Second Batch Success

[MikeB]

I brewed my second batch Friday, an American Amber Ale, and it went so much smoother than my first. I just felt more in control of the process and was far less worried over some of the variables involved. Things I was nervous about the first time--cooling the wort, pitching temperature, etc.--weren't nearly as much a problem. The first time I got impatient getting the wort temp down and ended up pitching at just over 80 degrees. Friday, I pitched at 69 and have had the fermenter at around 62 ever since.

I think what made things at least seem easier is that I was able to employ the zen-like practice of RDWHAHB because my first batch had just reached three weeks in the bottle.

The fun factor went way up as the "Oh my God, did I sanitize that spoon?" factor went down.

 

[FlyGuy]

Sounds like you are getting into the groove of brewing. Fantastic. And yes, keeping the anxiety level down helps you to stay on track, think about the process, and make better beer. Each batch is going to get easier and easier. At some point, it is going to get so easy that you will start looking to partial mashing, all grain brewing, decoctions, etc. Be careful -- its a slippery slope to obsession!

Hope that second batch turns out--it sounds like a winner already! Cheers!

 

[MikeB]

I'm already researching how to build a mash tun for that next step. I was just looking at the space where I've got my fermenter and figured with a little rearranging I could fit maybe two more along side it. Hmmm. Ideas, ideas . . .

 

[s3n8]

Brewed my second batch today and things went pretty smooth. Its an Imperial Stout extract kit from morebeer.com. Other than a small boil over for no apparent reason at minute 33 (weird), I had no problems. Chalk that up to learning to use the turkey frier.

Cooling went well. Little trick I tried this time, those disposable-ish glad containers that lunch meat and things come in make nice ice cubes. They are big, and 4 of them = 1 Gallon or pretty close enough, and that + ice water in the sink the temp came down in about 10 minutes.

Pitched the starter around 2pm and its bubbling, but no krausen yet. Hoping to see some impressive activity tomorrow am before work.

Another trick I learned here is to keep a bucket of *san handy and keep spoons and stuff in there when they aren't being used. Seems a good use for my fermenting bucket since I bought a 6.5Gal carboy.

 

[ohiobrewtus]

Congrats! It gets so much easier after you get a few batches under your belt. We've all been there!