

 

[eseavey]

Wcrane,
Thanks, I will check the temp when I get home. The A/C is set to 66...

 

[WCrane]

Wcrane,
Thanks, I will check the temp when I get home. The A/C is set to 66...

If you have floor vents, get a big enough cardboard box and place your fermentor next to the vent, place the box over both (hell build the box from smaller boxes if you have to). This is a cheap and easy way to get it down with our burning up you AC. [I had to build a SOFC because my vents are on the ceiling others wise I could have a bitter instead of a banana bitter suprise].

The air coming out of the vent will be pleanty cold enough. If you want throw a big quilt or comforter over the box to insulate. You'll hear and be suggested that it's ideal to get the beers liquid temp below 70 (65 is a good average). To get that the air temp would need to be anywhere from 5-10 degrees cooler. I learned the hard way, hopefully you won't. Good Luck!

 

[motobrewer]

your a/c is set to 66F!?

no wonder we have an energy crisis!

 

[eseavey]

your a/c is set to 66F!?

no wonder we have an energy crisis!

LOL And....you may wonder how my energy bill (gas + electricity) was only $89 last month.... I only turn on and cool the rooms I am using and have little A/Cs in a number of commonly used rooms.

Now for some reason, the thermostat on these things are not accurate at all and need to set it to 66 deg to cool the room to about 69 deg.