Questions while waiting for my first wort to boil

[vance]

1. Is there any way I can make this wort boil faster? My ****ty glass stovetop heated the water to mash temperatures pretty easily, but it's taking forever to boil 4.5 gallons. Been close to half an hour since pulling out the bag already.

2. I'm fermenting in a carboy - what's the best way to aerate my wort? I have buckets too - should I pour back and forth between my kettle and a sanitized bucket, then siphon into my carboy?

3. My house has no AC and I live in central Ohio, where temps are in the 80-90s daily. My kitchen is around 76, but I'm planning to ferment in my basement where it's a few degrees cooler. I'm using WLP090 - SD Super Yeast. I have a cooler and I'm planning on some sort of improvised swamp cooler - what should I use? Ice, frozen 2 liters, something else? I only want to take it down a couple of degrees.

Thanks! Can't wait to taste my first beer.

 

[EcuPirate07]

1. Is there any way I can make this wort boil faster? My ****ty glass stovetop heated the water to mash temperatures pretty easily, but it's taking forever to boil 4.5 gallons. Been close to half an hour since pulling out the bag already. A watched pot never boils, glass stovetop's take forever invest in a gas burner

2. I'm fermenting in a carboy - what's the best way to aerate my wort? I have buckets too - should I pour back and forth between my kettle and a sanitized bucket, then siphon into my carboy? You could do that or put the lid on the bucket with the wort in it and shake the crap out of it

3. My house has no AC and I live in central Ohio, where temps are in the 80-90s daily. My kitchen is around 76, but I'm planning to ferment in my basement where it's a few degrees cooler. I'm using WLP090 - SD Super Yeast. I have a cooler and I'm planning on some sort of improvised swamp cooler - what should I use? Ice, frozen 2 liters, something else? I only want to take it down a couple of degrees. Put the bucket in the water with a t shirt over it dangling in the water so it absorbs the water and stays wet. Use frozen 2 liters and change out every day. I don't know what the optimum temp range is for that yeast but you probably wanna go lower than a "couple degrees" most the time the inside temps could vary from 5-10 degrees during active fermentation so if you stay 2 degrees below the top range you will more likely be above the acceptable range

Thanks! Can't wait to taste my first beer.

Have fun with the brew and congrats

 

[vance]

Gas burner is next, but I bought a ton of homebrew stuff off craigslist so I wanted to get a batch or two under my belt before I spend more cash on a 10 gallon pot and a propane burner. I doubt I'll get through more than a batch or two on this stove tbh.

That's easier than pouring hot wort, thanks.

The range on the package is 65-70 degF. I can do the t-shirt and water easily enough. My only worry is keeping the beer too cold and not letting the yeast do its thing.

 

[vance]

Well I'm pretty ****ing disappointed in myself as an engineering student (and especially studying materials science) but I forgot thermal shock

 

[Gnomebrewer]

Well I'm pretty ****ing disappointed in myself as an engineering student (and especially studying materials science) but I forgot thermal shock

Are you saying you poured hot wort into your carboy? I feel for you.

How were you planning to chill your wort? You need to chill to pitching temps before aerating/splasing (and, of course, before putting it into a glass carboy)!

As for the yeast, I wouldn't worry about your ferment being a few degrees too cold, as long as you've pitched enough healthy, active yeast they'll still chew through the sugars. Better a bit cool than a bit too hot (most brewers aim for the lower end of the recommended range).

 

[Gnomebrewer]

And if you want to speed up the boil for the next brew, you can get a heat-stick (heating element on a handle designed for boiling water in a pot or mug).

 

[vance]

Are you saying you poured hot wort into your carboy? I feel for you.

How were you planning to chill your wort? You need to chill to pitching temps before aerating/splasing (and, of course, before putting it into a glass carboy)!

As for the yeast, I wouldn't worry about your ferment being a few degrees too cold, as long as you've pitched enough healthy, active yeast they'll still chew through the sugars. Better a bit cool than a bit too hot (most brewers aim for the lower end of the recommended range).

The wort had cooled slightly - I let it steep for 15 minutes with a flameout addition, and then poured it between buckets a few times to aerate it. It was probably 120-130 ish when I poured to be carboy and it didn't break then. What killed me was I had a cooler of ice to chill the wort in, and I put the carboy full of still warm-hot wort into the bucket of ice... Lesson learned - chill in the kettle, not a carboy.

As for the heat stick I'm probably only going to do a few brews on this stove before I buy a 10 gallon kettle and a propane burner honestly.

 

[TurnipGreen]

If you are worried about airating the wort, you can also stick to dry yeast. They have enough o2 reserves that they don't need the same care as liquid yeast. Simple is good when you are starting out.

I use a wine de-gasser thing on a power drill now. But I used to shake the bucket or roll the caraboy around my kitchen floor. At some point I'd like to get some pure o2.

And this time of year in OH, I would not worry about yeast getting too cold for a second. Not even with AC running.

 

[vance]

If you are worried about airating the wort, you can also stick to dry yeast. They have enough o2 reserves that they don't need the same care as liquid yeast. Simple is good when you are starting out.

I use a wine de-gasser thing on a power drill now. But I used to shake the bucket or roll the caraboy around my kitchen floor. At some point I'd like to get some pure o2.

And this time of year in OH, I would not worry about yeast getting too cold for a second. Not even with AC running.

Eh, liquid yeast is fine for me - shaking, rolling, or pouring isn't too difficult, although I did splash wort in my face trying to shake the bucket up lmao. I have a power drill I use for the carboy cleaner (not that I need that anymore...) so I can figure out a way to stir up the wort easily enough.

 

[str1p3s]

I did one boil on an electric glass stove top. Never again. I immediately went online and got a gas burner. SOOOOO much better and faster.

 

[kh54s10]

Suggestions.
1) Cool the wort before doing any aeration.
2) Plastic fermenters. IMO glass is too dangerous for the small advantages it might have.
3) Ferment at or below the middle of the yeasts ideal temperature range. Rotating ice bottles works, then look at making a fermentation chamber.
4) Depending on the type of brewing, with extract for example, you can boil less volume then top up with water.
5) Get a propane burner and larger pot as soon as you decide you will continue brewing. IMO 10 gallon for 5 gallon batches, 8 gallon minimum.
6) If you use liquid yeast, get a stirplate and flask and make starters.

7) Get another batch started ASAP!!! You will be surprised how fast the beer will disappear.... Especially if you share any of it.

 

[thekraken]

The wort had cooled slightly - I let it steep for 15 minutes with a flameout addition, and then poured it between buckets a few times to aerate it. It was probably 120-130 ish when I poured to be carboy and it didn't break then. What killed me was I had a cooler of ice to chill the wort in, and I put the carboy full of still warm-hot wort into the bucket of ice... Lesson learned - chill in the kettle, not a carboy.

As for the heat stick I'm probably only going to do a few brews on this stove before I buy a 10 gallon kettle and a propane burner honestly.

You'll want to chill the wort before aerating it.

 

[ncbrewer]

You can partly cover the kettle while boiling - just leave it vented enough to let all the steam escape. I might get some kick-back on this - dissenting opinions welcome.

 

[vance]

Suggestions.
1) Cool the wort before doing any aeration.
2) Plastic fermenters. IMO glass is too dangerous for the small advantages it might have.
3) Ferment at or below the middle of the yeasts ideal temperature range. Rotating ice bottles works, then look at making a fermentation chamber.
4) Depending on the type of brewing, with extract for example, you can boil less volume then top up with water.
5) Get a propane burner and larger pot as soon as you decide you will continue brewing. IMO 10 gallon for 5 gallon batches, 8 gallon minimum.
6) If you use liquid yeast, get a stirplate and flask and make starters.

7) Get another batch started ASAP!!! You will be surprised how fast the beer will disappear.... Especially if you share any of it.

1) Yeah, this makes sense now. Lessons for next time!
2) Plastic fermenters is gonna be what I go with from here. I have a few 6.5 gallon buckets I can ferment in, I just chose the carboy for this batch because it had a little less headspace (5 gallon). I got really lucky that it broke in the cooler, and not all over my floor.
4/5) Already bought a bigger kettle and propane burner, lol. There was a Prime Day deal with an 11 gallon Bayou Classic kettle for 50 bucks, so I hopped on that this morning.
6) I have liquid yeast for this batch. A stirplate is on the list of things I'm going to buy, but not quite at the top (although I'm not sure how much one costs). Next up is almost definitely going to be a kegerator or keezer - I haven't even bottled a batch yet and I'm already dreading it. After that I will most likely get fermentation control going, and then probably making starts.