Newbie first brew

[Slickshoes]

Hi everyone, I'm going to brew my first batch of beer this coming weekend. Please feel free to give any tips and pointers. I am going for a light style ale.

Ingredients

4.0 Cara-Pils/Dextrine 2.0 SRM GRAIN for 30 min
1lb Pilsen light DME 3.0 SRM Dry Extract
0.25oz French Strisslespalt 2.3 alpha for 30 min
0.25oz French Strisslespalt 2.3 alpha for last 5 min
6 grams Nottingham Danstar yeast

5 quarts total water
Steep for 30 minutes
Boil for 45 min

Not sure what temp to ferment or what I'm doing for carbonation, planing to use a one gallon jug for final product.

 

[kombat]

Looks good. Nottingham likes it cool, so I'd chill it down to 60° F after the boil, and hold it there for the first 3-5 days of fermentation. Also, make sure you rehydrate the yeast according to the manufacturer's instructions, rather than just sprinkling it dry. Take care with sanitation, keep us posted on how it goes.

 

[yeahfairly]

I'm clueless on recipes other than all grain but I'd try to go in the neighborhood of low 60's on the fermentation temp. Danstar lists 57 - 70 for Nottingham. I would also naturally carb in the jug with priming sugar...... IMHO...

 

[flars]

Four pounds of Cara-Pils seems like an excessive amount to steep for a one gallon brew. Did you mean 4 ounces?

 

[kombat]

I would also naturally carb in the jug with priming sugar.

I don't think those glass 1-gallon jugs are designed to hold an appreciable amount of pressure. I'd batch-prime with dextrose (use an online calculator for the amount) then bottle immediately. Give the bottles 3 weeks at 70° F to carb up, then refrigerate them to get the yeast to drop out. But we're getting ahead of ourselves here.

 

[Slickshoes]

It's 4.0 oz of Cara-Pils i forgot to add oz, .
I will try my best to keep it near 60 to ferment I have an area now with a thermometer sitting there and its reading 64-66 but it was a bit warmer out yesterday.
Priming sugar sounds like a good idea, any links i could use for reference? i was hoping the one gallon jug would work, could i use a special cap or stopper? Not feeling like bottling and capping, any other options?

 

[flars]

It's 4.0 oz of Cara-Pils i forgot to add oz, .
I will try my best to keep it near 60 to ferment I have an area now with a thermometer sitting there and its reading 64-66 but it was a bit warmer out yesterday.
Priming sugar sounds like a good idea, any links i could use for reference? i was hoping the one gallon jug would work, could i use a special cap or stopper? Not feeling like bottling and capping, any other options?

This is the calculator I use for reference. I go for about 2.4 volumes of CO2 for a light beer. This is what I consider moderate. For a Hefeweiezen I go up to 2.8 volumes of CO2 for the style, high carbonation. Stouts 2.0 to 2.2 volumes. Some will use 1 ounce of corn sugar per gallon for all styles.
http://www.northernbrewer.com/priming-sugar-calculator/

Not a good idea to carbonate in a jug. They have not been designed to hold the pressure developed during carbonation

 

[kombat]

i was hoping the one gallon jug would work, could i use a special cap or stopper? Not feeling like bottling and capping, any other options?

You could look into kegging, but that seems like overkill for a 1 gallon batch. Although, now that I think about it, that could be a good use for the uKeg.

Do not carbonate in that glass jug. That's a non-starter. Your other option would be to collect a few flip-top beer bottles (either buy them, or buy some beer that comes in flip-top bottles from the liquor store) and bottle in those, if you don't have a capper.

I made a miniature "bottling bucket" for my 1 gallon batches. It's one of those 2.5 gallon buckets that the frosting comes in that they use in bakeries at the grocery store. I attached a spigot from my LHBS, along with a short length of tubing and the bottling cane. On bottling day, I prepare my priming sugar mixture and pour it into the bucket. I then rack from my 1 gallon fermenter into the bucket, letting the beer gently swirl a little to mix with the priming sugar. I then set the bucket on the edge of my freezer, with the bottling wand hanging over the edge, and I bottle the beer, capping as I go.

 

[Sailingeric]

if you are doing one gallon, I would look at bottling. It will be about 5 22 oz bottles with a little left over as a sample for you. I have done several 1 gallon ciders and botting 5 bottles is not too much of chore and for priming sugar, Brewer's Friend website and phone App has a good calculator to use. I have done a couple beer batches and it has not let me down with the carbing.

 

[Slickshoes]

Well it's a good thing I joined the forum, I had no idea the gallon jugs were not designed for that much pressure.
I have a few bottles 22 oz bottles laying around could I use them? I may be able to borrow a keg for awhile would kegging a one gallon be overkill?
Flavor wise, not sure what type of sugar to use? What do you guys recommend? Would you use diff sugars for diff styles?

 

[yeahfairly]

Well it's a good thing I joined the forum, I had no idea the gallon jugs were not designed for that much pressure.
I have a few bottles 22 oz bottles laying around could I use them? I may be able to borrow a keg for awhile would kegging a one gallon be overkill?
Flavor wise, not sure what type of sugar to use? What do you guys recommend? Would you use diff sugars for diff styles?

My Bad Advice.... I made an assumption on the glass jug... and shouldn't have! Nice Save Kombat!

Just a thought.... If you plan on doing 1 gallon batches and are trying to avoid bottle capping you could always buy some PET bottles at your LHBS or from Amazon!!!

 

[flars]

Well it's a good thing I joined the forum, I had no idea the gallon jugs were not designed for that much pressure.
I have a few bottles 22 oz bottles laying around could I use them? I may be able to borrow a keg for awhile would kegging a one gallon be overkill?
Flavor wise, not sure what type of sugar to use? What do you guys recommend? Would you use diff sugars for diff styles?

The 22 oz are good. I seem to remember they should be kept below 3.0 volumes of pressure.
Corn sugar and cane sugar are the most widely used sugars for carbonation. Take a look at post #7.

 

[Slickshoes]

So I brewed my first batch today, :rockin: and everything went smoothly except I forgot to take OG reading. So after 10-15 of pitching the yeast, I opened up the fermenter and poured some into the tube so I could take the reading. I am hoping this was ok to do?

Also I don't know how to take the reading, there was to much foam to tell exactly but it appeared to be around 52 54? It was in the orange section marked beer.

 

[loeks]

Looks like a solid recipe. 1.052-1.054 sounds about right. It's gonna be delish. Good work. I was gonna say RDWHAHB, but this is your first brew, so I would say go ahead and enjoy whatever beer you got in yo fridge

 

[Slickshoes]

Thanks a bunch guys, I noticed today the airlock looked low on sanitized water so gently popped the lid and added more sanitized water. I did notice the bubbles slowed down a bit, it is normal?

How long do I wait?
Should I use a secondary fermentor?
When could I carbonate n bottle?

 

[flars]

Thanks a bunch guys, I noticed today the airlock looked low on sanitized water so gently popped the lid and added more sanitized water. I did notice the bubbles slowed down a bit, it is normal?

How long do I wait?
Should I use a secondary fermentor?
When could I carbonate n bottle?

Take your first SG reading about day 12, take another reading three days later. If the readings are the same, FG has been reached. Give the beer a few more days to clear, bottle about day 21.
Secondary is not necessary. The beer will clear in the primary.

 

[Slickshoes]

Take your first SG reading about day 12, take another reading three days later. If the readings are the same, FG has been reached. Give the beer a few more days to clear, bottle about day 21.
Secondary is not necessary. The beer will clear in the primary.

how long should i keep it in the primary 2 1/2 gal bucket? is 12 days a standard? i was hoping it would be sooner!

would letting it sit in all the stuff on the bottom of the bucket cause any off flavor changes?

 

[flars]

how long should i keep it in the primary 2 1/2 gal bucket? is 12 days a standard? i was hoping it would be sooner!

would letting it sit in all the stuff on the bottom of the bucket cause any off flavor changes?

It is my standard operating procedure, to not take an SG reading before day 12. Fermentations can be over in as little as two days. The yeast will continue to clean up some natural off flavors of the fermentation, without the SG going lower, though. I don't open the carboy that soon because I know the beer will be in the carboy for at least 21 days. I will leave the CO2 layer undisturbed as long as possible.

The trub won't contribute off flavors until you start measuring time in months for our small size home brewing volumes.

Buckets though are slightly air permeable and often do not seal well. I wouldn't leave a beer in a bucket for over 4 weeks. Besides the air permeability of the plastic, the CO2 will dissipate, leaving the large surface area of the beer exposed to air and possible oxidation.

You could shorten the primary time. Take a SG reading on day 10, let the CO2 off gas, in the sample, so your reading isn't affected by the CO2 floating the hydrometer high. Take a second reading on day 12, if it is the same as the first, and the sample is clear, bottle.

Temperature correct your SG reading if the sample temperature is different than the hydrometer calibration temperature.

 

[Slickshoes]

Thank you, this was a very detailed explanation. Today is day 4 1/2 -5 of fermentation and the first 3 days it was going nuts, it was still letting out a bubble here and there this morning, no were near as active.

I will do my best to hold on for another week! lol

 

[flars]

P a t i e n c e - i n - b r e w i n g - - - - - - - h a s - m a n y - r e w a r d s.

 

[freshie]

P a t i e n c e - i n - b r e w i n g - - - - - - - h a s - m a n y - r e w a r d s.

Patience is killing me. ....

 

[freshie]

P a t i e n c e - i n - b r e w i n g - - - - - - - h a s - m a n y - r e w a r d s.

Patience is killing me. ....

 

[Slickshoes]

Lol, I will keep you posted, thanks for the help, I guess waiting is part of it, just makes the final day tasting that much better!

 

[Slickshoes]

Hi, I just noticed that last night the sanitized solution in the airlock has gone flat. It was not bubbling but there were little bubbles in there till yesterday. I think I may move it to a secondary fermenter, good idea? Is this a sign of no more activity? It's 14 days of fermentation today.

 

[Slickshoes]

Hi, I just noticed that last night the sanitized solution in the airlock has gone flat. It was not bubbling but there were little bubbles in there till yesterday. I think I may move it to a secondary fermenter, good idea? Is this a sign of no more activity? It's 14 days of fermentation today.

 

[flars]

Now would be the time to get an SG reading. In a few more days take another SG reading. If they are the same the beer has reached FG.
Look at the clarity of the hydrometer samples. Your first one will more than likely be slightly cloudy from suspended particles. The second will be more clear. I will usually wait until FG has been reached and the samples are clear before bottling. There is no need to use a secondary for clearing the beer. This will happen in the primary. My typical time in the primary is three weeks. I am in no hurry to bottle. Extra time in the primary is not a problem, just a more compact trub and yeast cake resulting in more beer in the bottles.

 

[Slickshoes]

Thanks flars, are there any benefits in using a secondary? Will my beer taste any diff?
Was thinking about 3 weeks primary then bottle or two weeks primary about 1 week secondary then bottle

I'm a lil confused and unsure if this will effect the any flavors?

 

[Psylocide]

Thanks flars, are there any benefits in using a secondary? Will my beer taste any diff?
Was thinking about 3 weeks primary then bottle or two weeks primary about 1 week secondary then bottle

I'm a lil confused and unsure if this will effect the any flavors?

No need for secondary on this. No real benefits, but the real cons of moving to secondary = higher chance of oxidation or infection if handled incorrectly.

 

[flars]

Thanks flars, are there any benefits in using a secondary? Will my beer taste any diff?
Was thinking about 3 weeks primary then bottle or two weeks primary about 1 week secondary then bottle

I'm a lil confused and unsure if this will effect the any flavors?

Your beer will come out of the primary tasting the same. Secondaries use to be used to get the beer off the yeast cake as fast as possible, the reason they are called secondary fermentors. The beer was often racked to the second vessel before fermentation was complete. Still some generic instructions around like this.
Back in the old days the yeast wasn't as good and could impart off flavors if the beer was on the yeast cake to long.
If your beer is clear in three weeks, and it most likely will be, you are good to bottle.

 

[flars]

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