Straining wort before pitch

[TMadness1013]

Hi all,

First timer here & naturally nervous about my first brew. It's a true-brew porter kit.

As I was putting my wort into my 3 gallons of cold water, I strained it. As I look back on the directions, this was not suggested. Could it be possible I strained out some vital elements?

I'm nervous because there was only visible fermentation for the first 24hrs. I consulted with a friend who suggested to re-pitch. I did, but that only gave me a few more hours of activity. The hydrometer reading has stayed solid at 1.022 for 2 days now. Original gravity was 1.05

It also doesn't help that I'm without A/C and its been 80+ degrees the last several days in the house. Probably cooler in the basement where I'm attempting fermentation.

Any insight is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[bobbrews]

Don't be nervous.
Relax. Wait. Time is your friend. You want that gravity to drop even further.
Colder would be better, but you'll still have beer.

 

[joyceman]

I always use a paint strainer to pull out hops and grain materials from my wort when I transfer from my kettle to my fermenter, no probs yet.

Itll help your clarity and youll have less trub when youre done fermenting. Both good things.

 

[sidepart]

To answer your main question about the strainer. Don't worry about it, it shouldn't cause any problems. The wort is full of fermentable sugars that are dissolved. That's what the yeast is eating and converting. That goo you strain out is mostly hop gunk, not important.

Temperature is key. You'll have beer if it was fermenting at 77-80F, but there'll probably be some "off flavors". For instance, my WLP060 starter was a little sour because I couldn't keep it's temp below 77 for the first few days of fermentation. Not a problem though. I think bobbrews advice is sound. Relax and let it do it's thing. Don't fuss with it.

If it still doesn't attenuate anymore, one thing you can look at would be to maybe pitch more yeast cells. This might mean pitching more dry yeast or making a yeast starter out of liquid yeast. Generally, high gravity beers require more yeast. I think it has to do with all of the extra sugars, but someone else can comment on that. The guys here introduced me to this fancy calculator: http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html to give some guidance on how much of a starter to make (or how many grams of dry yeast to pitch).

 

[evrose]

Temperature is BY FAR the most important of the variables you've presented. It's impossible to say if your pitch rate was ideal without details, but I'd be willing to bet that's not the primary issue. Straining certainly didn't cause a problem.

As others have said, in the end you'll have beer and it will probably be fine. Learning to brew is an iterative process... as you do it more, you learn how to control the process with more precision. This brew may not end up being the best ever, but that's no reason to worry (too much).

 

[hepcat]

Set up a swamp cooler, they work really well controlling ferm temp and are cheap and easy to set up. Good luck!

 

[sidepart]

Set up a swamp cooler, they work really well controlling ferm temp and are cheap and easy to set up. Good luck!

Where are you guys finding these cheap swamp coolers?

 

[evrose]

Where are you guys finding these cheap swamp coolers?

I walked right by a large 18 gallon round rope handled bucket-thing at Home Depot this morning. It was about $7.

I can't find it quickly on the HD website, but here's one that looks just like it at Walmart: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-Rope-Handle-Tub-Blue/19400074

 

[Keithww]

Beware of the Walmart oil drain pan. I used one for my swamp cooler and it worked great until I removed the carboy and it was split right down the middle. Seems that the weight of the beer was forming a seal and the water I was adding wasn't leaking out, but I was a little scared at first that the floor under it would be totaled.

 

[Stauffbier]

TMadness, being an extract kit, and since you re-pitched it's very likely that the batch is finished. Adding more yeast isn't going to do any good. Let it sit and check gravity again in a couple days. If it's the same as before, then it's ready to bottle or keg.

As far as straining goes... You can strain all you want, but it isn't necessary. A lot of people (like myself) don't strain at all. I pour everything into the fermenter. Gunk and all!

The biggest issue, as mentioned, is your fermentation temps. That high of a temp is going to create off flavors that probably won't go away even after a long conditioning time. One of the BEST things you can do for your beers quality is to control fermentation temps. Like everyone above said, make a swamp cooler. If you have (or can purchase) an ice chest, they work the best since they are insulated and will retain the temps longer. Toss a bottle of frozen water (or two or three) in a couple times a day to keep the fermenter(s) cool. I keep the water in my swamp cooler around 59-62F for most ales....

 

[kwingert]

I think it fermented in about 24 hours, which is not unheard of. I looked at the true brew porter kit and its says it attentuates about 31 points and yours attentuated 28 which is pretty close.

 

[sww35]

Question from a newb here also. These swamp coolers, would a sterilite tote container filled with ice water one time work well? If I were to allow the ice to melt and the colder water temp to keep the carboy cold over the initial fermenting process? My basement already stays cooler then my upstairs and we keep the house temp up stairs at 73.

 

[sidepart]

Question from a newb here also. These swamp coolers, would a sterilite tote container filled with ice water one time work well? If I were to allow the ice to melt and the colder water temp to keep the carboy cold over the initial fermenting process? My basement already stays cooler then my upstairs and we keep the house temp up stairs at 73.

I just use a tote filled with water. Doesn't really need to be sterile I guess. It does a decent job of keeping the temperature consistent even though the basement is cool at night/warm in the day. If it's too hot in the basement (like now), I use those Rubbermaid Blue Ice packs. Cleaned Menards out of them, they're about $1.50 a piece.

If you're house is central cooled to 73F, and your basement is cooler than that...what are you worried about? I'd imagine you're pretty well set right now.

 

[sww35]

Haven't yet started my first brew, that is why I am worried. Taking in notes and asking questions here in the forums. From what I remember reading already, the fermentation activity actually spikes the temperature of the the fermenting beer. Hence why I had a concern of keeping the carboy at about 10 degrees lower than 73F. However, thanks for sharing that you fill a tote with water also.

 

[joyceman]

Haven't yet started my first brew, that is why I am worried. Taking in notes and asking questions here in the forums. From what I remember reading already, the fermentation activity actually spikes the temperature of the the fermenting beer. Hence why I had a concern of keeping the carboy at about 10 degrees lower than 73F. However, thanks for sharing that you fill a tote with water also.

Im in roughly the same position as you with temps. My basement is usually around 65-66 this time of year. I use the tub with ice for the first week or so to keep the temps stable in the mid 60 during active ferm. After that i usually let it go to room temp.

 

[sww35]

Im in roughly the same position as you with temps. My basement is usually around 65-66 this time of year. I use the tub with ice for the first week or so to keep the temps stable in the mid 60 during active ferm. After that i usually let it go to room temp.

Thanks for confirmation man. I'll go with your advice.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Haven't yet started my first brew, that is why I am worried. Taking in notes and asking questions here in the forums. From what I remember reading already, the fermentation activity actually spikes the temperature of the the fermenting beer. Hence why I had a concern of keeping the carboy at about 10 degrees lower than 73F. However, thanks for sharing that you fill a tote with water also.

The problem with air is that it doesn't hold or conduct heat well at all. The beauty of a swamp cooler (I use tote bins filled with water) is that water maintains its temperature a lot better than air does, and even without adding ice it'll greatly increase the thermal mass of the whole thing and help mitigate the heat of fermentation.

Take a few of empty gallon milk jugs, fill em up with water and freeze (leaving enough empty space before freezing so they don't break when the ice expands). With one (or several if needed) in the swamp cooler, the rest still in the freezer, you can swap out as needed. I've been able to hold as low as 40 degrees pretty steady with that method (albeit a lot of work), might even be able to go colder but haven't tried. Holding stable in the the low 60s is really easy and pretty much effortless.

Edit: On original topic, I tried straining for a little while, didn't notice any real difference it made, so I usually don't any more.

 

[hepcat]

Where are you guys finding these cheap swamp coolers?

Got mine at Lowe's, ~$8. Big blue tub with rope handles. I put a cap full or two of bleach in the swamp cooler water too to prevent any algae from forming on the tub and fermenter. If you do put bleach in the swamp cooler water, and use a bucket like mine, I don't let the bucket handle hang down the side of the bucket because the bleach in the water would eventually corrode it.