Salvaging the Hobby

[Homercidal]

I would not recommend rehydrating yeast at 90F. US-05 recommends 80F. I imagine it is different depending upon strain, but 90F seems pretty high for a standard ale yeast.

I think the instructions for most ale strains say 90F. I was surprised too, but that's what they said. Frankly I just use room temp water...

 

[unionrdr]

So did I till I tried it @ 90F. Definitely more active.

 

[TheCADJockey]

I have yet to rehydrate or do anything with my yeast other than just throw it on top of the aerated wort. The airlock started bubbling after only a few hours and has been a constant heartbeat since. We are almost to day 7 in which the recipe called for moving it to secondary, but I believe I may let it ride another 7 and then dry hop it for the last 7 before bottling. This is my idea after all the accumulated info I've mashed together in my head after reading this forum and others. I have a feeling this one may be quite cloudy though, there was a lot of stuff left in it.

 

[unionrdr]

All that stuff will settle out given sufficient time.

 

[TheCADJockey]

Update:

We are now on Day 6, I was planning on transferring it to Secondary tomorrow. My airlock however has stopped bubbling and I was wondering if I should be concerned, or if I should transfer tonight or add more yeast? I've never had one stop, they usually bubble violently until the end. I followed this recipe completely too, didn't substitute anything.

 

[unionrdr]

When the rapid bubbling slows or stops, only initial fermentation is done. It'll then slowly, uneventfully creep down to a stable FG. Patience grasshopper.

 

[TheCADJockey]

Ok ok! I'm being patient, just got worried. Thought I lost her for a minute

 

[unionrdr]

Nah, you're good. No worries,m8.

 

[Homercidal]

This last batch I made a Pale Ale. All was going good. Hanging out with my buddy, drinking a couple of beers BrewerinBr dropped off in exchange for some hops, and then at the end I realized I didn't even take a gravity reading! So I dabbed some wort on my refractometer and found I was off by only .03.

I was so lazy at that point that I skipped rehydrating and just pitched the dry yeast right on the wort! (I feel it's not a sin if the gravity is low enough...)

I should probably check it today and see if it got started.

 

[TheCADJockey]

Should I take a hydrometer reading tomorrow when I transfer to secondary or just transfer it and take a reading in another week when I dry hop? Also any suggestions for taking the reading would be welcome.

Normal procedure for me would've been to clean a tube and siphon a little out into the hydrometer tube.

 

[unionrdr]

Only being on day 6, i'd wait until day 10 or 14. Sanitize anything you take the sample with. Like a baster or auto siphon. I never rack beer anywhere until a stable FG is reached.

 

[TheCADJockey]

Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 5-7days @ 65
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 5-14 days @68-70

This is what the recipe says that I was going off. Thank you for reminding me! I had always got to this point and remember when it was too late, how great it would be to have a baster! I cook and don't have a baster. It makes me angry. I'm going to go buy one on the way home from work :cross:

 

[unionrdr]

And only use it for beer. Other things can leave residue in the bulb. Sanitize it first & you're good.

 

[TheCADJockey]

I need to send you some of my Nugget hops once they are dried and sealed up for all the help

 

[Homercidal]

I recommend a wine thief if and when you can get one. Much easier than a baster IMO.

And I concur with uniondr; this is not a production plant or a race. Wait until 10 days are up.

 

[Hello]

I don't think the temperature you quoted 80f is for rehydrating. 90 degrees is ideal for rehydrating. It can be checked on the yeast companies website.



Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

I think the instructions for most ale strains say 90F. I was surprised too, but that's what they said. Frankly I just use room temp water...

Possibly. They were indeed kit instructions from long ago but US-05 had something at some point that said 80F. I checked the PDF and this is what it says:

Sprinkle the yeast in minimum 10 times its weight of sterile water or wort at 27°c ± 3°C (80°F ± 6°F). Leave to rest 15 to 30 minutes.
Gently stir for 30 minutes, and pitch the resultant cream into the fermentation vessel.
Alternatively, pitch the yeast directly in the fermentation vessel providing the temperature of the wort is above 20°C (68°F). Progressively sprinkle the dry yeast into the wort ensuring the yeast covers all the surface of wort available in order to avoid clumps. Leave for 30 minutes, then mix the wort using aeration or by wort addition.

So when I said "US-05 recommends 80F" I am either right or I am wrong based on the above. As it stands, I believe that 80F meant 80F but with the +/- 6, perhaps that is where 90F comes into play...with muddy math.

I'm interested to learn this too.

I have yet to rehydrate or do anything with my yeast other than just throw it on top of the aerated wort. The airlock started bubbling after only a few hours and has been a constant heartbeat since. We are almost to day 7 in which the recipe called for moving it to secondary, but I believe I may let it ride another 7 and then dry hop it for the last 7 before bottling. This is my idea after all the accumulated info I've mashed together in my head after reading this forum and others. I have a feeling this one may be quite cloudy though, there was a lot of stuff left in it.

I do not rehydrate anymore. People who have used various strains have been all over the map about rehydration vs not. I simply do not. While not all strains are the same, a common one being US-05 does give instructions for both rehydration and pitching dry.
http://www.fermentis.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/SFA_US05.pdf
It is probably out of laziness, but I pitch dry.

Update:

We are now on Day 6, I was planning on transferring it to Secondary tomorrow. My airlock however has stopped bubbling and I was wondering if I should be concerned, or if I should transfer tonight or add more yeast? I've never had one stop, they usually bubble violently until the end. I followed this recipe completely too, didn't substitute anything.

As for secondary, I have mentioned that I will dry hop in primary. I believe someone had also posted about that being okay. Again, you'll get varied opinions but I do not dry hop until krausen has dropped nearly all the way. If there is foam on the top dry hopping, as I know it, is fairly pointless. If you let the krausen drop you'll get better use out of your hops.

Airlock activity is basically nothing to me. Krausen tells me my story for the most part. Krausen forms...it is fermenting. Krasuen drops, initial fermentation has ended and now it is time to dry hop, add adjuncts, or just let it be and let the yeast clean up. Even after krausen drops I don't think about bottling. In your case, given the bottling issues, I would try to wait it out. In fact, I would encourage you to wait it out.

Should I take a hydrometer reading tomorrow when I transfer to secondary or just transfer it and take a reading in another week when I dry hop? Also any suggestions for taking the reading would be welcome.

Normal procedure for me would've been to clean a tube and siphon a little out into the hydrometer tube.

Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 5-7days @ 65
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 5-14 days @68-70

This is what the recipe says that I was going off. Thank you for reminding me! I had always got to this point and remember when it was too late, how great it would be to have a baster! I cook and don't have a baster. It makes me angry. I'm going to go buy one on the way home from work :cross:

He is right, sanitize everything. Anything that comes into contact with your beer should be sanitized. Using an old turkey baster is a bad idea but since you don't have one, you're fine. I used a can opener that has been used for obvious kitchen items and while I thought it was clean, it wasn't. I now have an unintended sour beer sitting in my pantry next chilling out until it turns into an unintended delicious sour. I recommend a beer/wine thief for sure. Some items aren't necessary but they make life easier. I also recommend you having a vessel tall enough that you can float your hydrometer in. The thief supposedly does this but I for some reason have had nothing but issues with the thief leaking. I still like it, but I use a test tube. Combined I got both for well under $50 on amazon.

 

[TheCADJockey]

I have been just filling the protective tube the hydrometer came in with a sample and testing it in that. As I said earlier, I've had no idea what it was for. It looks like this one should work out well with how much everyone has so graciously helped out.

So I am adjusting the schedule from the recipe based on suggestions I've had here. I really want to try the secondary, if for nothing else, so that I can observe what is going on and hopefully understand better.

Now instead of Primary for 7 days and Secondary for 14, I am going to leave it in Primary until Saturday which makes it 10 days. On the 10th day I will transfer from fermentation bucket to carboy and dry hop (if it looks like krausen is ready from Hello's suggestions).

I am in no way hurrying or impatient, just trying to get everything in order and ready so I know what I am doing. Once I transfer to the carboy I am going to start a second batch and hopefully get a collection / brewing rhythm

 

[TheCADJockey]

Just thought I would post a picture I took a few days ago. We play trivia at a local bar once a week and just so happened we won a "trip" downtown to the Labatt Blue Headquarters. Private setting on the ninth floor overlooking downtown, football game on a projector. It was so amazing to get to live the high life for a night. Oh yeah. All the free beer and great food you could eat too! Nothing crazy considering it was Labatt sponsored obviously, but nothing to turn your nose at. I got to enjoy Pyramid Outburst throughout the night as well as try Magic Hat's Wilhelm Scream for the first time. Got a picture with that stupid bear from the commercials too :cross: Oh.. and met a Rodney Dangerfield impersonator that was spot on. What a night..

 

[unionrdr]

In my experience, the krausen drops when initial fermentation is over. It still has yet to creep down to FG. Better to wait until it's done to dry hop for the reasons I stated previously.

 

[TheCADJockey]

Just to keep anyone who might be interested, updated:

The three bushels or so that I harvested from my little Nugget hops crop is almost done drying! The house smells amazing, the temperature is dropping... such a nice start to the fall season. I purchased a FoodSaver vacuum sealer thing and will have a bunch of nice little 3oz. sealed packages

Aside from the usual work related stress, life is good and can only get better once this beer is racked on Saturday and I'm brewing another. A friend also just gave me about 5 pounds of Munton dry light extract that he decided he won't use. Erm. Ok. Time to start sniffing around for some fun recipes for Saturday. Maybe something spicey as I've got a pantry full of fresh cloves, star of anise and cinnamon. Thoughts welcome as always. You guys and girls are amazing, hope all is well.

 

[unionrdr]

The recipes I posted in my recipes link under my avatar ued Munton's plain light DME with Cooper's cans & hops. I like Munton's plain light DME for that classic pale ale color & the English flavor complexities.

 

[TheCADJockey]

Oh boy. Just read that if you don't remove the boil from heat while you add a liquid malt extract, it can add a burnt flavor! I so hope this is not the case. My brew pot is pretty heavy duty, but the wort was a quite dark chocolate color. The stress is back! On a lighter note... its nice to be thinking about my home brew every spare minute of the day

 

[Homercidal]

You can sample the beer now and see if it's burnt tasting...

 

[BGBC]

Also you probably would have noticed some scorching on the bottom of the pot after you removed the wort.

 

[TheCADJockey]

Also you probably would have noticed some scorching on the bottom of the pot after you removed the wort.

No scorching whatsoever. My pot is cleaned and stored, looks brand new. If what you say is true, I will not worry over it and will stay strong for the next two days keeping to the plan:

Saturday, 13th (Day 10 - Adjusted due to suggestions to 10 from 7): I will transfer to my carboy and dry hop with my package of Citra.

I just need to work out what actual day is F.G. reading and preparation for bottling. Recipe read 5-7 days primary 5-14 secondary, I believe. One thing at a time though.

 

[ericbw]

No scorching whatsoever. My pot is cleaned and stored, looks brand new. If what you say is true, I will not worry over it and will stay strong for the next two days keeping to the plan:



Saturday, 13th (Day 10 - Adjusted due to suggestions to 10 from 7): I will transfer to my carboy and dry hop with my package of Citra.



I just need to work out what actual day is F.G. reading and preparation for bottling. Recipe read 5-7 days primary 5-14 secondary, I believe. One thing at a time though.

You might not want to dry hop for more than a week in secondary. Dry hop for the last 5-7 days if secondary.

 

[unionrdr]

^^ this^^

 

[Hello]

No scorching whatsoever. My pot is cleaned and stored, looks brand new. If what you say is true, I will not worry over it and will stay strong for the next two days keeping to the plan:

Saturday, 13th (Day 10 - Adjusted due to suggestions to 10 from 7): I will transfer to my carboy and dry hop with my package of Citra.

I just need to work out what actual day is F.G. reading and preparation for bottling. Recipe read 5-7 days primary 5-14 secondary, I believe. One thing at a time though.

So Saturday makes 10? You can likely check it out on Thursday or Friday. I like to dry hop for about 5 days. I can plan for 5 but if I get busy I know 6 or 7 won't kill me. 7 is absolutely my max just based on what I've read.

 

[TheCADJockey]

So Saturday makes 10? You can likely check it out on Thursday or Friday. I like to dry hop for about 5 days. I can plan for 5 but if I get busy I know 6 or 7 won't kill me. 7 is absolutely my max just based on what I've read.

Yes Saturday is the 10th day. According to the recipe I should've moved to secondary yesterday, but I trust the opinion of the friendly people helping me here more. So I will secondary on the 10th day, Saturday 9/13 and it sounds like I misunderstood the recipe on dry hopping. I will wait until the final week then, so maybe looking at 9/19 or so. I have a big dry erase board at work with a small list of projects laid out on it, and a huge schedule for this beer taking up the rest :cross:

The Nugget hops from the garden were dried and vacuum sealed last night. I ended up with 13 three ounce bags. I'm happy.

 

[madscientist451]

You can't go wrong if you get a 5 gallon bucket and mix up 3-4 gallons of star san solution and have it available all the time. Remember a 2 minute contact time is what is needed, not just a quick rinse. All your transfer lines, fermenters, sampling equipment, anything that touches the beer after it cools from boiling, should get the 2 minute treatment. l submerge my bottles in there before filling. This may be overkill, but I have too much time invested to waste it getting an infection.
I use 1/4 cup corn sugar per gallon for priming. Get a dedicated priming bucket with a spigot or a Walmart cheap water dispenser for under $10 for bottling.
Again all that stuff get the star san treatment.
You can solve mash temp problems by getting a $20 walmart round cooler and a
$7 BIAB bag. Add the grains and strike water to the cooler with the bag stir real good and and you can pretty much forget about it. Pull the bag and siphon or dump the mash into your kettle. Put the bag back in and add your sparge water, and repeat. You can add a ball valve kit later, it's a lot less messy.
Look up a mash temp calculators on the web, there are some around for free.
Hope that helps your salvage operation, good luck.