starting a second batch before first batch finishes?

[dukedog]

I brewed my first batch ever this past Saturday, a Chinook IPA, and everything appears to be going as planned... how many of you brewed up a second batch before you found out the results of your first brew?


Or is doing that being overaggressive? I just know that the 5 gallons I have fermenting right now isn't gonna last long once it's good to drink (knock on wood).

 

[Frodo]

Overaggressive? With making beer? Is that possible? Worst case (well maybe not worst case) you have a bunch of buddies over to help you get rid of a substandard batch.

 

[passedpawn]

I think it is a great idea and that you should do it. But, I think I can speak for many of us that it was quite new and foreign and I wasn't sure I had made anything drinkable. I didn't consider making another one until I tasted my first sip.

That was back before this forum existed, and before I found any good resources other than Charlie's book.

 

[earl]

I cracked open the first bottle of my first batch (5 days in bottles) while brewing my second batch!! I followed the kit directions to a T and sanitized/sanitized!! Had many concerns about how the first batch would taste. It tastes great even this early!! Go for the 2nd batch!! As many have stated, "Start your pipeline" I would like to get to the point that I do not buy beer at the store....Time will tell

Cheers!

 

[beretta]

Congrats. If you plan not to buy beer at stores, you will find you have more motivation to bottle. Bottling's charms will wear off fast. I haven't bought a appreciable amount of "store" beer in 3 years.

Of course, going to the doctor's office is always fun when they ask: "How much do you drink?".... "2 or 3 gallons per week.", I say. Then the nurse frowns and writes something on the clipboard. *sigh*

 

[brentt03]

I am at the same point right now....I just brewed my 3rd batch yesterday, and I am already wanting to brew it again.

I a hesitant because I want to taste how this one turned out first, but a couple of things weren't spot on in the first brew, so I thought about tackling the second and correcting the issues.

 

[h22lude]

I also waited until I tasted my first batch before making another one. Just wanted to make sure it tasted good. But it really doesn't matter. If you beer tastes good, you will make another batch. If it doesn't taste good, you will research why and then make another batch. Either way you are going to make another batch.

Right now I have 2 beers fermenting and I really want to make another one. At some point I am going to have fermenters all over my house

20 to 30 beers a week? Sounds like a Saturday night for me hahaha

 

[Gtrman13]

I always have three beers going at once! It would be even more if I had more equipment!

 

[jer204]

I've got a pale ale in a secondary, an IPA in a primary and cooking an imperial stout as I type. I plan on brewing again this weekend. Yes, keep going. You'll soon find out you'll be running out of beer if you don't.

 

[sockmerchant]

I seem to have two or three going now... and I have only been at it a bit over a month. That is to say my first batch is only now tasting close to as it should. Pity I only have four 750ml bottles left

I have two others conditioning in bottles (another couple of weeks away from being cracked).

I have two in secondaries as of today. That means I have a fermenter free! Brew day as soon as i my yeast arrives. Probably the weekend.

 

[weconway]

I'm about to brew my 4th and 5th batches, and I've barely tasted my first. Even though I'm not sure they all turned out fine, I know enough about the process to understand what can be improved for next time.

 

[dukedog]

Ok, looks like I will soon be purchasing another secondary carboy.. what's the shipping normally run on the glass 5 gallon carboys? I'm debating doing glass vs plastic.

 

[Shinglejohn]

I brewed three batches before trying my first.

 

[MomsBrewing]

I have one batch I just bottled, another that just went into 2nd fermentation and I'll be brewing another batch this coming weekend.

 

[Frodo]

delete post...

 

[eljefe]

Think of it as building up your pipeline. Once you finish your second one, plan on brewinga higher gravity beer that will need to sit longer before and after bottling. You should have enough to cover you for 4 - 6 months while the third batch ages. Always better to have too much then none.

 

[eljefe]

Ok, looks like I will soon be purchasing another secondary carboy.. what's the shipping normally run on the glass 5 gallon carboys? I'm debating doing glass vs plastic.

Several of the online vendors offer flat rate shipping or free shipping - Austin Home Brew, Northern Brewer, More Beer and Brewmasters Warehouse are a few.

I have both better bottle and glass. Both work well and have their pros and cons. Glass is breakable. BB can be scratched. There are also posts on here of people who have found water cooler bottles that worked, but make sure you get the right one if you go that route (there should be a "1" in the recycling symbol on the bottom of the bottle, most have a "7").

 

[harrv]

I'm a noobie, with two batches made and none in bottles (or kegged) yet. So, I didn't wait. Couldn't. Tasted the hydrometer sample I took on Saturday from the first batch. That was the first taste of my own beer. It was flat, of course, but wonderful. I love this.

 

[jonmohno]

I brew weekly. I have a three week rotation schedule making smaller batches gives me a chance to experiment and a good variety as opposed to alot of something that didnt turn out so well. If i got an open vessel, its time to brew-time is ticking.

 

[harrv]

Several of the online vendors offer flat rate shipping or free shipping - Austin Home Brew, Northern Brewer, More Beer and Brewmasters Warehouse are a few.

Although when I was looking into buying a carboy from Northern, I found that glass carboys were not included in their flat rate. Not sure about the others though.

 

[eljefe]

Although when I was looking into buying a carboy from Northern, I found that glass carboys were not included in their flat rate. Not sure about the others though.

I am not surprised. There was also a thread a week or two ago on here about Amazon selling them cheaply as well as having the super saver discount. However, if I recall correctly, they were on back order. I think this was the thread:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/6-gallon-glass-carboy-24-shipped-amazon-com-209028/

You can also post a Wanted to Buy in the classified section. Someone here may have an extra that they would be willinf to part with.

Good luck

 

[Stoutman82]

I'm starting number 2 literally planned it out while botteling my first its addictive.

 

[flabyboy]

I've made 4 kits so far. Until tonight, only one had been bottled. Got one lagering and another 10 days in primary

 

[dukedog]

Well you all have convinced me to order another carboy + accessories. I hope you're happy!

 

[brentt03]

Well you all have convinced me to order another carboy + accessories. I hope you're happy!

I am happy! Cause I did the same!!! It has now become an addicting hobby

 

[tekknoschtev]

My first two brews had months/years between them, just because I was busy between work, college, and fixing a house up. That, and my first batch was... interesting. It was beer, that's for sure, but not beer I'd happily purchase.

Now that I've graduated, got another house in progress but its the one I'm living in, and have a little more time and disposable income to deal with, I find myself brewing 1-2 batches every couple of weeks. Right now there's three fermenting, one naturally carbonating in the keg, and three full kegs in the fridge. Kegging also helped me increase the frequency of brewing, along with getting my brother and a mutual friend involved as well.

So, by all means, get something else rolling. Try something different than what you have going now too. I've found that the more I've increased brewing, the more willing I am to experiment with new recipes too.

 

[AlphaKing11]

Ive brewed 4 batches and I brewed the second without tasting the first. I made my first beer without crystal and overhopped it. Thats been my biggest hurdle so far, balancing malt to hops.

 

[JSkeksi]

I just brewed my second batch Sunday night, and have a week+ to go before tasting the first batch which was bottled the week before.

 

[Jawbox0]

Go for it, as long as you have enough Primary fermenters. Don't dump a beer into secondary before it's ready just to free a primary.

 

[RM-MN]

Well you all have convinced me to order another carboy + accessories. I hope you're happy!

Only one? BTW, the plastic fermenter buckets are cheaper and do a great job. I think you could buy two of them for the price of one carboy and the buckets stack. What's wrong with having 3 or 4 fermenters?

 

[brewit2it]

I cracked open the first bottle of my first batch (5 days in bottles) while brewing my second batch!! I followed the kit directions to a T and sanitized/sanitized!! Had many concerns about how the first batch would taste. It tastes great even this early!! Go for the 2nd batch!! As many have stated, "Start your pipeline" I would like to get to the point that I do not buy beer at the store....Time will tell

Cheers!

I almost did this. I brewed my second batch on a saturday and drank the first bottle from the first batch the next day on Sunday. It's a little bit of a fib since I did brew for a bit about 10 years ago, but with that long of a layoff I feel like I'm starting over. If I had more bottles I would probably do a 3rd batch but I'm going to have to wait until I empty some of these

 

[eljefe]

Only one? BTW, the plastic fermenter buckets are cheaper and do a great job. I think you could buy two of them for the price of one carboy and the buckets stack. What's wrong with having 3 or 4 fermenters?

Great point, there is no reason that you can't use another bucket as a secondary.

I have no scientific basis to make this assertion nor any personal experience that leads me to believe that I am right, but that won't stop me. My only caution would be the headspace between the top of the beer and the bucket. In a five gallon carboy, you are minimizing the exposure of the beer to oxygen. In a primary bucket, the surface area is greater. Since the yeast are less active, you may run the risk of creating some off flavors. Again, I am winging this so people smarter than me will probably dispute my claim.

 

[tekknoschtev]

Only one? BTW, the plastic fermenter buckets are cheaper and do a great job. I think you could buy two of them for the price of one carboy and the buckets stack. What's wrong with having 3 or 4 fermenters?

Get some buckets! I used to think carboys were the most awesome thing in the world, and even now its fun to watch things happening, but the buckets are significantly cheaper, easier to carry around, and I've never almost had a bucket slip out of my hands. I won't get rid of my carboys, but if I need fermenters in the future, they're going to be buckets.