Still new and trying to get educated

[NYShooterGuy]

If anyone here has read any of my past posts, you'll know I'm new to homebrewing, helped a friend on a few of his own before trying my hand at it, and now have two 5 gallon primary buckets fermenting at about 11 and 12 days respectively.

I took hydrometer reading yesterday and was disappointed at the result so I trying researching possible causes for low ABV. I figured the most reasonable reason is poor oxygenation.

Only straining the cooled wort through a fine mesh colander and shacking the bucket for only about 60 seconds (maybe even less) I feel after researching about yeast that I haven't properly oxygenated the wort to give the yeast a comfortable environment to eat the sugars and make alcohol and CO2.

I've read that I could have only given the yeast about half the amount of oxygen it needs, or as I would guess, even less. I've made an online purchase today for an oxygenating stone, pump, line and air filter for all my next batches.

I want to use the system on my beer that has been fermenting the last two weeks.

Will this be beneficial or detrimental to my first 2 "babies"?

 

[doug293cz]

If anyone here has read any of my past posts, you'll know I'm new to homebrewing, helped a friend on a few of his own before trying my hand at it, and now have two 5 gallon primary buckets fermenting at about 11 and 12 days respectively.

I took hydrometer reading yesterday and was disappointed at the result so I trying researching possible causes for low ABV. I figured the most reasonable reason is poor oxygenation.

Only straining the cooled wort through a fine mesh colander and shacking the bucket for only about 60 seconds (maybe even less) I feel after researching about yeast that I haven't properly oxygenated the wort to give the yeast a comfortable environment to eat the sugars and make alcohol and CO2.

I've read that I could have only given the yeast about half the amount of oxygen it needs, or as I would guess, even less. I've made an online purchase today for an oxygenating stone, pump, line and air filter for all my next batches.

I want to use the system on my beer that has been fermenting the last two weeks.

Will this be beneficial or detrimental to my first 2 "babies"?

Detrimental. You do NOT want to oxygenate wort/beer after active fermentation has begun. You will oxidize the beer and likely have off tastes. Typically "wet cardboard" taste for oxidation. Your beer should be ok without the oxygenation, even if it is not the best it could have been. Brewing is an ongoing learning process. Most times the first lessons are far from perfect. Part of the fun is tasting your improvements as your experience grows.

Congratulations on getting the aeration equipment. This will help with all your future brews.

Brew on

 

[brewkinger]

I took hydrometer reading yesterday and was disappointed at the result so I trying researching possible causes for low ABV.

First question(s) that I have:

What was the "reading" that makes you think you have low ABV?

What was your OG (gravity before ferment)?





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[NYShooterGuy]

I'd have to go home and get my notes. The gravity definitely dropped, but not as much as I would have wanted. I would have wanted about another 1/2 or 1 % more ABV, but I did get attenuation.

 

[chickypad]

I took hydrometer reading yesterday and was disappointed at the result so I trying researching possible causes for low ABV. I figured the most reasonable reason is poor oxygenation.

Like brewkinger said more info will get you better help - like OG/FG, recipe, yeast - what strain,how much did you pitch, fermentation temp schedule, etc. I don't know that I would jump to blaming your oxygenation unless you also underpitched and/or had a big beer (at least based on my own experience with forgetting to oxygenate). If you happen to be using dry yeast it's even less important.

 

[Cyclman]

You will get better fermentations with pure O2 and a stone, in my experience.

Temp is important, a stirplate is a great investment to save $ on yeast while pitching in appropriate quantities. I use BeerSmith to determine optimal starter sizes, great program.

 

[paperairplane]

Stop worrying about your beer - especially at 10 days. Check at day 21 and see how it's going.

 

[smccarter]

Stop worrying is the best advice anyone can give you.

Brew the beer, ferment the beer, bottle or keg the beer, cool it, then drink it.

THEN... and only then... will you be able to tell if you've brewed a beer or not. Drink about six or seven of them then tell us how you feel.

If it tasted good, and you're drunk, then you did well young grasshopper. If it tastes like crap and you don't feel drunk, then... well... maybe you did something wrong.

Always remember that this is a hobby. There may be a few bonified brew masters on this message board, but I'd bet that a very small percentage, if even that, of users here are anywhere close to being brew masters. We do this because we really enjoy the hobby. It should be relaxing and enjoyable, and the end product is pretty nice. It really is a nice bonus to the hobby. You could build model airplanes, but to get any affect from that hobby you'd have to sniff glue. I'm not sure I'd advise anyone to sniff glue, but I would suggest that anyone who wants to have a nice evening to drink a well crafted home brew or two... or more.

Let your beer ferment for a week or so, then pull it out of the chamber and let it rest for another week or so. Then cold crash, then bottle or keg. Not a huge endeavor, but you have to be patient. You'll be happy you were.

 

[NYShooterGuy]

Let your beer ferment for a week or so, then pull it out of the chamber and let it rest for another week or so. Then cold crash, then bottle or keg. Not a huge endeavor, but you have to be patient. You'll be happy you were.

I'm new to this hobby, but I've never heard about cold crashing a beer to bottle it. Could you explain what that means?

 

[NYShooterGuy]

Let your beer ferment for a week or so, then pull it out of the chamber and let it rest for another week or so. Then cold crash, then bottle or keg. Not a huge endeavor, but you have to be patient.

Can you explain cold crashing before bottling?

 

[Hoppity]

Can you explain cold crashing before bottling?

Chill the fermenter to mid 30s F. for 48-72 hours. Items in suspension will drop out to clear the beer.

 

[mjdonnelly68]

Blasting in some pure O2 right after you fill the fermenter and right before you pitch the yeast will definitely promote a full and vigorous fermentation.

That being said, it's not the first place I would look if you are not seeing the attenuation you expected. As you are just starting out, my guess would be that your yeast pitch rate was too low (get thee to Mr. Malty toot sweet).

Next I would make sure that you are aptly controlling your fermentation temperature. If you have the means, build yourself a fermentation chamber with some sort of temperature control.

Pitch Rate and Temperature Control = 93% of your solution
Oxygen at Pitch = 7% of your solution

Good luck and welcome to the hobby. Sweating this type of stuff is part of the fun.

 

[RM-MN]

Can you explain cold crashing before bottling?

Cold crashing is chilling the beer to get more of the suspended yeast to clump together and settle out so you keep more of it out of the bottle. More time in the fermenter will do the same thing but it takes much longer. If you are on your first batch, you are probably antsy to sample so the cold crashing gets you clearer beer faster. By the them you are at my stage in the brewing pipeline and have 150 bottles brewed and ready to drink, waiting an extra week or month just isn't a big thing.

 

[gwapogorilla]

Just a quick reply to the title of your thread.....

I don't think you will EVER stop learning in this hobby. There is always some way to advance/improve....new techniques, hop and yeast varieties.

But, your looking in the right place. There are some really talented and knowledgeable people in this group. Even more awesome....they share their knowledge!:rockin:

 

[unionrdr]

It means after FG is reached, secondary the beer & chill the secondary to 38F or so for a few days so the yeast goes dormant & the trub settles out. I don't cold crash as I don't have the capacity. So I give it a week after FG is reached to clean up n& settle out clear or slightly misty before priming & bottling. This gives a very clear beer with little trub/yeast at the bottom.

 

[alliemackie]

Stop worrying is the best advice anyone can give you.

Brew the beer, ferment the beer, bottle or keg the beer, cool it, then drink it.

THEN... and only then... will you be able to tell if you've brewed a beer or not. Drink about six or seven of them then tell us how you feel.

If it tasted good, and you're drunk, then you did well young grasshopper. If it tastes like crap and you don't feel drunk, then... well... maybe you did something wrong.

Always remember that this is a hobby. There may be a few bonified brew masters on this message board, but I'd bet that a very small percentage, if even that, of users here are anywhere close to being brew masters. We do this because we really enjoy the hobby. It should be relaxing and enjoyable, and the end product is pretty nice. It really is a nice bonus to the hobby. You could build model airplanes, but to get any affect from that hobby you'd have to sniff glue. I'm not sure I'd advise anyone to sniff glue, but I would suggest that anyone who wants to have a nice evening to drink a well crafted home brew or two... or more.

Great advice!

Our first beer had lower ABV than projected (3.8% as opposed to 5%) but it was still a delicious beer coming out of the fermenter AND out of the bottle. Granted that we still wanted to learn why it didn't work (and I think we did because our next beer was fab) but really, in this hobby patience and education is key.

Relax. Don't worry. Have a homebrew.

 

[NYShooterGuy]

Thanks guys. I don't have the space, time or money to buy or fabricate a cold fermentation chamber. I'm going to rack to into a big mouth bubbler today and tomorrow for the two I have in primaries. I'm going to wash the yeast today as well and again in two more weeks for bottling day. From just looking at the beer durring this morning's gravity reading, the beer is VERY COULDY and I wouldn't be happy if I was served this beer. Hopefully after a second week in a secondary will clear it up.

 

[McGarnigle]

After it's bottled and fully carbonated, it will clear a lot in the fridge if you're patient.

 

[chickypad]

If it's still cloudy and you're disappointed because it hasn't reached the gravity you were expecting then it's probably still fermenting and you're better of leaving it alone. Time is the important factor for clearing, not the act of transferring to another vessel. Still waiting on the details of the batch and why you think there is a major problem.