Today = My First Brew Day

[KCBigDog]

Finally put together all the equipment and built a homemade mash tun out of a Igloo Cube Cooler.

My first brew was a dry hopped american wheat (Northern Brewer Extract Kit). I just pitched the yeast.

Now Mashing a Stone Ruination IPA clone that is a from scratch brew. Missed my mash temp by 2 degrees. Hopefully it will be fine.

Pretty damn exciting. Been brewing and smoking brisket and chicken all day. (And drinking good beer)

I like my new hobby!

Hopefully the beer turns out good.

When should I expect to see some yeast activity?

Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

 

[NTOLERANCE]

2 degrees off.... I wouldnt sweat it.

My system, when I pitch at nite, its bubbling when I wake up in the AM. Depends on the yeast though, safale 05 is always at work in the AM. Liquid tends to take a bit longer. What yeast are you using for the Stone Clone?

BTW this isnt a hobby, its an addiction. Wait untill you WONT buy beer form the store anymore.

 

[KCBigDog]

I'm a little freaked because the lab thermometer that came with my kit broke. I think it broke in the sanitizing bucket, but not certain. I'm sure no glass got into the brew, but I'm worried about the liquid inside the thermometer.

This happen to anyone else?

 

[avidhomebrewer]

Congrats on the first brew. Have tomorrow be the second brew day! I wouldn't worry about if any glass got in the fermenter; that will settle out. The liquid in thermometers isn't mercury any longer and should be alcohol based. What color was the liquid you refer to?

 

[Rogue14]

My thermometer broke right out of the package. Run out and buy a digital. You should be able to get one at any grocery store.

 

[Breck09]

My liquid thermometer broke on my second brew. I freaked out at first but then found that it is alcohol inside so I didn't have to worry about it too much. The glass is a problem though.

 

[KCBigDog]

Congrats on the first brew. Have tomorrow be the second brew day! I wouldn't worry about if any glass got in the fermenter; that will settle out. The liquid in thermometers isn't mercury any longer and should be alcohol based. What color was the liquid you refer to?

I was the lab thermometer that came with my NB Deluxe Starter Kit. The liquid was red, which I assume is the alcohol based stuff, not mercury.

Just checked on my two fermemters. The extract American Wheat is bubbling (YEAH!).

The Ruination Clone isn't. When do I panic?

Also, the better bottle blowoff assembly from Northern Brewer doesn't seem to be "airtight".

Thanks for all the help/comments! Keep 'em coming!

 

[RM-MN]

The Ruination Clone isn't. When do I panic?

Also, the better bottle blowoff assembly from Northern Brewer doesn't seem to be "airtight".

Thanks for all the help/comments! Keep 'em coming!

You can start to panic in a couple more days but I'd bet on it being bubbling before then. Sometimes it takes a little longer for the yeast to get started, sometimes your airlock/blowoff tube leak a little so you don't get bubbles. If you have it in a carboy you can look for krausen on the surface of the beer. If it's in a bucket you can pop the lid (carefully) in a couple days to look for the signs of fermentation.

 

[KCBigDog]

Krausen has began to form on both. Looks like I'm going to have 10 gallons of beer over the next 3-5 weeks.

I missed my OG on the Ruination Clone. Was hoping for 1.077 but only got 1.051. I batch sparged. I'm going to have to perfect that method or buy other equipment.

 

[azscoob]

Congrats on your brewing!

Your efficency is going to be more of a process issue, was the grain weight correct for your anticipated OG? how fine was the crush? are you batch sparging or fly sparging? I crush pretty fine, I do a mashout with the volume absorbed by the grain, I batch sparge and split my sparge volume into two additions, I also drain the tun slowly, and tip the tun after each addition, I get 87%+ efficency, the last batch of APA I brewed I hit 93%

When I started brewing I was lucky to hit 75%, and several times I was in the 50% range. You just need to dial in your process, and enjoy the learning along the way!!

 

[KCBigDog]

I'm wondering if I should add anything to the Carboy to increase the alcohol volume since I'm going to be short.

 

[o4_srt]

I'm wondering if I should add anything to the Carboy to increase the alcohol volume since I'm going to be short.

Don't worry about it. Lower abv won't affect taste. The lower gravity may affect mouthfeel, but again, I'd just go with it, and work on perfecting the process in the future.

I've found that continuously messing with things often causes more harm than good.

 

[azscoob]

I've found that continuously messing with things often causes more harm than good.

Exactly! let it go, in the mean time maybe brew it again, with more focus on the process. Have a couple bottles of your low grav beer and try to pick up the mouthfeel, the flavors, etc. then compare to your second batch. make it a learning experience.

 

[KCBigDog]

The Ruination Clone, in a 6 gallon better bottle, looks like it might reach the blow off assembly soon. The yeast has really taken off.

I've read a lot, but don't seem to see any instruction on what to do if it does reach blow-off. Anyone have a link or instructions/tips?

 

[azscoob]

If you have a blowoff tube rigged, and have the blowoff tube going into a pitcher with a couple inches of sanitizer in it, you will be fine, if it starts forcing krausen through the tube it will end up in the pitcher, if the pitcher gets full, just swap it out for another one, when it settles down you can switch to an airlock if you want. I just stick with the blowoff tube til it is ready to rack to the keg.

 

[KCBigDog]

OK, I've never posted a picture before. Please tell me that these look good:

http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h416/GreatKazou/9Days.jpg

The one on the left is an All Grain Stone Ruination Clone, and to the right is an Extract American Wheat with a dry-hop bag. ( I racked it to secondary 1 week in)

Both were brewed 9 days ago. As a first time brewer, I'm nervous about infection and bad beer. If my first batches taste bad, it will be hard to keep my wife on board with the hobby.

Thanks!

 

[KCBigDog]

I just kegged/bottled my first batch. An extract American Wheat kit from Northern Brewer, which I dry hopped. The final gravity came in a little high at 1.013, but even flat it tastes pretty damn good. I can't believe I made it!

I bottled a sixer using Coopers Carb Drops.

The keg is force carbing now, and should be good to go in a couple days.

Now I can't wait to keg/bottle the all grain Ruination clone. Gonna be a few more weeks though.

 

[McMalty]

I'm wondering if I should add anything to the Carboy to increase the alcohol volume since I'm going to be short.

yeah, just dump a handle of jim beam in there, that'll do the trick

 

[Pennsyltucky]

OK, I've never posted a picture before. Please tell me that these look good:

http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h416/GreatKazou/9Days.jpg

The one on the left is an All Grain Stone Ruination Clone, and to the right is an Extract American Wheat with a dry-hop bag. ( I racked it to secondary 1 week in)

Both were brewed 9 days ago. As a first time brewer, I'm nervous about infection and bad beer. If my first batches taste bad, it will be hard to keep my wife on board with the hobby.

Thanks!

Nothing looks infected... but have you been keeping them covered, or in a dark closet?

 

[KCBigDog]

Nothing looks infected... but have you been keeping them covered, or in a dark closet?

Covered with t-shirts in the dark basement.