noob needs some 1st Brew advice

[Michael357]

I brewed my first brew (India Black Ale) on 8/16/14. the OG reading was at 1.056. As per the instructions, i transferred to secondary on 08/21/14. The SG reading was 1.019. It's now one week in secondary, and i'm getting one bubble every minute. If i follow the box instructions, i should be ready to bottle and let it sit for 2 more weeks.

What are your thoughts on this process? Should i go ahead a bottle this weekend, or should i let it sit in secondary longer?

Thanks for your help and advice.

 

[JimRausch]

Don't rely on the instructions- yeast don't read and they are done when THEY say they are done. ;
The only true way to know if your brew is ready to be bottled is to take serial SG readings, and don't bottle until you get the same reading twice(or even 3 times) several days apart.
Bubbles really mean very little- CO2 can outgas due to temperature or atmospheric pressure changes. So, take the SG, believe the SG.
And, in the future, don't prematurely rack off the yeast. Wait until fermentation is complete(that serial stable SG) before racking or bottling. 5 days and a SG of 1.019 was probably too soon. But for this batch, as long as your SG is stable, you'll be OK. Good Luck!

 

[Michael357]

And, in the future, don't prematurely rack off the yeast. Wait until fermentation is complete(that serial stable SG) before racking or bottling. 5 days and a SG of 1.019 was probably too soon. But for this batch, as long as your SG is stable, you'll be OK. Good Luck!

Thanks for your advice. I was thinking the same thing after reading many comments on this site. So on my 2nd brew (a Robust Porter) which i brewed on 08/24/14, i'm planning on leaving it in the primary for a few weeks, no secondary. In your opinion, would 3 -4 weeks be a good time to take the 1st SG reading?

 

[jfk69]

I would think 3 weeks is certainly plenty of time to take your initial reading.

 

[JimRausch]

With normal fermentation temperatures, a typical ale strain with a good pitch, and normalish gravity OG, 3 weeks almost certainly will give you a stable complete FG. I usually do my 1st check at 2 weeks, but almost always leave it alone until 3.

 

[MyCarHasAbs]

I'm probably one of the few on here to say this but I don't even take readings. No major issues yet out of my brews other than the common beginner mistakes such as overcarbonation and over boiling. I figure 3-4 weeks should be plenty of time for most brews to do their thing. I condition for 2-3 weeks. Probably longer than it needs but so far it's been consistent.

 

[JimRausch]

I'm probably one of the few on here to say this but I don't even take readings. No major issues yet out of my brews other than the common beginner mistakes such as overcarbonation and over boiling. I figure 3-4 weeks should be plenty of time for most brews to do their thing. I condition for 2-3 weeks. Probably longer than it needs but so far it's been consistent.

Yeah, but I'll bet you don't rack to a secondary after 5 days. That's one place where most kit instructions screw things up for beginners.
By the way, I got a real kick out of your signature quote. Best laugh I've had in days.

 

[eko]

Those of you who let it sit in the primary for 2-4 weeks - what are you fermenting in? I've been given the impression that any longer than 14 days in the plastic buckets starts to increase risk since they're not air right. So are you doing all of your work in glass? What's the longest you'll let it sit in a plastic bucket?

 

[rodwha]

I usually allow mine to sit for 4 weeks in a plastic bucket.

I think where this may become a problem is possibly after a secondary, and more so aging as you've moved the beer away from it's CO2 blanket that protects it.

I don't have a large enough carboy/Better Bottle for making a peach beer using diced peaches, and so I intend to transfer it with a little sugar solution to kick start a small fermentation for a new blanket.

CO2 is heavier than air and so it will sit down in the bucket.

 

[unionrdr]

Those of you who let it sit in the primary for 2-4 weeks - what are you fermenting in? I've been given the impression that any longer than 14 days in the plastic buckets starts to increase risk since they're not air right. So are you doing all of your work in glass? What's the longest you'll let it sit in a plastic bucket?

It's a common miss-conception that plastic leaks. What it really is is that after a few months, the plastic is said to leach air through the plastic. I don't believe in that insomuch as the 3-4 weeks in primary are concerned. If the lid has a good seal, no worries. PET plastic bottles, on the other hand are said to be good for 8 months before air leaching becomes a worry. The head brew tech at Cooper's told me that.

 

[MyCarHasAbs]

By the way, I got a real kick out of your signature quote. Best laugh I've had in days.

Some say "bros before hoes". I say "beer before hoes". \m/



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[Michael357]

Thanks for all the feedback. I'll let the Robust Porter sit for 3 weeks, then do a SG check.

On the other hand, I've been brewing for 2 whole weeks now, and I have learned so much from you experienced brewers. And what is surprising is the info I've learned is only a drop in the bucket.