My first homebrew(noob activity documented)

[jiujiujiu]

On the 17th I started my first batch of beer. I went out and grabbed all the gear I'd need from a local supplies store and chose a kit for American Pale Ale.

I was super excited when I got home and drove out to WalMart to get a big 22qt stock pot for steeping grains and boiling hops.

I cleaned my new pot thorougly and began sanitizing all my new equipment as I began heating the water. Once It reached the desired steeping temperature I dropped a bag of grains into the water to steep for the indicated amount of time.

*noob activity*I walked away from the pot and got distracted a little. The directions said not to allow the temp above 175F because of some tannins or some such. When I checked the temp some minutes later it was at 185F. I removed the pot from the burner and poured cold water into the pot immediately until the temperature went down. I paid more attention and got back on track.

After the grains steeped I removed them and started my boil. I then added the malt extract and the hops as instructed. It progressed as expected.

Once the boil was finished I set the pot into the sink and let the sink fill with cold water to cool down the beer.

*noob activity*I didn't really "get" the whole OG/FG hydrometer hoopla at the time, so I just dropped it into the beer and poured water in to see if the reading would change or whatever. The instructions really were not very... instructive about this step. I then said 'whatever' and took the hydrometer out and began pouring the beer into the carboy.

I poured the beer through a strainer and a filtered funnel. This was a grueling experience as there was so much mucky hops in there that i constantly had to stop and clean the filters. After I finally got all the beer into the carboy I thought it wasn't good enough, so I poured it BACK into the pot then poured it BACK through the filters and into the carboy again. (noob?)

*noob activity*Anyway, then I dumped a pouch of yeast into the carboy and plugged it was an airlock... I didn't really know how to use the airlock. The instructions didn't really give a very good tutorial. So, I filled the airlock with water almost completely and even filled the AIR TUBE with water. So, when placed in the carboy it was actually slowly dripping water back into the carboy from the water in the air tube. hee hee... heh.. hrm.

I woke up the next morning and felt a little guilty. Guilty about not knowing about the airlock and about not taking the OG reading seriously. So, I went on youtube and looked up a video about airlocks and set the airlock back up properly.

I then decided I would take a serious OG reading. I got a 100ml graduated cylinder in my beer kit that well didn't have any lines; it was just clear. So, I debated with myself for a while if you could actually call it a graduated cylinder if it didn't have markings then I realized I could easily use it to take the OG reading by just syphoning some of the beer out of the carboy into the cylinder and dropping in my hydrometer. I did this and got a reading of 1.049. It was within the 'beer' area on the hydrometer, so I figured this was fine. I still don't know if that's fine. The instructions really didn't say what it should read.

After pouring the test beer back into the carboy I sealed it up and stuck the thing in a closet. It has been in there for about 5 days now. After the first 24 hours in the closet it really started bubbling and foaming a lot. By now the bubbles come very slowly. Maybe every 20 seconds. I should time it maybe. Anywho, the foam is almost gone now and there is a lot of 'gunk' at the bottom of the carboy and on the sides of the upper part where the foam used to touch but now nothing touches it.

I'm worried about the gunk that is touching nothing but the air in the carboy. I don't know what it is exactly, but it was there sitting on top of and around the sides of the foam when there was foam. I hope it doesn't become moldy.

The actual beer looks fine otherwise. I've been reading these forums to find information about how to do the whole secondary fermentation step, but it seems like a lot of people don't bother and just leave it in the primary until it is time to bottle. So, I've decided to just leave it in the primary.

Thoughts?

 

[jiujiujiu]

Here are some pictures... And a video at about 24hrs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdEAjBKflrg&feature=youtu.be

 

[unionrdr]

That "ring around the collar" is left overs from the krausen. don't scrape it back in,don't mess with it. It gives a bitter funk to the beer. It'll be fine where it is. The krausen usually drops back into the beer after initial fermentation is done. It'll then creep slowly,uneventfully down to FG. I don't secondary either,except when oaking or something. It'll clear just fine in primary. After a stable FG is reached three days apart,give it another 3-7 days to clean up by products of fermentation & setle out clear or slightly misty before priming & bottling. 3 piece airlocks have a little line around the outside. That's your fill line after you drop in the center piece. The cap has little holes in it to let co2 out,but keep bugs from getting in. And take the OG reading after mixing the wort/top off water completely,but before pitching yeast.

 

[Kirkwooder]

Smile and have a beer.

Don't sweat any of it too much now, but next time here area few things to do different.

1. No need to filter all the hops out, they will settle out before too long

2. Never pour back your Hydro test samples. It's bad form! Drink them, there is no leeway where this is concerned.

3. Don't sweat the small stuff, but keep a close eye on your fermentation temps.

 

[unionrdr]

I always sanitize the hydrometer & tube before taking samples. The OG sample always goes back in asap after testing. No porblems their myself. I use a dual layer,fine mesh strainer to strain the gunk out & aerate the wort nicely. Less trub by bottling day means more clear beer for me without brewing a bit more than 5 gallons to make up for it.

 

[HumboldtBrewer]

Congrats, you made beer.
Seems like you did most things right, but you didn't talk much about sanitizing your hydrometer when dropping it into the beer, sanitizing strainer and funnel, or much sanitizing in the first place. I recommend getting a spray bottle and fill it with Starsan and water mix, that way you can simply spray anything that's gonna touch the wort.
Also, you wanna take a hydrometer reading before you pitch the yeast, since yeast can start fermenting within 24 hours, your 1.049 may have been 1.052 the day before, but not a big deal for your first time.
As for letting the grains jump to 185 degrees for a short time, no big deal, sounds like you caught the issue ( I boiled my steeping grains when I started years ago and that beer came out fine).
Keep reading on this site and you will make good beer.

One of the biggest things you can do for your beer quality is watch your fermentation temps, look up swamp coolers on here. Yeast can change your beer dramatically if you get out of a yeasts stated ferm temps.


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[kh54s10]

Every thing looks good so far. It does look a little low on volume. before you start your next beer mark your fermenter by measuring a gallon, pour it into the fermenter, mark it with a Sharpie, nail polish or vinyl marker etc, pour in another gallon, make a mark etc.

Most extract kits are for 5 gallons total, You boil a smaller amount and top up with water.

When taking your OG reading remember that extract with top up water is difficult to mix. If your reading is too low or too high mix the wort some more before making any adjustments.

The worst "noob activity" I saw in your description was returning your gravity sample to the fermenter. Unless you are meticulous in sanitation it is better to not return it, than risk infection.

Your graduated cylinder is probably a hydrometer test tube. It is not supposed to have any markings on it. The markings are on the hydrometer itself.

The gunk on the side is dried krausen and the sediment on the bottom is trub and yeast. This all looks normal and there is nothing to worry about. I would worry if you did NOT see some of this.

I think you are well on your way to a good beer.

My advise: Patience. Instructions in kits are notorious for short timing. More problems are created by moving to the next step too soon than waiting longer.

 

[unionrdr]

Good catch. I thought about the sanitation question after hitting reply. I took a 1 gallon SunnyD jug & used a 2C measure to mark it off in quarts with a sharpie. Great for measuring mash water,or water for Starsan or PBW. Extract boil water too. Simple,quick & effective. & a well saintized hydrometer & tube (not to mention cleaned first) is perfectly safe for returning that OG sample to the dinner bucket. Never had a problem from there. And after every use of that bottling bucket,take the spigot out & soak it in PBW for awhile. I even got aquarium lift tube cleaning brushes from per smart for a couple buckes to help get the spigots clean. Clean the mounting hole on the bucket with some Starsan & a cloth. Rinse the spigot off & dunk it,the seals,& mounting lug (that should've been soaked too) in Starsan & re-assemble wet. Not too tight to where the seal bulges out,or it'll leak.
After pouring the chilled wort through a fine mesh strainer into the fermenter,I use my plastic mash paddle to stir the wort/top off water roughly for 3-5 minutes to mix well & aerate a bit more. The strainer is great for aerating while straining gunk out.

 

[jiujiujiu]

Oh, I soak everything in a pot of starsan solution. Pump it through my syphon etc.

 

[sappnasty]

To the OP,

I am also a newb and I am only on my 4th batch. However, I did do Mr. Beer for a few years before so I knew the baby steps. I bought How to Brew which was a great help and filled in all of the blanks. My last batch was partial grain and was really fun. Although I worried about most things when I did my first brew, I learned from this forum that as long as you take your time, are consistent, practice good sanitization, its pretty damn hard to screw it up. For you hop woes, I simply bought a pot filter that fits on the inside of the kettle and I bought an adapter so that I could use 3/8' tubing to get the beer to flow from the kettle to the very bottom of the carboy. Good luck and would love to hear how this one turns out!

-Sapp

 

[madcore]

Please tell us you are keeping the fermentor I'm the dark.


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[Kampenken]

First, welcome to the club! All good and valuable comments above- esp, to toss your hydo samples & sanitize everything that touches your wort. Two things I'll add:

Get a carboy carrier (~$6-7) for moving that bad boy around later safely and smoothly (don't want to disturb the beer).
Finally make sure you're not getting light into that closet- not sure how often its open, but no light is the best light!

As for bottling time (and I'd stay in the primary too), siphon quietly to the bottling bucket and in to the bottles. And everything MUST be well sanitized!

Cheers!

 

[jiujiujiu]

Yes, I sanitize everything by soaking in a pot of starsan solution. The closet door is always closed. I do have a carboy handle, but just haven't put it on yet.

I was just wondering when I should start checking the FG. The bubbles are going painfully slow now and this is only day 5.

Isn't it supposed to sit in there for 3 weeks? Should I start checking the FG every three days or so? When is it bottling time?

Thanks for the help.

Edit: Just scanned the instruction sheet for OG/FG info and it should have had an OG of 1.051-1.055. So mine was a little off. I'm not sure what that means. Would it increase if I poured more water in at the beginning?

 

[kh54s10]

As to returning the hydrometer sample back, why risk infection for about 1/3 bottle of beer?

Do not use the carboy handle to carry the carboy with anything in it. They are only meant for carrying EMPTY carboy's. Get a plastic crate or a Brew Hauler. (I am not a fan of glass carboys - too dangerous for me...)

I never check for final gravity until 3 days before I plan to package. I usually only take 1 reading and if it is where I expect I keg it. I would take 2 readings when bottling to confirm that fermentation has finished. If it hasn't further fermentation in the bottles could raise your carbonation to levels that can burst the bottles (bottle bombs).

 

[Kampenken]

KH that's interesting, I've never heard that you can't carry a carboy full with the handle, just always assumed that it was made for moving them when heavy, and what I've done- but maybe I've just been lucky?

 

[uatuba]

This is, quite possibly, the most thorough breakdown of a first brew that I've ever read. All of the advice has been fairly well covered, but I just want to chime in and say, "Well done, sir," due to your full explanation of exactly what you did.

I predict you'll be an excellent home brewer in short order.

 

[jiujiujiu]

My beer is very cloudy. What's wrong?

 

[Kirkwooder]

Nothing. Give it some time. It's only been 11 days. It should start to clear soon, but let it set for a week or so after it clears. Time is your friend, most of the time when brewing.

 

[unionrdr]

When the rapid bubbling slows or stops,only initial fermentation is done. It'll then slowly,uneventfully creep down to FG. Then 3-7 days on average to clean up by products of fermentation & settle out clear or slightly misty. Then bottle.

 

[jiujiujiu]

Thanks. I actually found another thread on here where someone brewed the exact same kit as I did and asked the same question about cloudiness.

Just needs more time. I'm getting a bubble like once a minute now.

 

[Kirkwooder]

Don't do anything with it until you have no (0, nada, nary a sign) bubbles in for at least 2 days. Then look for it to start to clear.

:fro: The waititng is the worst part of your first batch! lol ipe:

 

[jiujiujiu]

Yea, so I brewed another kit in the mean time. Belgian dark kit. It had 3 cans of extract as opposed to two in the last kit, a smaller bag of grain, a different hop addition timing, and a big bag of brown sugar. It's black and smells delicious.

 

[Kirkwooder]

Careful, that's how it starts, next thing you know you no longer have a garage, but instead you have a "brewery"!

 

[jiujiujiu]

It's almost been three weeks and I am still getting a bubble every couple minutes. Fermentation temp too cold?

 

[Kirkwooder]

Patience. Let it go for a few more days, as long as it's still active. When the bubbles stop, you may want to warm it up a little for a day or two. Then check your gravity, a couple times, a couple days apart. if it doesn't change, and is fairly clear you can bottle it.

 

[jiujiujiu]

I just stuck it in the bathtub and ran the hot water. Yeast quickly started shooting up to the surface and now it is foaming up and giving me a bubble every few seconds. I must have really messed up the temperature the last couple of weeks. I thought the closet at room temp would be good enough.

 

[jiujiujiu]

I just checked the SG and it was 1.009. I calculated it to be at 5.25% ABV and drank the beer I used to test it. It tastes like a flat warm pale ale which is a good thing as far as my taste buds are concerned and I can feel my head swimming a bit from the alcohol.

There is a problem, however. It is extremely cloudy. So cloudy that I cannot see my hand on the other side of the test tube I used to check gravity. I did warm it in the bathtub last night and got some bubbling, so that may just be yeast that has yet to fall out of suspension. The bubbling this morning has noticeably stopped. There airlock is sitting completely still with no visible air pressure pressing on it.

This is week four. I'm going away for a week at the end of this one. If I left it alone that would make it 5 weeks in primary when I got back. Wouldn't that be too much? Should I bottle now and just chalk up the cloudiness as being a first time blunder? Should I wait a couple more days and then bottle? Thoughts would be welcome. Thanks

 

[philmin9]

I would bottle now, 4 weeks should be plenty of time for fermentation to finish. Especially with a gravity that low. And clear is a relative term, it won't be bmc clear yet. Bottle, condition for 3 weeks then chill for 3 days and you'll be amazed at the difference in clarity.

 

[philmin9]

Also not quite sure why you put it in the bath tub, but if you stirred everything up, it will take a while to settle back down.

 

[jiujiujiu]

I warmed it back up to see if anything would happen. I'll bottle tomorrow.

 

[jiujiujiu]

I bottled today. After I siphoned the beer into the bottling bucket I realized the bucket was leaking. I lost 5-6 bottles worth of beer while bottling. Out of about 4.5 gallons I bottled 42 12oz bottles.

It tastes fine. Just flat. I guess I'll see in about 2 weeks.