Newbie brewer questions

[tonyzahn]

I've got this stout and the airlock hasn't bubbled after a few days...

I kid, I kid.

Seriously though, I've got my fist homebrew batch in bottles, and the few I've drank so far are quite tasty. The stout is fermenting, I'll probably crack it open for a hydrometer reading tomorrow. I think I'm thoroughly hooked on this hobby already, and I haven't even really gotten into drinking the results yet!

A few thoughts occurred to me that I haven't run into in the FAQs and such:

1> Does it matter at all if you cool your wort in the kettle or the primary fermenter? It seems to me if you put the hot wort into the primary and then chilled it you'd get a little extra free sanitization out of the deal.

2> Reading the "this or that" thread, I gather the main reason to use a bucket instead of a bottle as the primary is to reduce the amount of blowoff? Because otherwise I'd think that using a bottle as the primary would keep people from freaking out since they could actually see what's going on.

 

[cuttsjp]

1. It doesn't really matter as long as you keep things sanitized. Things tend to go a lot more quickly in your kettle because metal is such a strong conductor of heat energy. A good method there is to put the sanitized lid on the pot, then swish the pot around in an ice bath for a while. Putting wort into the primary and letting it cool down (say, overnight) is a fine option if you have the patience and don't have better cooling methods, because it is obviously nice and sanitary. It's mostly a matter of time. Kettle chilling methods are much quicker if you can manage them.

2. I use a 6.5 gal carboy for my primary, that way there's almost no blowoff at all. Most of us vastly prefer bottles because you can see the fermentation action, and they are easier to clean and sanitize than buckets.

Hope this helps. Happy brewing!

 

[figgy]

Putting hot wort in a glass carboy would likely cause it to crack. Also, the benefit to cooling in the kettle is that you can use an immersion wort chiller, which makes cooling MUCH faster.

I use glass carboys for the primary. They are much easier to keep clean than plastic, star-san does the job every time. If you use a 6-gallon carboy for a 5-gallon batch, you'll have space for high krausen. But with big beers like barley wine etc. you'll probably still want a blow off tube rather than just an airlock.

 

[lancers7x]

You're better off cooling your wort in your brew kettle as it will cool much faster than the glass carboy.

And +1 for the 6.5 gallon carboys.

 

[tonyzahn]

Thanks for the quick replies folks!

Right now I've got a bucket primary and two better bottles. There's a very good chance I may be buying a turkey frier and either buying or making a chiller in the near future.

If I decide at some point to get a second primary, I'll definity look into a 6.5 gal glass carboy.

 

[emetcalf]

You risk hot side aeration if you transfer to the fermenter before cooling. I am pretty new with almost no experience so I don't know how much of a problem it actually is, but it is a risk you take when you move wort while it's still hot.

 

[CABeerMaker]

1. I am guessing that you are using plastic as 5 gal of hot wort would shatter a glass carboy. The biggest reason to chill the pot is that the heat transfer is much better for metal vs plastic and near absent with glass. As long as you are sanitizing everything this really wouldn't affect your overall sanitation process.

2. I truly enjoy my glass carboys as I can watch the yeasties roll around in my fermentors, however the weight difference is an issue. As others have already pointed out glass is much easier to clean and sanitize as it is nearly impossible to scratch a glass carboy with your carboy brush, plastic on the other hand can be scratched and the scratches can hold bacteria that could cause problems later. I know many use plastic and love it and others prefer glass, but ultimately both allow us to get the job done and that is what really matters.

Brew on and enjoy!

 

[LVBen]

I've got this stout and the airlock hasn't bubbled after a few days...

I kid, I kid.

Seriously though, I've got my fist homebrew batch in bottles, and the few I've drank so far are quite tasty. The stout is fermenting, I'll probably crack it open for a hydrometer reading tomorrow. I think I'm thoroughly hooked on this hobby already, and I haven't even really gotten into drinking the results yet!

A few thoughts occurred to me that I haven't run into in the FAQs and such:

1> Does it matter at all if you cool your wort in the kettle or the primary fermenter? It seems to me if you put the hot wort into the primary and then chilled it you'd get a little extra free sanitization out of the deal.

2> Reading the "this or that" thread, I gather the main reason to use a bucket instead of a bottle as the primary is to reduce the amount of blowoff? Because otherwise I'd think that using a bottle as the primary would keep people from freaking out since they could actually see what's going on.

1. I sanitize my bucket and then pour in the 190 degree wort. (double sanitizing!)