My first brew... I might of messed up... :(

[gt_andy]

I just got done pitching my yeast into my fermenter and closing her up. Im brewing Amber Malt from Home Brewing Kit The whole process seem fairly easy. I cant wait to bottle already. It says this should take about a week to ferment.

Although, while making the wort I accidentally put the priming sugar in. Will this hurt my whole batch? Can I just continue on and get more priming sugar for bottling? I figured it wouldn't hurt because my hydrometer readings were all accurate. If anything it will produce more alcohol?

 

[MalFet]

No worries. It'll bump your gravity up by a point or two, but nothing worse than that. You can pick up some more sugar between now and bottling.

 

[Thundercougarfalconbird]

You'll be fine, just go buy more priming sugar
Your beer will be a little higher alcohol but it will be by a very small amount

 

[lumpher]

Can I just continue on and get more priming sugar for bottling?

This. Don't worry about it at all. It'll raise the abv by a miniscule amount, not even measurable. Prime with another 5 oz or so, and life will be good.

 

[lowtones84]

You don't even have to go out and get corn sugar if you don't want to. Table sugar works just fine in my experience, and a few other folks on here.

 

[gt_andy]

Phewww... I was worried.
At first I was a little over-whemled because I seemed to not have everything I needed close by. I found myself scattered looking for things. Now that I have done it I know what to expect. I have ideas flying around for a little brew area. Looks like my next visit to the brew shop will be a buzy/expensive one. lol

So i can expect this thing to start bubbling with in the next few days? I'll keep you all updated..

Thanks

 

[gt_andy]

You don't even have to go out and get corn sugar if you don't want to. Table sugar works just fine in my experience, and a few other folks on here.

Really?

how do you guys add the sugar to the bottles? just pour it in before you fill the bottle. the instuction in this one say disolve it in a cup of warm water..

kinda vage..

 

[Kate00]

Really?

how do you guys add the sugar to the bottles? just pour it in before you fill the bottle. the instuction in this one say disolve it in a cup of warm water..

kinda vage..

There's some threads on bottling, and probably a youtube clip or two. Cliffnotes: Dissolve about 5 oz dextrose in 16 oz water and boil for a few minutes to sanitize it. Pour the mix into your bottling bucket and rack your beer on to it. Itll chill and mix on its own. fill your bottles and cap, then wait a couple weeks. Sanitize everything that touches the beer, including caps and bottles.

As far as the sugar goes, as everyone else has said, youre fine. If you aren't aware, there are styles of beer where you add sugar in the boil intentionally (belgian tripel, etc). It raises the alcohol content without increasing body, creating a dryer beer, and gives more yeast character prevalent in belgians. There's plenty of good stuff about it on these forums if you spend a little time reading

 

[BrewerBear]

This should give you alot of help

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/bottling-tips-homebrewer-94812/index15.html

 

[dfc]

I just got done pitching my yeast into my fermenter and closing her up. Im brewing Amber Malt from Home Brewing Kit The whole process seem fairly easy. I cant wait to bottle already. It says this should take about a week to ferment.

Although, while making the wort I accidentally put the priming sugar in. Will this hurt my whole batch? Can I just continue on and get more priming sugar for bottling? I figured it wouldn't hurt because my hydrometer readings were all accurate. If anything it will produce more alcohol?

You'll be fine. Just get extra priming sugar and the only difference is the fact that your beer will have a little extra alcohol in it.

 

[gsueagle7703]

I can tell you from my first batch earlier this month that I felt like I was rushed on brew day but with my bottle day coming up this weekend I realize (after the fact of course) there is no reason to rush on any aspect of the process. You should be fine.

 

[gt_andy]

Thanks for all the help everyone. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside..

Update... I checked on it this morning before work (7:30a EST) and the air lock was already going crazy! Less then 12 hours since i piched the yeast! I didnt think it would start for a few days.. I hope the fact its starting so early isnt a bad thing. Got me thinking maybee my room temp (~75) is too high or too low?!?!?!? Prolly safe.. I think im just obsessing about it more then I need too.

Anyways I still need to get glass bottles, a bottle cleaner, more sugar for bottling, and come up with a easy plan to make the next process easier.
I was thinking about hitting up a bar and see if they can collect some bottles for me.

 

[RmikeVT]

Relax. Yeast are wild animals (Fungi Really), sometimes they hit the ground running and stampede through the beer -- other times they take a while to wake up and spend a week or two grazing.

75* ambient is probably a little warm, but never fear your brew is not ruined. on my second and third brew I misunderstood what someone was trying to tell me and ended up putting a space heater set to 75*in a closet with my IPA and it turned out to be a great brew.

A cheep easy way to keep at lower temps is to plop your bucket/carboy into a cooler (I use an igloo cube) and fill with water to 1/2 to 3/4 up the side of the bucket/carboy and put in a cool place and drop some ice packs or frozen water bottles in. If you don't have a cooler big enough you can buy one of those big buckets with rope handles from Home Depot or Lowes for $12.

 

[BrewinHooligan]

Ambient temps of 75F can easily mean fermenting temps in excess of 80f which CAN cause some bad off flavor and fusel alchohols (hot flavor, headache giving). Try to keep the temp of the fermenter under 70f, around 65f is better. A tub of water and frozen bottles of water are great for this.

 

[homebrewdad]

Also, good on you for following your kit recipe - now ignore everything else printed on it. Don't be in a rush to bottle the beer in seven days.

If your gravity is stable, you CAN bottle that quickly, but you may be happier with the beer if you let it sit another week or two. Most of the vets here practice the three week primary fermenter rule.

 

[sidepart]

Also, good on you for following your kit recipe - now ignore everything else printed on it. Don't be in a rush to bottle the beer in seven days.

If your gravity is stable, you CAN bottle that quickly, but you may be happier with the beer if you let it sit another week or two. Most of the vets here practice the three week primary fermenter rule.

Did my homework before I started brewing, and I go with this guy's advice. Let it sit and mellow for 2-3 weeks instead of just 7 days. Feel free to learn the process as you go though and figure out what works for you. It's your beer.

You seemed to be curious about the priming sugar part of it. Some people do put a tsp in the bottles as they go. I think that's time consuming and imprecise. Easier to just mix 1-2 cups of water with some sugar, boil it, then throw it in the bottling bucket before you rack your beer to it. Or just pour it into your primary bucket and give it a gentle stir if you're racking straight to bottles from the fermenter.

How much sugar? Each style has it's own suggested carbonation requiring a different measurement of sugar to achieve...but 5oz of corn sugar does the trick. Or you can use table sugar...something like 4.5oz.

 

[JohnnySardonic]

At first I was a little over-whemled because I seemed to not have everything I needed close by. I found myself scattered looking for things. Now that I have done it I know what to expect.

HBT is a great source of information on all things home brewing, but experience is still a key component. Every time you brew you will learn something new, many times due to these small "mistakes" that happen every once and a while. Just make sure to take notes throughout your brew day, so next time you can refer to them and improve your process.

Before you know it you'll be brewing while watching a game on TV, corralling children for homework, cooking dinner for SWMBO, and posting on HBT from your phone. Oh, and drinking home brews of course!

 

[homebrewdad]

As for sugar volume - if you are trying to brew to match a given style, use one of the online calculators out there (this one is my personal fave). You may find that 5 oz of corn sugar gives you more carbonation than you really want.

But it's your beer.

 

[Scuba_Stan]

+1 to letting the brew stay in the primary for 3 weeks. I leave all my brews in the primary for atleast 3 weeks. and dont open the 1st bottle until after 3weeks bottle conditioning. I also force carb some of my beer just because I don't like to wait.

 

[gt_andy]

The instructions dont say a temp to ferment in. So i didnt know.. I have read that some brew are best to have ferment in a temp range. I assumed this brew didnt matter cause it was not listed in the instucions. I do have a strip on the side that shows the temp. It appears its at about 74F. I have it in my basement in a small room. So your saying 74 is too high? When it ferments does it cause the temp to rise in the bucket higher then the room temp? I can see about putting it in a cooler with ice.

What are the temp ranges i should be fermenting? store bottles to age?

 

[gsueagle7703]

I've been told 60 to 70 for ales. But I believe it depends on the yeast you are using. Also yes while the yeast is at works that will cause the temp in the bucket/Carboy to rise (in my limited experience).

 

[gt_andy]

+1 to letting the brew stay in the primary for 3 weeks. I leave all my brews in the primary for atleast 3 weeks. and dont open the 1st bottle until after 3weeks bottle conditioning. I also force carb some of my beer just because I don't like to wait.

So minium of 6 weeks till you drink it? 3 weeks for ferment.. then 3 weeks age in bottles...?

 

[gt_andy]

Relax. Yeast are wild animals (Fungi Really), sometimes they hit the ground running and stampede through the beer -- other times they take a while to wake up and spend a week or two grazing.

75* ambient is probably a little warm, but never fear your brew is not ruined. on my second and third brew I misunderstood what someone was trying to tell me and ended up putting a space heater set to 75*in a closet with my IPA and it turned out to be a great brew.

A cheep easy way to keep at lower temps is to plop your bucket/carboy into a cooler (I use an igloo cube) and fill with water to 1/2 to 3/4 up the side of the bucket/carboy and put in a cool place and drop some ice packs or frozen water bottles in. If you don't have a cooler big enough you can buy one of those big buckets with rope handles from Home Depot or Lowes for $12.

Wouldnt adding Ice make it too cold? how do you regulate temp with ice for 3 weeks.. What the lowest temp I should have it at?

 

[gt_andy]

went home for lunch.. Temp reading on the side of the bucket is 72.. looks like its getting lower.

 

[gt_andy]

***Update

Well I have had my fermenter in my downstairs utility room. Its a small room and noone ever goes in there because it is somewhat unfinished. I had opened the vents to get the temps lower from the AC. It appears that the fermenter staying around 64-68. So that seems much better then 75. Considering that its been 100+ outside for the past week around here. :cross:

Currently I'm at day 8 of fermentation. I never have touched it since I piched the yeast. Never took of the lid or the air lock. I dont see much activity from the air lock anymore. I caught myself staring at it for like 20 minutes yesterday. I didnt see any bubbles. I think im going to let it go for another 7 days.


Anyways, I kinda want to start another batch to get fermenting. I only have a plastic bucket and a glass carboy. Would it be a issue to siphon whats in my fermantation bucket to the carboy and continue the fermentaion in the carboy? That way I can use the plastic bucket to make a new batch?

 

[homebrewdad]

***Update

Well I have had my fermenter in my downstairs utility room. Its a small room and noone ever goes in there because it is somewhat unfinished. I had opened the vents to get the temps lower from the AC. It appears that the fermenter staying around 64-68. So that seems much better then 75. Considering that its been 100+ outside for the past week around here. :cross:

Currently I'm at day 8 of fermentation. I never have touched it since I piched the yeast. Never took of the lid or the air lock. I dont see much activity from the air lock anymore. I caught myself staring at it for like 20 minutes yesterday. I didnt see any bubbles. I think im going to let it go for another 7 days.


Anyways, I kinda want to start another batch to get fermenting. I only have a plastic bucket and a glass carboy. Would it be a issue to siphon whats in my fermantation bucket to the carboy and continue the fermentaion in the carboy? That way I can use the plastic bucket to make a new batch?

Active fermentation is now probably done (use the hydrometer to be sure).

At this point, you can rack to secondary, if you want - whih is exactly what you are asking about your carboy. Just be sure to avoid splashing the beer.

If it were me, I'd wait another week just to leave it on the cake, but ou can rack now and be fine (if gravity is stable).

 

[kh54s10]

***Update

Well I have had my fermenter in my downstairs utility room. Its a small room and noone ever goes in there because it is somewhat unfinished. I had opened the vents to get the temps lower from the AC. It appears that the fermenter staying around 64-68. So that seems much better then 75. Considering that its been 100+ outside for the past week around here. :cross:

Currently I'm at day 8 of fermentation. I never have touched it since I piched the yeast. Never took of the lid or the air lock. I dont see much activity from the air lock anymore. I caught myself staring at it for like 20 minutes yesterday. I didnt see any bubbles. I think im going to let it go for another 7 days.


Anyways, I kinda want to start another batch to get fermenting. I only have a plastic bucket and a glass carboy. Would it be a issue to siphon whats in my fermantation bucket to the carboy and continue the fermentaion in the carboy? That way I can use the plastic bucket to make a new batch?

It sounds like your utility room is like a fermentation chamber. It sounds ideal as to ambient temperatures.

Your beer is probably done fermenting, hence no bubbling in the airlock.

You can transfer the beer to your carboy to free up the primary fermenter. This is what secondary fermentation is. Just that the reason is not for letting the beer clear up, but that you need the primary for a new batch.

I transferred a couple of batches in order to use the fermenter, but then I just bought some more fermenters: Another 6 gallon Better Bottle and an Ale Pail. So now I have 3 full sized fermenters, a 5 gallon Better Bottle, 6 five gallon buckets that I could use, and 2 three gallon water bottles. I have no shortage of fermenters.

Next up is a temperature controlled fermentation chamber.

 

[gt_andy]

Well got it all bottled.. (used only a few corona bottles because they are clear and i could see the beer)

I did not rack into a secondary. So, when I added the priming sugar I kinda stirred it to much and got a lot of sediment from the bottom of the bucket mixed up. I decided to bottle it anyways.

This is what it looked like 12 hours after it was bottled.

5 days after it was bottled

Its looking kinda clear and clean. I have cracked one open around day 10 to have a sample. Im very impressed with the the end result. Considering all the issues i ran into during the whole process.

Im def going to do thing much different next time. Im going to pick up a different bucket for just bottling and a few more glass carboys. I think next batch im going to ferment in primary for 2 weeks, then rack to carboy for 2 weeks, then bottle.. I think it will cut down allot on the sediment.

I think i want to do this next...
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/liberty-cream-ale.html
Any opinions on the cream ale?? What store bought beer will this taste like?

 

[DoctorMemory]

I did not rack into a secondary. So, when I added the priming sugar I kinda stirred it to much and got a lot of sediment from the bottom of the bucket mixed up. I decided to bottle it anyways.

Sounds like you added the priming sugar to the primary. Better way is to add the priming sugar to the bottling bucket, then rack the beer on top of it. Oh well, that's what I always do and last time I had a huge amount of trub and haze. I put it down to bottling after only three weeks, and possibly fermenting at too high a temperature (ambient temp around my FV was about 70 the whole time). Cold-crashing the bottles clears everything up, and the brew is fine!

 

[gt_andy]

My primary and bottle bucket are the same bucket. I made a post on here before I started my first brew asking about primary, secondary, and bottleing. Everyone led me to believe i can ferment and bottle from the same bucket without racking..

Next time i will rack to a secondary..

 

[Keithww]

If you ferment in your bottling bucket, you can use a tube attached to the spigot to fill the secondary this will make it easy to leave the cake and trub behind. Just make sure the tube touches the bottom of the secondary and of course everything is sanitized. I would leave it in the secondary for at least a week then rack back to the primary/bottling bucket to fill the bottles. Also one thing that scares me a little is that I've read more than a few infection stories that originated with the spigot on the bottling bucket. Make sure it is completely clean when you fill that bucket.

 

[grem135]

You dont need to rack to secondary but I highly recommend getting a bottling bucket. Siphon beer to the bottling bucket on top of your cooled priming solution with your hose curved in the bottom so swirls around the bucket for a good mix.
I run starsan through my bottling bucket, spicket, hose and bottling cane before I rack to the bottling bucket

 

[gt_andy]

Yea, I fermented, then added priming sugar mix, then bottled.. Never racked it once.... Prolly why I have so much sediment. I will do it differently next time for sure..


But anyone try the cream ale? Im really curious as to what store bought beer its close too.

 

[PistolaPete]

I agree w/ everyone's response about the sugar. On a seperate note, I would just say even though the kit might say it should be done in a week, you will always get better results by letting the beer sit and condition for longer, at least 2 weeks. Doing this will allow the yeast to clean up any "off flavors" as well as settle out. I was impatient when I first started brewing but I follow what most of the more expienced guys on here do, which is to let it sit for at least 2.5-3 weeks and then bottle. After bottling, the beer will be carbonated in 1 week, but again, the beer will be much better by week 2 and really good by week 3 in the bottle. Happy Brewing!!!

 

[DoctorMemory]

Everyone led me to believe i can ferment and bottle from the same bucket without racking..

Next time i will rack to a secondary..

Well, there's a difference between racking to a secondary and racking to your bottling bucket. "Racking to secondary" customarily means that you transfer your beer to a different FV and leave it there for some time. Transferring to your bottling bucket just means getting the batch off the yeast cake and mixing it with your priming sugar. If you can manage it, I'd recommend picking up a different bucket to use for your FV and just use your bottling bucket for bottling. Alternately, you could just dose your bottles with the priming sugar (I've even seen people simply drop a sugar cube in each one) and rack on top of that. That would permit you to stick with one bucket and eliminate the stirring that kicked up so much trub.