Newbie needs help

[Frogger42]

I went to the LHBS to pick up my kit today in anticipation of kicking the new year off with a brew. I asked for a kit that would be representative of fat tire ale and was given the following: 4 lbs mountmellick export ale, 1lb pale DME, white labs California V liquid yeast and no hops. Since the store isn't open tomorrow, I will proceed without the hops.

How should I proceed to make a 5 gallon batch? Mix 3gallons of water with the malt and boil for 15-30mins???

 

[Atog]

Looks like the mountmellick export ale is hoped already. When i was doing extract batches I boiled for the full 60 min. But I have heard that there is no need to go that long because the extract has already been boiled.

 

[el_caro]

How should I proceed to make a 5 gallon batch? Mix 3gallons of water with the malt and boil for 15-30mins???

I wonder if you should be boiling pre-hopped malt extract at all. Boiling will reduce the hop effect which the producer aimed for. For instance Coopers expressly advise not to boil the hopped malt extract in their kits. No issue with boiling the dme and water but in the absence of instructions I would add the can of hopped extract after boiling and cooling somewhat.

 

[frankstoneline]

I went to the LHBS to pick up my kit today in anticipation of kicking the new year off with a brew. I asked for a kit that would be representative of fat tire ale and was given the following: 4 lbs mountmellick export ale, 1lb pale DME, white labs California V liquid yeast and no hops. Since the store isn't open tomorrow, I will proceed without the hops.

How should I proceed to make a 5 gallon batch? Mix 3gallons of water with the malt and boil for 15-30mins???

If you have a pot which will hold enough liquid I would proceed roughly as you suggest.
Put 3 or so gallons of water in your brew pot (ideally as much as possible without risking boilover) and begin heating. Dissolve the DME in the water, and bring to a boil. being as there are no hop additions, your boil is predominately to sanitize, so I would boil for ~10 minutes, add the hopped extract, stir to dissolve and bring to a boil for 5 to 10 additional minutes. After boiling the whole lot for 5 to 10 minutes, chill the wort to pitching temps and transfer to your fermenter (after sanitizing thoroughly) and pitch your yeast. Pay particular attention to sanitization and use bottled water or boiled tap water to top off to final volume in your fermenter if you cant comfortable boil a full 5 gallons in your brew pot.

 

[Frogger42]

Phew okay, thanks for all the replies, I am so glad to have joined the forum and will post a follow up thread with my experience.

HAPPY NEW YEARS ALL

 

[Frogger42]

Okay so here is the update from the experience

I brought 5 gallons up to 170 degrees and mixed in the DME. All went well until i turned a blind eye and the hot break on the DME caught me by surprise, oops, and I had a boilover. I boiled for 10 minutes, and then put in the liquid malt. I brought that up to a boil and was much more careful with the hot break, no boilover. I boiled for 5 minutes and then dunked in the immersion chiller and boiled for another 5 minutes. I then cut the heat and turned on the immersion chiller. Since I live in Dallas, I have a 25' in an ice water bath and a 50' in the kettle. All was going well and the temperature at the bottom decreased from 200 to 70 in about 10 minutes or so. Towards the end of the cooling i noticed one of the valves on the chiller was slowly dripping and a few (prob 10) drops of water got into the wort, 2nd oops. I then poured the 5 gallon batch into the fermentation bucket and back and forth. I shook the liquid yeast as per the directions and opened it, and it exploded (hopefully over the wort) oops #3. I think i got most of the yest into the bucket, i hope. I then plugged the stopper and inserted the airlock.

All in all, it was a humbling experience. The OG of the wort read 1.035, as I dont have anything in the recipe to compare it to, does that number in and of itself mean anything? This is my first brew and I dont know what to compare it to, but the wort tastes pretty good. Now its just a waiting game...

 

[Frogger42]

Update: So I took the first SG reading since Monday afternoon and the reading tonight is 1.015. I guess the yeast was pretty aggressive! I am planning on racking to a secondary for clearing on Sunday/Monday (assuming FG stays @ 1.015). Thoughts/suggestions?

 

[Frogger42]

anyone?

 

[tektonjp]

anyone?

give it a few more days. in fact, don't transfer at all. leave it in the primary for three weeks then bottle.

 

[TopherM]

You brewed on Monday? Sounds like the majority of the active fermentation is complete, but you really need to let this one sit for at least 2 weeks. I would expect that there will be a bit more very slow fermentation to get this one down closer to 1.010. Second, after active fermentation is complete, the yeast will go back and clean up their own byproducts, so you'll end up with less off flavors and a cleaner beer.

Don't rush this. Patience makes better beer. If you brewed on Monday, Jan. 2, let this one sit in primary until Monday, Jan. 16. Bottle with priming sugar and let it carb and condition at 70F for about 3 more weeks. Then put them in the fridge for at least 3 days to let the carbonation absorb into the beer. Then drink!

Good luck!!

 

[mredge73]

I would give it a full two weeks to clean itself up; hopefully you can get down to around 1.010.

I would skip the secondary; it is not necessary, especially for ales.
Before you bottle, set it out in the cold overnight (or longer; don't freeze). The cold will make the yeast fall to the bottom and compact a little better clearing your beer a bit. Then bottle as usual.

 

[Frogger42]

Thanks for all the replies. I am glad I found y'all! Would it be a bad idea to rack to a secondary? I am hoping to free up my primary to brew another batch this weekend :rockin: Or am I better off investing in another primary?

 

[TopherM]

What's the difference between your primary and secondary besides the name? Is one a bucket and one a carboy or something like that?

A secondary is just a process name, you can certainly complete primary fermentation in a secondary bucket. Just do the primary for the batch you do this weekend in the empty container and, SHAZAAAM!, it is now a primary fermenter!!

So you don't need to buy a new one, you have an extra one already!

 

[Frogger42]

My glass carboy is only 5 gallons. I was under the impression it's better to have some headroom for primary fermentation.

 

[RM-MN]

If you are going to brew with any regularity another fermenter is your best option. I'd go so far as to suggest you get 2 more or even more. I have 3 fermenters and one secondary carboy and sometimes I may have all full or all empty. The carboy tends to sit empty about 99% of the time. I don't like cleaning it after using it for a primary and it is a little small for that anyway and I don't use it much otherwise.

 

[cooper]

My glass carboy is only 5 gallons. I was under the impression it's better to have some headroom for primary fermentation.

Most of the time the 5 gallon carboys are for secondary fermentation where you want very little head room in the beer as there is less CO2 getting pumped out of the air lock. You can pick up another 6.5 bucket or better bottle pretty cheap. Sounds like you had one of those brew days that we all have had to go through. Best to get it out of the way early.

 

[unionrdr]

Pre-hopped extracts shouldn't be boiled at all. Pasteurization takes place at 160-170F. So no need to boil the pre hopped LME at all to sanitize it. I add the LME at flame out,then cover for 10-15 minutes. Plenty of time & temp to pasteurize it. I use plain DME in my partial boil for hop additions. So puting the DME in the boil is ok.
And when openning those liquid yeast viles,think of it as a 2L soda bottle. Crack it just enough to hear the co2 hissing out,but close when it looks like yeast will come out. Repeat till all co2 pressure is burped off. Then open & pitch. Seems like most folks on here forget that vile has co2 pressure built up from the yeast being trapped in such a small space for a length of time.