My first WORT! =-)

[echotraveler]

Hey guys last night i made my first beer. Great Stout kit from BrewGadgets, very complete kit for a noob like me. Almost everything went according to plan except 3 things

1, i filtered the water with a britta kind of filter, but some unfiltered tap water less than 2 L fell in the filtered water, i guessed that would have no effect.

2, when raking the work into the fermenter, i broke the syphon and to make it work again i filled the tubing with wort...hence introducing my entire arm in the wort... guess my beer will taste a bit like me?

3, today i checked the fermenter and didnt see bubbles coming out of the blow off tube, so i checked it and found that if i sealed the fermenter hole with my fingers i could get bubbles. So i broke the seal to add some sanitized rubber...is this something to be concerned?

So im new to this, but im very excited to make a nice Stout...any tips are welcome!:rockin:

 

[BenS]

that sounds like a great first brew. Arm hair stout, picking it out of your teeth in a month or two. I'm sure it will turn out great.

 

[echotraveler]

hahahaha thanx!

forgot to say that my Initial Gravity was 1.605, the recipe called for 1.70...am i too far away?

 

[dmfa200]

According to everyone sanitation is key, so avoid letting anything touch your beer post boil that is not sanitized.
Hopefully your beer will be fine.
Give us an update when it's ready.

 

[carnevoodoo]

Did you sanitize your arm?

And 1.60 is a bit low for what you were shooting for, but if you were using an extract kit you either ended up with more beer than you should have or your sample wasn't mixed well enough if you used top up water. There's not much that can go wrong other than that.

 

[ThirdGen]

Just curious, are you using a different scale than I am, or did you mean to type 1.060 (rather than 1.60).

 

[JJL]

Don't worry about breaking the seal on the fermenter. If you are using a bucket, it isn't air tight anyway. If the beer doesn't turn out for some reason, it won't be because you opened the fermenter. Also, stouts are very forgiving.

 

[badhabit]

I brewed for a lot of years before I learned as much as you know now aboutwhat not to do. Some don't like to admit it but homebrew is pretty forgiving. I would bet you will be fine and next batch you will learn lots more about what not to do. I started brewing with my dad over 40 years ago and have never poured a batch out, one or two maybe I should have.....just dont squeeze the grain bag out!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[echotraveler]

carnevoodoo, when i used 2.5gallons on the wort and 2.5 on the fermeneter...when racked...both mixed didn't go up to 5gallons so i added more water....

thirdgen i stand corrected 1.065

thanx for all the responses guys!

 

[passedpawn]

hahahaha thanx!

forgot to say that my Initial Gravity was 1.605, the recipe called for 1.70...am i too far away?

No. It will be great.

 

[echotraveler]

NEED Advice!

Its been 7 days and ive noticed that my airlock isn't bubbling. Im sure my wort was pretty sweet, should i just let it ferment and forget about it?

Im worried cause it was never that active, it bubbled just not that much.... The temp is 68f

 

[nootay]

have a hydromoter? The only way to tell if fermentation is done is by hydrometer readings. Did your recipe have an estimated Final Gravity? if so, see if yours matches. If you get the same hydrometer reading 3 days in a row, you can consider it done. If you are a good ways above your estimated FG, you can gently swirl the wort with a long spoon to get the yeast out of suspension and it may drop a bit more.

 

[echotraveler]

Many thn i will take hydro reading. And compare to the estimated FG. If its too far away i will swirl the yeast. Thnx

 

[jangelj]

I brewed for a lot of years before I learned as much as you know now aboutwhat not to do. Some don't like to admit it but homebrew is pretty forgiving. I would bet you will be fine and next batch you will learn lots more about what not to do. I started brewing with my dad over 40 years ago and have never poured a batch out, one or two maybe I should have.....just dont squeeze the grain bag out!!!!!!!!!!!

I've heard not to squeeze the grain bag, but not sure the reason to not squeeze it. Is it really THAT bad? What does it do?

 

[echotraveler]

I've heard not to squeeze the grain bag, but not sure the reason to not squeeze it. Is it really THAT bad? What does it do?

The joy of homebrew talls about this, it says that squizzin will bring some bad flavor from the grain. I don't have the book right now but ill clarify this post when i get home

 

[IrregularPulse]

Squeezing the bag can release some tannins and is not advised but is not the end of the world, especially on your first batch.

Don't worry about bubbles. As you saw before, all bubbles mean is that there are no other air gaps for the co2 to escape from.

Leave in primary for 2 weeks, then check your gravity. I leave my beers all in primary for 1 month, then keg. If you want to do a secondary, wait to you have a consistent gravity reading 3 days in a row post the 2 week time frame in primary.
Give it 4 weeks in primary/secondary at least and then bottle.

it is virtually impossible to miss your OG with extract although numbers are often off because it is very difficult completely mix your wort and top off water.

In other words. RDWHAHB

 

[echotraveler]

Today i swirled the yeast in the bottom... Cause it seemed too inactive... No matter what happens now i wont be touching my beer anymore.

 

[Bach7210]

No matter what happens now i wont be touching my beer anymore.

You nailed it right there. The yeast know what they are doing. You are going to have beer in a few weeks or so, just have to be patient (which sucks like crazy on your first batch). Like others here have said, leave it alone and in a week or two take a gravity reading and see where you are. If its at or near the expected FG, then you're in business and you'll be able to bottle/keg.

 

[echotraveler]

today i took gravity test. beginning gravity was 1.065 and right now im on 1.020 ...recipe calls for 1.017

my plan is to wait 4 more days take another reading...if im on target i will put on a carboy for 1 week or so maybe more...then proceed to prime and bottle...


The beer most bee in good shape cause i just drank the gravity sample and it was ok to drink...just not beer like i use to drink.