Starting my second batch

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LovesMeSomeBeer

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I finally have my first batch in bottles and am ready to start my second batch. I am hoping the second time around is a little less stressful. This second batch is a "Noble" Trappist Ale kit from a mail order place (I just this week found that we have a local supply place). I also got the yeast upgrade to a liquid yeast suspension (which I read here is the same as Chimay).

Anyhow, I have 2 plans to pick from and would some help chosing my direction...

1) Ferment in my bucket, then move to a Better Bottle for the supposed clarification benefits.

2) Start out in the Better Bottle and leave it there until ready to bottle.

What I've read here leads me to think I'll get a thumbs up for both of those, but I'm hoping I'll get additional insight by asking.

I can imagine that a trappist ale takes a good long time, maybe longer than folks feel is 'okay' in the primary fermenter, making me lean toward saving the Better Bottle for a potential long-ish stay in a secondary vessel -- especially since I have also read that to not use a bucket for the seconday vessel due to oxygen permeability.

Anyhow, I'm gonna start boiling in a couple of hours and wish I'd thought to ask this yesterday, but I think I'll start with the bucket, then move it to the Better Bottle -- unless enough folks think I should just one vessel for this one.

Thanks!
 
Thanks! I'm glad y'all wrote back. My boil is just about done and once I get this cooled down I had very nearly decided to just do a single stage in the Better Bottle, just so I could watch it :) .
 
Well, this batch went much smoother and less stressful than batch #1.

I think my main mistake was that I didn't think my 3 gallons of wort was cooling fast enough so I made a run up to the closest store & got a bag of ice. I put the ice in the fermenter and poured the wort on it. Well, now the wort is 38 degrees! Yikes. I've decided to let it come up to temperature just a bit before pitching the WL500.

Any thoughts on that?
 
Your beer will probably be fine but purchased ice is anything but sanitary. While you will hear folks say they use it and haven't had an infection the truth is they just haven't had an infection YET. Keep the ice on the outside of the pot and let it do it's job instead of putting it in the wort.
 
Don't go obsessing about it now. I'm sure it will be fine and lots of folks have done it. I have seen too many ice maker insides to think it's a good idea.
 
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