Tips for my next batch?

[kwilson07]

All,

I will be brewing my third batch this weekend. It will be a kit from midwest supplies called the winter ale. The URL is below.

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/winter-ale.html

Anyway, i am seeking advice to help my beer taste the best it can.

My plan is to have a yeast starter (which i started today)
brew tomorrow
1 month in primary (room temp ~72 degrees)
1 month in secondary (room temp ~72 degrees)
1 month in bottles (room temp ~72 degrees).

The only thing outside the recipe that i am using is Irish moss to help with the clarity.

Is there any brewing techniques that could help make the beer taste better. I am not an advance brewer so please keep the suggestions at the novice level .

Also if you have any experience with this kit specifically, please let me know of any hardships or suggestions you have. Thanks

 

[IkeKrizzule]

- Not sure what yeast you're using, but probably need to lower temperature. Search swamp cooler for a cheap easy method.
- Make a big enough yeast starter, use an online calculator.
- I would skip the secondary and just bottle age after the month long primary. More things to go wrong and debatable benefit to that secondary.

 

[the_trout]

Two things made my beer taste much better.
1) Use better water - chlorine in my tap water was giving me problems
2) Control fermentation temps - as said by Ike, search Swamp Cooler

 

[Fennis]

I think the biggest concern I see that may change the taste/quality of your beer is temperature.

I am not sure what yeast you are using, but 72 is usually on the high end for ale yeast. I prefer to keep my fermenting temperatures in the mid to high 60s if I can because if the ambient temperature is 72, your fermentation temperatures are even higher as the working yeast will generate some heat.

Is there a reason you want to secondary? Of course do whatever you like, but racking to secondary can increase the chance of introducing unwanted bacteria and oxygen to your batch. Allowing that beer to sit in the primary for 2-3 weeks (or a month if you wish) instead will produce similar results and take any risks away of transferring to a secondary. Plus you are already using irish moss for clarity, so I just do not see a secondary being necessary.

I am not sure if you have a hydrometer, but it does help in figuring out if your beer is ready to bottle.

I am sure some will disagree as this is up for debate, but I do not see much of a reason to really let your beer sit for a month in primary. I've brewed a number of batches now, and I just have not seen much of a difference between allowing the beer to sit in primary for a month versus 2-3 weeks. I pretty much stick to 2 weeks in the primary and then I rack to a keg...I don't bottle any longer, so the only difference there is you need to batch prime and let the bottles sit for a few weeks.

You are making somewhat of a bigger beer, so it might take some time to condition out in the bottles, but just give it time.

 

[Phunhog]

Temperature control is #1!! Do a search for swamp coolers....it will make a HUGE difference. #2 is too shake the crap out of the carboy before you pitch your yeast....you need to get as much o2 into the wort as possible. #3. I would let the beer primary for 3 weeks and then bottle....skip the secondary

 

[duboman]

I brewed that a looong time ago and if I remember correctly it is a clean ale yeast like 05 or 1056 so you are going to want to drop your fermentation temp to 62-68, definitely not 72.

Go the swamp cooler route if you have no keezer

Forget the whole calendar thing, yeast don't work that way. Give the beer 7-10 days to ferment and check gravity, verify again on day 14, if unchanged and at FG you can either rack it to secondary and bulk condition for a few weeks (Temp does not matter at his time but not too warm) or keep it inprimary for another couple weeks to drop clear. Then package and allow to condition and carbonate for a few weeks at 70 and try one. If you want you can certainly just park them somewhere cool and dark until the winter and then enjoy!

 

[C-Rider]

LIke everyone has said....Ferment at lower temp. Low to mid 60's and forget the secondary. If you're gonna do this, brewing, look into a chest freezer to ferment in w/a temp controller if you have the room.

 

[ktblunden]

LIke everyone has said....Ferment at lower temp. Low to mid 60's and forget the secondary. If you're gonna do this, brewing, look into a chest freezer to ferment in w/a temp controller if you have the room.

This all the way. There is no other change you can make that will have the biggest impact on the finished product than to control fermentation temperature. 72° room temperature means your actual wort temp is much higher (yeast generate heat during fermentation).

 

[kwilson07]

Thank you all for the great replies.

So i might be making a swamp cooler way more difficult than it should be, but just to be sure:

fill plastic tub with water up to the the level of the beer in the carboy. Next, add a frozen water bottle about twice a day to keep the temperature down. Finally drape a towel over the top. Bing bang boom, a swamp cooler???

Here is my next novice question: bucket or better bottle carboy?

 

[DuckiesRevenge]

Thank you all for the great replies.

So i might be making a swamp cooler way more difficult than it should be, but just to be sure:

fill plastic tub with water up to the the level of the beer in the carboy. Next, add a frozen water bottle about twice a day to keep the temperature down. Finally drape a towel over the top. Bing bang boom, a swamp cooler???

Here is my next novice question: bucket or better bottle carboy?

Either. People on here have had great success both ways. I do buckets personally and if I bulk age as mentioned (ie 6 months or more), i use a glass carboy. As long as your sanitation and cleaning is top notch you will be just fine.

 

[ktblunden]

Thank you all for the great replies.

So i might be making a swamp cooler way more difficult than it should be, but just to be sure:

fill plastic tub with water up to the the level of the beer in the carboy. Next, add a frozen water bottle about twice a day to keep the temperature down. Finally drape a towel over the top. Bing bang boom, a swamp cooler???

Here is my next novice question: bucket or better bottle carboy?

Your technique sounds fine. T-shirts work pretty well, just put the airlock through the neck hole. The important thing is that the bottom of the towel or shirt is in the water. This will wick moisture up through the cloth to evaporate, further cooling the fermenter. Whichever your preference for BB or bucket.