New Maryland "Brewer"

[TheDuke]

Hi All-

New brewer and am on my first attempt as we speak.

Just picked up my first kit on Saturday from The Thirsty Brewer in Baldwin, MD. I brewed that night and it now sits in my basement fermenting. I'm excited as this is my first go, but concerned because I think my basement is too warm (80-83 degrees). I am brewing a Brewers Best American Micro Style Pale Ale from an ingredient pack I bought, and read that Ale's are pretty forgiving between 55-80 degrees, but I'm pushing the high end. I have little control over the heat in the basement, but have a fan set up blowing directly on the "ale pail". Guess we'll see what happens!

 

[Yooper]

Good luck! Sometimes it helps to put your fermenter in a big garbage pail or cooler and put water in it. I throw a few frozen water bottles in, too, to keep the temperature down. The fan does help alot. Ideally, it would be in the 70 degree range.

Welcome to the forum and feel free to ask any questions!

 

[TheDuke]

thanks for the welcome and the tip! I have a utility tub in by the washer that I could fill put water in and rest the fermentor in. do you think it'd be too late to do it now? I started fermenting late Saturday night. Can I put the bucket in now or would it shock the yeast?

 

[Yooper]

You can do it now- it should gradually cool to the water temperature. Only add ice if you still need to. You want to avoid fluctuations, so gradually cooling it is fine.

You might have some fruity esters or some strong alcohol flavors from a high temperature ferment, but you'll still have beer!

 

[RichBrewer]

Welcome to HBT!
As Yooper said. It might be a good idea to cool your fermenting wort a bit. I think you will still make good beer if you don't but 80 is really getting high.

Another thing you can try is place a t-shirt over the fermenter. Let it soak in the water that is in the garbage pale. Point a fan at the fermenter and the water will evaporate cooling the wort. (It is humid where you are so maybe this won't work )

 

[jezter6]

A wet t-shirt or towel with the fan running on it should help a little, but the bucket with chilled water would be ok. If you just recycle about 1.5-2g of the room temp water with some cooler (50-60 degree) tap water, you should be fine.

So you purchased from Tom at the thirsty brewer? Does that mean you're one of the (very few) of us northsiders on the boards?

 

[TheDuke]

thanks to everyone for the tips! I will move the pail to the tub with some cool water and hopefully that will help some. Now I am concerned because my airlock has stopped bubbling (as of this morning, but I didn't have long to check) and it has only really been a little over 1 day. Should I take a SG reading and see what's what?

 

[TheDuke]

So you purchased from Tom at the thirsty brewer? Does that mean you're one of the (very few) of us northsiders on the boards?

Yep! Got lots of good info from Tom. A friend of mine that works at 4 corners liquors turned me his way. I actually live in the Dundalk/Essex area.

 

[Yooper]

thanks to everyone for the tips! I will move the pail to the tub with some cool water and hopefully that will help some. Now I am concerned because my airlock has stopped bubbling (as of this morning, but I didn't have long to check) and it has only really been a little over 1 day. Should I take a SG reading and see what's what?

I'm not surprised that it seemed to have have stopped- the higher the temp, the faster the fermentation goes usually. It still has plenty of work to do in there, so you can just get it cooled down gradually and let it sit for a week or so. I'd wait and take the sg reading then.

 

[TheDuke]

Well I transferred the pail to the tub with cool water, and lo and behold the thing gradually started bubbling again. We are in for a hot week here, but the water temp in the tub is helping keep the pail at around 78 which I know is not optimal, but better than the 81-82 it was the day before. I'm not discouraged though! I plan to make many brews and will learn with each one, lol.

 

[98EXL]

Oh god, this weekend was pretty brutal IMHO. I was in Baldimore all weekend.

Welcome to the cult, errr, club!

 

[Orpheus]

Hi Duke,

Nice to see more people with crabs signing up!

 

[98EXL]

Oh crap, I forgot it was August!

 

[TheDuke]

thanks 98EXL and Orpheus.

 

[FireBrewer]

Nice to see more people with crabs signing up!

You say that like it's a bad thing...

Welcome aboard, Duke!

 

[TheDuke]

thanks firebrewer!