new brewer, new brewery name, new beer name

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badfish

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Hey all,

I just brewed my first batch of extract! I brewed an Octane IPA kit from midwestsupplies (the brewstore is actually just up the street from my house). I brewed it Saturday, 07/02/2005.

I researched quite a bit, and think I did ok. A coworker is an advanced home brewer, and has given me lots of good advice. Thanks Cory!

I followed the instructions on the kit, and it sure smells good (I can't stop smelling the bubbles from the airlock). mmmmm...hoppy.

Hopefully I'll be racking to the secondary in a couple of days.

I feel like I did alright, but I have a few things to work on...anyone else have a boil over on their first batch? That sucked, luckily it was outside, and was easy cleanup. What did I lose in the boil over? Will it affect my beer at all?

Also, I didn't even think about it at the time, but I opened the wYeast packet with an un sanitized scissor! (oops, I'm pretty ticked at myself for that). I think it should be ok, but it worries me.

I also had a few struggles getting the siphon started, then resorted (with my wife's help) to pouring from the brewkettle directly to the carboy....without a funnel. No spillage, but it was scary!

So, all in all, a really fun first brew. I won't forget it, but I have some areas to improve.

Now that I have made a beer, I guess I have to name it, and the brewery....so here goes.

Brewery Name: 2pints brewery, St. Louis Park, MN
Beer Name: '79 Toranado

The beer is named after the name of the kit Octane IPA, and since it has to do with gasoline/cars, and it's my first brew, I named it after my first car....hopefully the beer won't be as crappy as my first car!

Thanks for reading.
-Badfish
 
Congrats on your first brew! You and your wife are brave to go funnel-less on your first time. And thanks for pointing out the necessity of sanitizing scissors. I was about to make that mistake.
 
I have never sanitized the scissors, and not had any problems - YET!
THanks for pointing it out though

Andrew
 
Hi badfish, welcome aboard.

All you lost in your boil over was a few points of your original gravity, probably, unless you got things too hot, in which case, I understand flavour can be affected, but someone who knows a bit more about it than me can fill you in on that.

Every time you make a mistake, it ensures you'll never do it again. I've taken to having a bucket of sanitizer on hand, to keep thermometer in, to allow easy cleaning of my hydrometer sampler (read: syringe), syphon tubing, etc.

Make sure you get your syphon sorted (and yes, an autosiphon is a good thing) because you don't want to be splashing your beer around, and aerating it - it'll taste something like cardboard if you do.

Good luck.


Toronado is a good name. I can't follow your lead, as Honda Civic Ale just doesn't have much of a ring.... course, now I got a truck, and Wrangler Brown might just do the trick....
 
You picked a good one for your first batch. IPA's rule. :D Sounds like you did really well for your first batch....welcome to the madhouse! You're a better man than I if you got ~5 gallons of wort into a carboy without a funnel. Hell, I had enough trouble getting it into my bucket. :D

I also dig the name....I like Tornados, albiet the 60's models.

As for your boilover....it shouldn't affect anything but your volume. If you topped it back up to 5 gallons, then it would bring your OG down a little.
 
I never learn. 5 years of brewing and I still boil-over quite a few batches. I get sloppy/lazy/complacent and as soon as I turn my back, POW! boil-over. Oh, well. You just have to watch the wort. It's watching you and will know when you're about to blink.
 
I too just brewed my first, also the Octane IPA. No boilover but close and I was boiling 6 gal. in a 10 gal. kettle. Came within 1.5 inches of the top of the kettle, thankfully I was watching it like a hawk and cut the heat. I cannot imagine trying a full 6 gal. boil in anything less than 10 gal. kettle, glad I got the big one. After 42 hours all krauesen has dissappeared, but airlock still quite active. Mine has an odd odor, not bad odor but not hoppy. Odor has diminished quite a bit as fermintation subsides, hopeing it is diacetyl from initial warm ferm temp and not bact. infection. Temp is down now to 73. Have never smelled diacetyl, this come from my reading on the possible odor problem.
 
Thanks for all of the replies, this is a nice place to hang out! Other boards (non-beer boards) are much more ....um aggressive, and quick to slam you for whatever mistake you have made.

Question for you danceswithbeer...did you taste it after the hop additions, cause I did, and (insert Keanau Reeves) Whoa! Super bitter! My buddy says that it's supposed to be bitter at that point, so I'm not worried about it. I'm sure you'll be fine with the off smell. Pray to the beer/yeast Gods!

As for a beer update, I brewed on Saturday, and I still have krausen (Wednesday). I'm getting bubbles every 30 seconds or so now. Yesterday the bubbles were coming every 15 seconds, so it's definately slowing down. I'll probably rack to a secondary this weekend.

One funny side note...having never brewed before, and never brewed an IPA, I didn't know that the oak chips in the kit were ment to be added when transferring to the secondary....and I put them in with the grains to steep before the boil...hahah

I'm stupid....now I have to go to the brew store and pick up some more oak chips.... Just one more thing to rectify during the next batch.
 
danceswithbeer said:
I too just brewed my first, also the Octane IPA.
What's the name?
What's the brewery name?

I've been told that this is really important to a successful beer, it has to have an identity! :D

danceswithbeer said:
Mine has an odd odor, not bad odor but not hoppy. Odor has diminished quite a bit as fermintation subsides, hopeing it is diacetyl from initial warm ferm temp and not bact. infection. Temp is down now to 73. Have never smelled diacetyl, this come from my reading on the possible odor problem.

What temp did you pitch at? Also, I think the kit ferments best between 60-70....might be smart to put wet towels, or T-Shirt around the fermenter. I just learned that the fermentation makes the temp of the beer go up inside the carboy, hence the towels. My beer was racked, and like you stayed around 73, and fermented nicely, but next time I'm using that T-Shirt/towel tip.

Kephren said:
It's watching you and will know when you're about to blink.

No doubt! I was so happy to see it foam up, I called my wife over....."look it's working!!!", then it was working so well, that it spilled over the top :eek:

Sam75 said:
As for your boilover....it shouldn't affect anything but your volume. If you topped it back up to 5 gallons, then it would bring your OG down a little.

I followed the kit instructions for the first time which says to boil 2.5 - 3 gallons.....and I still boiled over. Next time I'll boil more volume, under a closer eye. It was topped back up to 5 gallons....I didn't take an OG reading....another lesson learned.

Sasquatch said:
Toronado is a good name. I can't follow your lead, as Honda Civic Ale just doesn't have much of a ring.... course, now I got a truck, and Wrangler Brown might just do the trick....

The Honda Civic Ale cracks me up, it might be a good name for a light beer :) Good gas mileage. Wrangler brown is a cool name!

Oahu said:
...brave to go funnel-less on your first time. And thanks for pointing out the necessity of sanitizing scissors.

Yeah, I thought about the scissors just after I cut the package, smacked myself in the head with my open palm...thankfully, I had already put the scissors down. I'm definately buying a funnel!
 
but next time I'm using that T-Shirt/towel tip.
additionally placing your primary in a rubbermaid tub of water will keep the temp steady. in my unconditioned barn - the temp in the tubs stays at around 73° which is tolerable. the water mass is very slow at absorbing energy and therefore keeps the wort at a constant.

and I still boiled over

get a large spray bottle - sanatize it - fill with bottled water - and everytime the froth starts creeping up the sides to the top of the pot - hit it with a few sprays of water. works like a charm for me. boil over can even happen at low flame settings when dealing with larger boils.

sanitizing scissors

i always toss the scissors in the sanatizing bucket.
 
badfish said:
Thanks for all of the replies, this is a nice place to hang out! Other boards (non-beer boards) are much more ....um aggressive, and quick to slam you for whatever mistake you have made.

There are a great bunch of people here willing to share experiences.

The only time I have seen a slam here is when a slammer was being slammed
for slamming. Kinda like spanking your kid for hitting another kid.

Anyway, congrats on your first brew. It'll never stop.:))
 
badfish said:
The Honda Civic Ale cracks me up, it might be a good name for a light beer :) Good gas mileage. Wrangler brown is a cool name!

My first beer is definitely going to be titled "The Mazda Hefeweizen."

Lol. Good thread.
 
brewhead said:
get a large spray bottle - sanatize it - fill with bottled water - and everytime the froth starts creeping up the sides to the top of the pot - hit it with a few sprays of water. works like a charm for me. boil over can even happen at low flame settings when dealing with larger boils.

Great suggestion, one thing though, do you think it is necessary to sanatize the spray bottle since you will be spraying the water into boiling wert? Better safe than sorry but do you think just a clean bottle would be ok?
 
well i guess i am one who sanatizes everything - so in my estimation you can't have enough sanatizing action - i'm sure it's just me
 
brewhead said:
well i guess i am one who sanatizes everything - so in my estimation you can't have enough sanatizing action - i'm sure it's just me

Good call, better safe then sorry. The extra seconds to sanitize vrs the chance of throwing out the batch and having to wait till you get a chance to brew another. Not a hard decision.
 
brewhead said:
get a large spray bottle - sanatize it - fill with bottled water - and everytime the froth starts creeping up the sides to the top of the pot - hit it with a few sprays of water. works like a charm for me. boil over can even happen at low flame settings when dealing with larger boils.

This is an awesome tip! I'm going to use it this weekend when I brew my second batch.

This time it's a honey bee ale.
 
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