My first homebrew attempt

[WLF]

Had my first brew on Sunday using a Brewer's Best IPA kit and learned some lessons:

• 32 quart pot was too small as I figured, already got a 40 qt
  
• Need an auto siphon. I siphoned the wort into the fermenter the only way I know how (sucking) and may have gotten a tiny bit of mouth wort into the fermenter so now I'm worried about the bacteria from my mouth.....
  
• Need a wort chiller. I feel like it took way too long (20 minutes) to cool the wort in the 32 quart pot in my sink with ice water.
  
• I don't want to do another brew in my kitchen. The wife was not too pleased with me, until I cleaned up my mess.

I have some questions too that I wouldn't mind some input on:

I moved the fermenter into my basement and it was at 66 degrees. After one day I didn't see any bubbling out of the airlock so I thought maybe it was too cold so I moved it into another room at 72 degrees and it started bubbling the next day. Was I just being impatient? Should I move it back to the cooler temperature basement?

I want to get a secondary fermenter for future brews. Do you recommend I use it for this my first brew or just do the whole ferment in the primary?

For burners/stove what do you recommend? I work for a food equipment company so I can get one of these at a discount

Any other equipment items you think are a must? I had fun so I'm going to continue to explore this hobby.

Any other comments/suggestions?

 

[TopherM]

I moved the fermenter into my basement and it was at 66 degrees. After one day I didn't see any bubbling out of the airlock so I thought maybe it was too cold so I moved it into another room at 72 degrees and it started bubbling the next day. Was I just being impatient? Should I move it back to the cooler temperature basement?

What yeast did you use? All yeast have an optimum temp range. I would bet this is some sort of standard ale yeast, and the optimum fermentation temp would have been closer to 60F. It's not uncommon for visible signs of fermentation to take much longer than 24 hours to appear. Practice some patience, and know what the optimum range of each each you use is. If it's not on the back of the package, you can easily google it.

I want to get a secondary fermenter for future brews. Do you recommend I use it for this my first brew or just do the whole ferment in the primary?

Secondary is only really important if you are lagering or adding some sort of post-fermentation addition, like fruit. Otherwise, most fermentations can be completed in primary.

For burners/stove what do you recommend? I work for a food equipment company so I can get one of these at a discount

I'm sure there is nothing wrong with that commercial unit, but it's wayyyy overkill. How much can you get it for? Burners suitable for brewing start at about $40-50. I would suspect that the unit pictures is WAYYYY more than that, even with your discount. If you need some burner recommendations, just ask!

You are on the right track! Make sure you are VERY patient with this first (and every) brew. With a few exceptions, most styles of beer only get better with a bit of age, so you don't want to rush it!

Good luck!

 

[flars]

Quick search online. Saw it for $566 marked down from over $1,000 (one of those special deals!). Very pricey, but is probably designed for indoor use, like a restaurant kitchen.

 

[TopherM]

Quick search online. Saw it for $566 marked down from over $1,000 (one of those special deals!). Very pricey, but is probably designed for indoor use, like a restaurant kitchen.

No burner is "designed for indoor use" on it's own. You would still need a hood or other ventilation for it to be safe. You can use a Blichmann burner indoors as long as you have a good hood for ventilation! :rockin:

 

[WLF]

What yeast did you use? All yeast have an optimum temp range. I would bet this is some sort of standard ale yeast, and the optimum fermentation temp would have been closer to 60F. It's not uncommon for visible signs of fermentation to take much longer than 24 hours to appear. Practice some patience, and know what the optimum range of each each you use is. If it's not on the back of the package, you can easily google it.

I used Danstar BRY-97 American Ale Yeast. The only temperature range it said was "above 17C"

I will probably move back to the basement tonight.

I'm sure there is nothing wrong with that commercial unit, but it's wayyyy overkill. How much can you get it for? Burners suitable for brewing start at about $40-50. I would suspect that the unit pictures is WAYYYY more than that, even with your discount. If you need some burner recommendations, just ask!

You are on the right track! Make sure you are VERY patient with this first (and every) brew. With a few exceptions, most styles of beer only get better with a bit of age, so you don't want to rush it!

Good luck!

Good to know that that burner is overkill because it would cost me about $445. I usually have the mentality of go big or go home, but maybe I'm thinking too big..... Do you have a burner that you recommend? And should I go gas or electric. I figure that its easier to control temperature with a gas burner, yes?

Thanks for the input!

 

[grahamfw]

Good to know that that burner is overkill because it would cost me about $445. I usually have the mentality of go big or go home, but maybe I'm thinking too big..... Do you have a burner that you recommend? And should I go gas or electric. I figure that its easier to control temperature with a gas burner, yes?

Thanks for the input!

If you have that much burning a hole in your pocket, I'd just get a really nice burner that will last a while and a good chiller. I'm partial to chill plates, but if you don't have a pump, they are next to impossible to clean. Also, get a pump.

 

[TopherM]

I used Danstar BRY-97 American Ale Yeast. The only temperature range it said was "above 17C"

The reason it just says "Above 17C" (about 63F) is that is not an "American Ale Yeast," it's American WEST COAST Ale Yeast! That sounds more like the kind of yeast is generally used to make California Common beers. It's basically a lager-type yeast that you ferment at ale temps in order to create the particular off-flavor that defines the California Common style. The yeast starts giving off those esters/phenols at 17C/63F.

Did the Brewer's Best IPA kit came with that yeast, or did you add it? It's an odd choice for an IPA. No big deal, it's definitely meant for ales, but just is more specialized than something like S-05 yeast.


As far as burners, check out the Blichmann Burner or the Edelmetall Brü Burner. Those are the best of the best brewing burners, both under $150. I started with a Bayou Classic SP10 that worked just fine and cost me $45. Ugly and inefficient compared to the others, but certainly does the job!

 

[WLF]

Yes that's the yeast that came in the kit.
You're right it did say west coast. So what is the optimum temperature then?
Thanks for the suggestions on the burners.

 

[Queequeg]

Good to know that that burner is overkill because it would cost me about $445. I usually have the mentality of go big or go home, but maybe I'm thinking too big..... Do you have a burner that you recommend? And should I go gas or electric. I figure that its easier to control temperature with a gas burner, yes?

Thanks for the input!

There is an article in the current edition of BYO on induction units. Very efficient, none of the risk associated with gas. Something worth considering especially if you could order it as trade price.

 

[Darwin18]

Instead of dropping $500 on a burner, I would start with:

1) A 10-gallon kettle that has a temperature gauge and a ball valve on it.
2) An immersion chiller.
3) A auto siphon
4) A $60 - $75 propane burner so you can go outside and keep the peace.

 

[Crosshatch]

I agree with Darwin18. For the amount you would spend on that burner, you could get a sweet amount of equipment that you will use frequently. I brew in the doorway of my garage with a propane burner that cost me $45. In the garage I keep the mess out of the way, have a hose handy for bucket cleaning, and have plenty of ventilation for the propane.

 

[Puddlethumper]

Yes that's the yeast that came in the kit.
You're right it did say west coast. So what is the optimum temperature then?
Thanks for the suggestions on the burners.

I use BRY-97 quite a lot and have found that 66-68F yields a consistently good fermentation and a very good beer. It is a very reliable yeast but it doesn't give a big show of it. You're not going to see much airlock activity. Just keep it at it's best temperature range for a couple of weeks and you will have a very well attenuated beer and the yeast will drop clear when it is done. It is an excellent fit for any APA, IPA or cream ale (where I use it the most).

I agree with the others that you can get a very serviceable burner, a nice boil kettle and mash tun for the cost of the burner you were looking at. I'm using a Bayou Classic SQ14 that I got from Amazon delivered for less than $50. The Blichmann is a big upgrade and if you have the cash it is probably a good deal.

Cheers!

 

[RM-MN]

Had my first brew on Sunday using a Brewer's Best IPA kit and learned some lessons:

• 32 quart pot was too small as I figured, already got a 40 qt
  
• Need an auto siphon. I siphoned the wort into the fermenter the only way I know how (sucking) and may have gotten a tiny bit of mouth wort into the fermenter so now I'm worried about the bacteria from my mouth.....
  
• Need a wort chiller. I feel like it took way too long (20 minutes) to cool the wort in the 32 quart pot in my sink with ice water.
  
• I don't want to do another brew in my kitchen. The wife was not too pleased with me, until I cleaned up my mess.

I have some questions too that I wouldn't mind some input on:

I moved the fermenter into my basement and it was at 66 degrees. After one day I didn't see any bubbling out of the airlock so I thought maybe it was too cold so I moved it into another room at 72 degrees and it started bubbling the next day. Was I just being impatient? Should I move it back to the cooler temperature basement?

I want to get a secondary fermenter for future brews. Do you recommend I use it for this my first brew or just do the whole ferment in the primary?

For burners/stove what do you recommend? I work for a food equipment company so I can get one of these at a discount

Any other equipment items you think are a must? I had fun so I'm going to continue to explore this hobby.

Any other comments/suggestions?

1. Brewers Best Kits are designed for a beginning brewer who doesn't have much equipment. I've brewed them with a 20 qt pot. Your 32 would have worked fine with a full volume boil if you controlled the heat so it didn't boil over. I can manage a 5 gallon full volume all grain batch in a 30 qt pot without boiling over.

2. I'm glad to hear that you are worried about the bacteria from getting "mouth wort" in the fermenter. Now quit, it's too late to worry and it will likely make beer anyway.

3. 20 minutes is too long to cool? I've had beers that took 36 HOURS to cool. They came out fine.

4. I brew in the kitchen all the time but I do it when the wife is gone. The only way she knows I brewed is the kitchen is cleaner than usual when she returns.

5. Patience is a requirement for brewing beer. It often takes 30 hours or more for my beer to show yeast activity because I start it cool, usually about 62 degrees. That cool ferment makes better tasting beer.

6. Why do you want to get a secondary? We've found that most beers do not need a secondary. Most will do just fine in primary and that leaves us with one less vessel to clean and reduces the chance of infection in our beer.

7. If you intend to do your brewing in your basement and don't mind putting a bit of money into the setup, go electric. No worries about carbon monoxide or an explosion from a propane leak. Some people have used an induction heater for brewing but there are alternatives.

8. The best tasting beers come from pitching the correct amount of yeast into wort that is well oxygenated and fermented in a controlled temperature environment. If you want to buy equipment, a fermentation chamber with a controller plus an oxygenation stone and pure oxygen will improve your beers. Add a stir plate to get the best amount of yeast too.

 

[WLF]

Thanks everyone for the input! Brew number two is happening this weekend.