slower primaries with steeping grains?

[Movinfr8]

Did a clone of Newcastle Brown from AHB on Monday, and it took about 48 hours for the bubbles to start. I just relaxed. the rate never got past a bubble every 25 seconds or so. I didn't worry. The bubbles seem to have stopped. I had a homebrew.
just for kicks, I tested the sg. It was 1.021, a little high. I drank the sample. It had better finish up good, cause it sure tastes good right now......
does the steeping usually cause a slower primary?
also, should I store the other kit (a wheat with steeping grains) in the fridge?
TIA,
Norm

 

[TexLaw]

I've never seen steeping cause a slower primary, and I've never heard of that.

It could be temperature, or it could be that you missed the main part of it. 1.021 is high for what I expect a Newcastle Brown clone to finish up, though. If it's good, though, rock on. Just be careful if you are going to bottle it.


TL

 

[Soulive]

I agree with Tex, I really can't see that mattering at all. It has to be something else...

 

[malkore]

You're blaming the steeping grains when its really a lack of optimal aeration and yeast pitching.
I've had fermentation take 3 days to start up before because I didn't pitch enough yeast, the pitching temp was wrong, and I didn't get enough oxygen in the wort.

I'm sure the beer's going to be fine though. You don't need to store your other kit in the fridge, although it wouldn't be bad to toss the hops in the fridge.

 

[Orfy]

The grains need to be kept cool and dry and dark. The hops should be kept dry and cold.

I agree wilth Malkores comments.
If anything the grains will help the yeast.

 

[TheJadedDog]

I agree with Malkore. Steeping grains is not what caused your lag time, it was the yeast and fermentation environment.

1.021 is a little high, I would give it more time and see if it drops lower; just because the airlock isn't bubbling, that doesn't mean fermentation is finished.

 

[Movinfr8]

You're blaming the steeping grains when its really a lack of optimal aeration and yeast pitching.
I've had fermentation take 3 days to start up before because I didn't pitch enough yeast, the pitching temp was wrong, and I didn't get enough oxygen in the wort.

I'm sure the beer's going to be fine though. You don't need to store your other kit in the fridge, although it wouldn't be bad to toss the hops in the fridge.

no, not blaming at all. In fact, I do not forsee going back to DME after smelling the steeping grains. I guess the extra heating of the water may have de-oxygenated it a bit, but I poured it back and forth between primary and pot to aerate. I haven't used this yeast before, and done this style, but it seems to be coming along nicely, still have a couple of days and will check it Monday.
Thanks everybody!

 

[TheJadedDog]

no, not blaming at all. In fact, I do not forsee going back to DME after smelling the steeping grains.

I am concerned about this statement. Do you mean you plan to move to AG? If you are only steeping specialty grains you must continue to use extract or you will not have any fermentables. I don't mean to be an EAC, I just want to make sure I understand what you mean by this.

I guess the extra heating of the water may have de-oxygenated it a bit, but I poured it back and forth between primary and pot to aerate. I haven't used this yeast before, and done this style, but it seems to be coming along nicely, still have a couple of days and will check it Monday.
Thanks everybody!

The boil removes ALL the oxygen from the water. If you boil your top-off water too that means there is NO oxygen in the wort until you aerate. I'm confused about the method you used to aerate, I would recommend pouring vigorously into the primary then stirring for shaking for a few minutes.

 

[Orfy]

The boil removes ALL the oxygen from the water.

WOW..... Hydrogen beer.

 

[Movinfr8]

I am concerned about this statement. Do you mean you plan to move to AG? If you are only steeping specialty grains you must continue to use extract or you will not have any fermentables. I don't mean to be an EAC, I just want to make sure I understand what you mean by this.



The boil removes ALL the oxygen from the water. If you boil your top-off water too that means there is NO oxygen in the wort until you aerate. I'm confused about the method you used to aerate, I would recommend pouring vigorously into the primary then stirring for shaking for a few minutes.

ok, I'm biting but only this once.
I work 75 or so hours a week, and was exhausted earlier so I'll explain.
I Do plan to eventually move to AG when I have time to spend 6-8 hours brewing, but as there was no DME in this kit, only 6.5 lbs of LME plus the grain, (edit: and the yeast, instructions and containers for each and packing supplies, just to be precise ) I mistakenly assumed that the specialty grains take the place of the DME.
The method for aeration was: pouring the contents from about 2 feet into the fermenter (from the brewpot) then pouring to the brewpot from the fermentor. Repeat the process several times until there is a lot of foam on top of the wort and that would be an accurate description of the process.
I would think that removing ALL the oxygen from the water would consist of boiling all the water out of existance, thus leaving you with a mess in the bottom of a brewpot, so, what I meant was that it may have removed a little more oxygen having it heated about a third longer than I had ever heated the water in a brewing process in my 5 batches before. I hope this clears it all up, but I have a 5 year old to take to the park.
by the way, what is a EAC?
Norm

 

[TheJadedDog]

WOW..... Hydrogen beer.

Didn't you see olllllo's post about the brewing equipment?

Seriously though, I meant it removes all the dissolved oxygen that the yeast would use for fermentation.

 

[Orfy]

I know......

Just pulling the chain.