Welcome Beginning Brewers!

[doug293cz]

Hello everyone I am not sure if I am asking this question in the right thread or not. So today I just brewed my very 1st batch of beer. I grain brewed it. Well I messed up, at least I think so. So here is what I did wrong.
I planned on brewing 2 gallons of beer.
1. I placed all my grains in a pot to steep for 1 hour. My starting temp was 166 and ended around 155. I started with 2 gallons plus 4 cups water. I removed the grain. I did not measure the amount of wort after steeping it. Mistake #1.
2. I started my boil but I noticed I was loosing a lot of water to evaporation. So I did not account for my evaporation loss correctly. Mistake 2.
3. I added water after the boil to make my amount of wort 2 gallons. Mistake 3?
So in everyone opinion will this come out ok?
Thanks in advance for your responses.

Was 166 the starting water temp, or the temp after you added the grain and stirred? Did you take any hydrometer (specific gravity) readings?

Brew on

 

[doug293cz]

Newbie to Hombrewtalk.com. Could anyone please tell me how to start a thread or make a post on iphone? On top right I click the ellipsis and am directed to “my threads” of which there are none. There is no option to make one either.

Go into the forum in which you want to start the thread, and then click on the "Post New Thread" button near the upper left of the screen.

Brew on

 

[Jeffrey the Skier]

Was 166 the starting water temp, or the temp after you added the grain and stirred? Did you take any hydrometer (specific gravity) readings?

Brew on

Starting water temp was 170 or just a little higher. Added the grains and the temp dropped to 166. SG after the wort was chilled is 1.034. My recipe has the SG at 1.046.

 

[IslandLizard]

Starting water temp was 170 or just a little higher. Added the grains and the temp dropped to 166. SG after the wort was chilled is 1.034. My recipe has the SG at 1.046.

What type of grains were they? Could you list them and the amounts.

166F is much too high for mashing, at that temperature enzymes are being denaturing rapidly. 148-156F is most common, the upper limit lies around 158-160F, and rarely used.

 

[doug293cz]

Starting water temp was 170 or just a little higher. Added the grains and the temp dropped to 166. SG after the wort was chilled is 1.034. My recipe has the SG at 1.046.

As @IslandLizard noted, 166 F is high enough that the enzymes responsible for converting starch to sugar will be denatured (inactivated) quickly. You probably got some conversion, but less than you would have if your mash temp had been 10 - 15 degrees lower. If nothing else went/goes terribly wrong along the way you should end up with a low alcohol beer. In the future, you should use some type of brewing software to help you calculate the temp to heat your mash water in order to hit your desired mash temp. BrewersFriend has a lot of on-line calculators, etc. that can assist you.

Brew on

 

[Jeffrey the Skier]

As @IslandLizard noted, 166 F is high enough that the enzymes responsible for converting starch to sugar will be denatured (inactivated) quickly. You probably got some conversion, but less than you would have if your mash temp had been 10 - 15 degrees lower. If nothing else went/goes terribly wrong along the way you should end up with a low alcohol beer. In the future, you should use some type of brewing software to help you calculate the temp to heat your mash water in order to hit your desired mash temp. BrewersFriend has a lot of on-line calculators, etc. that can assist you.

Brew on

Well thanks for the info. So that would explain why my SG was below my target number. Is 150 degrees the temp that you always want to have for the water?

 

[doug293cz]

No, the water is typically higher to start, but the temp will drop when you stir in the lower temp grains. You want to start with water hot enough so that when you get the grains stirred in, the temp will end up at about 150 - 155 F. The strike water temp calculators will help you determine the required starting water temp. You usually need to fine tune the calculator's output based on your system.

Brew on

 

[Jeffrey the Skier]

What type of grains were they? Could you list them and the amounts.

166F is much too high for mashing, at that temperature enzymes are being denaturing rapidly. 148-156F is most common, the upper limit lies around 158-160F, and rarely used.

3.08 lbs American pale 2 row
3 oz american wheat
3 oz American crystal 40
3 oz american Vienna
1 oz cascade hops

 

[IslandLizard]

3.08 lbs American pale 2 row
3 oz american wheat
3 oz American crystal 40
3 oz american Vienna
1 oz cascade hops

Thanks!
That helps explain you still got about 75% of your expected gravity. A good sparge also helps with mash efficiency.

There was an abundance of enzymes from the 2-row, Wheat, and Vienna malts. That surely has helped with the conversion even if half of the enzymes were being denatured early on. Mash temps tend to drop depending on the equipment, methods used, and ambient temps. So that saved the day for you. A not-very-fine crush takes longer to hydrate, protecting the enzymes somewhat too.

You can always add some DME to the wort to make up for (unintended) shortage on gravity. Or boil a bit longer so you reduce volume, condensing the wort more. Adjust your hop schedule accordingly.

 

[Jeffrey the Skier]

Thanks!
That helps explain you still got about 75% of your expected gravity. A good sparge also helps with mash efficiency.

There was an abundance of enzymes from the 2-row, Wheat, and Vienna malts. That surely has helped with the conversion even if half of the enzymes were being denatured early on. Mash temps tend to drop depending on the equipment, methods used, and ambient temps. So that saved the day for you. A not-very-fine crush takes longer to hydrate, protecting the enzymes somewhat too.

You can always add some DME to the wort to make up for (unintended) shortage on gravity. Or boil a bit longer so you reduce volume, condensing the wort more. Adjust your hop schedule accordingly.

Well thank you everyone for the advice and help. I did learn a lot from my first time. Thanks and cheers.

 

[Jeffrey the Skier]

Hello everyone here is my new question. I would like to brew a one gallon batch of a maple beer. The recipe that I have calls for Amber dme and lite lme. Are there any grains that I could use to substitute in place of the dme and lme? Thanks

 

[EricaM]

Erica, IMO, you should toss that old stuff and get new ingredients. Malt extract, especially liquid malt extract, can go bad over time. It may be the number one source of an off-flavor in extract-produced beer called "extract twang."

There's never a downside to using fresh ingredients. If your beer doesn't turn out the way you expect, and you used iffy ingredients, how do you tell if it's a process error, or the ingredients that are at fault? You can't, which means you have halted the learning curve while you figure it out. I hate that.

I've taught people how to brew, and my main goal was to get them a great-tasting beer the first time, so they could not only understand why we do this, but have confidence in the process.

Don't use old ingredients.

Thanks. I know it took me a long time to post again. I had to make space and find time.

I decided to try wine first since it seems a little easier than beer and I had to buy a new kit anyway. I put it in the primary fermenter today.

Edited because I figured out my issues since posting.

I was worried about the lid not fitting on tightly, but my husband fixed it with his man strength. I was also worried about my hydrometer reading, then looked it up and it's fine.

Now, I just hope the yeast grows.

 

[DuglasTodesky]

This is a great place to start if you have ANY questions at all about brewing your own beer.

From Mr. Beer and extract kits to all-grain brewing, we welcome all new brewers who have questions or need advice on their equipment, techniques, fermentation, wort making, yeast, and more.

If you have a question, that means that others probably have had the same question too so no question is too silly. I promise. Ask us!

And to more experienced brewers, it goes without saying that we will be welcoming of those questions and be as helpful as possible in our answers. If someone feels that they can't be positive and helpful, they should refrain from posting in the Beginner's Forum. Ask me if you are unsure if something is appropriate- remember what your mother told you, "If you can't say something nice, then don't say anything at all!"

Feel free to message one of the admins or moderators if you have any problems with posting on the forum, or if you have any problems with navigating around the forum at all.

Cheers!

Cheers

 

[JohnSand]

Welcome aboard DuglasT.

 

[Jeffrey the Skier]

Hello Everyone,
This is my first time brewing just so everyone knows. I made a few mistakes so far but I think the beer will still be ok. So here is what I need advice on now. Is it ok to bottle my beer or should I wait longer.
Started on 3/9/19 s.g. 1.034 I know that's low that was 1 of my mistakes. Temp was 63
Racked on 3/19/19. S.g. 1.012 stored in basement temp 54.
Yesterday took the bottle into the kitchen 64 degrees. It started to have small bubbles but not enough to make the airlock bubble.
It is a wheat beer. Do you think even though there are small bubbles it is ok to bottle of should I wait. Let me know your thoughts.
Cheers and Thanks

 

[mongoose33]

Hello Everyone,
This is my first time brewing just so everyone knows. I made a few mistakes so far but I think the beer will still be ok. So here is what I need advice on now. Is it ok to bottle my beer or should I wait longer.
Started on 3/9/19 s.g. 1.034 I know that's low that was 1 of my mistakes. Temp was 63
Racked on 3/19/19. S.g. 1.012 stored in basement temp 54.
Yesterday took the bottle into the kitchen 64 degrees. It started to have small bubbles but not enough to make the airlock bubble.
It is a wheat beer. Do you think even though there are small bubbles it is ok to bottle of should I wait. Let me know your thoughts.
Cheers and Thanks

Welcome to the madness and joy!

I'm not clear on what you're asking. When you say that "yesterday took the bottle into the kitchen 64 degrees," do you mean the fermenter? When you say you "racked on 3/19/19" what does that mean?

Things seem out of order here, can you explain further exactly what you did?

 

[Jeffrey the Skier]

Welcome to the madness and joy!

I'm not clear on what you're asking. When you say that "yesterday took the bottle into the kitchen 64 degrees," do you mean the fermenter? When you say you "racked on 3/19/19" what does that mean?

Things seem out of order here, can you explain further exactly what you did?

On 3/19/19 I siphoned the wort from one fermenter into another one. I did that to get rid of the yeast and stuff that settled on the bottom.
Yesterday I moved the fermenter from the basement to the kitchen. I hope this helps.

 

[doug293cz]

Hello Everyone,
This is my first time brewing just so everyone knows. I made a few mistakes so far but I think the beer will still be ok. So here is what I need advice on now. Is it ok to bottle my beer or should I wait longer.
Started on 3/9/19 s.g. 1.034 I know that's low that was 1 of my mistakes. Temp was 63
Racked on 3/19/19. S.g. 1.012 stored in basement temp 54.
Yesterday took the bottle into the kitchen 64 degrees. It started to have small bubbles but not enough to make the airlock bubble.
It is a wheat beer. Do you think even though there are small bubbles it is ok to bottle of should I wait. Let me know your thoughts.
Cheers and Thanks

There is CO2 left in the fermenter after fermentation is complete. If you raise the temp of the beer, then some of that residual CO2 will come out of solution. This could be where your bubbling is coming from.

There is a danger of over carbonation, or even bottle bombs, if you bottle before fermentation is complete. The best way to be sure that fermentation is complete is to take SG samples at least 2 days apart. If the readings are the same, then your fermentation is complete (or stuck, which is a different issue.)

Brew on

 

[Jeffrey the Skier]

There is CO2 left in the fermenter after fermentation is complete. If you raise the temp of the beer, then some of that residual CO2 will come out of solution. This could be where your bubbling is coming from.

There is a danger of over carbonation, or even bottle bombs, if you bottle before fermentation is complete. The best way to be sure that fermentation is complete is to take SG samples at least 2 days apart. If the readings are the same, then your fermentation is complete (or stuck, which is a different issue.)

Brew on

Thanks for the info. I will have to take a sg reading then.

 

[ncbrewer]

On 3/19/19 I siphoned the wort from one fermenter into another one. I did that to get rid of the yeast and stuff that settled on the bottom.

Few home brewers rack to secondary these days, except for special purposes like adding fruit. It's mainly an opportunity to oxidize or otherwise contaminate your beer. If you do, the secondary should have an absolute minimum of head space.

 

[Evergreene]

Hi! I’m planning to make my own beer. What equipments should I prioritize on having to start my first batch? Also can I grow my own barley or hopps at home? Still doing research
Tia for replies!

 

[JohnSand]

Hi Evergreen, welcome aboard!
There are different philosophies on how to proceed. Some start by building a high end system before ever brewing a batch. Others buy an all in one electric system off the shelf. Many start with the simplest possible kit to get their feet wet. That's what I did, and what I advocate. There are several reasons for this, one is that if you don't continue brewing, you haven't spent too much. Another is that it lets you customize your setup as you go to fit your own style. I suggest that you look at beginner kits, possibly small two gallon kits, and keep reading this site. How to Brew by Palmer is a great book, there is even an older version free online. Please keep us posted on your progress.
Hops are fairly easy to grow if your climate is right, I do. Barley also depends on climate, but requires malting. Both will take a season or more to produce.

 

[mongoose33]

Hi! I’m planning to make my own beer. What equipments should I prioritize on having to start my first batch? Also can I grow my own barley or hopps at home? Still doing research
Tia for replies!

Welcome to HBT and brewing!

A few suggestions:

1. Start simple in terms of recipes and such. Some new brewers decide they'll start with complicated recipes which, when they don't work out, leave them wondering whether it was a problem w/ the recipe, or the brewing process, or both. In the beginning, strive to learn the process. Recipe is not as important as process, in that, if you have the process down, you can brew most everything. But the best recipe in the world cannot survive bad process.

1a. You can buy kits that take the recipe problem out of your hands, i.e., they've already assembled the ingredients necessary to produce a good beer. I'd advise taking advantage of that.

2. Much of how you start depends on the fiscal resources you have available. Let me suggest an equipment kit that I think provides perhaps the greatest bang for the buck out there:

https://www.morebeer.com/products/premium-home-brewing-kit.html

It even includes an extract kit to get you going. About the only thing in this kit you do not get are bottles (caps are included, and a capper), and a heat source.

Equipment that is extra in other kits is standard in this one. Things like a hydrometer (to measure sugar in the wort), immersion chiller, and spoon. It's all there, even sanitizer and cleaner.

3. I don't want to overload you with advice, so let me suggest a proven method of accelerating the learning curve: find a local homebrewer who produces good beer, and ask if you can observe a brew day. This will provide a reference against which you can interpret the reading and online information you find, and make much of this easier.

Alternatively, and even better, here's what I did with a newbie here: he watched me do a brew day, asking questions and such during it, and I explained what I was doing as I went along.

Then, next time, he did the brew day while I watched, so he had to do all the process elements, with me kibbitzing where necessary.

The third time, he soloed, doing it at his home without me there. I had about 5 texts and a phone call during but he got through it and it was fine. All three times, the beer was great.

Now, the reason this worked is I took many of the decisions out of his hands (recipe, water, process variables) so he could focus on doing the processes correctly. Once he had that down, then he started to alter recipes and look for new things to try as his tastes suggested.

4. Is there a local homebrew club where you live? That may be a huge source of information. It may help you find someone to guide you, you'll typically be able to sample a variety of homebrews, sharpen your sense of taste, and so on.

5. Is there a local homebrew store? The owner can also serve as a source of info, and they almost certainly will have kits.


If you have an idea of what kind of resources you want to devote to this, we can provide more targeted advice. I started with a northern brewer kit for which I paid too much. I also bought some things early that became white elephants when I upgraded to better equipment. If, like me, you're not certain how this will end up, going inexpensive at the outset is a good idea so you don't have too much invested. That kit above is the best compromise between cost and functionality I've seen.

Good luck!

 

[ncbrewer]

Hi! I’m planning to make my own beer. What equipments should I prioritize on having to start my first batch? Also can I grow my own barley or hopps at home? Still doing research
Tia for replies!

I see two key questions before going anywhere. 1) All grain or extract. Most start with extract. 2) If going with 5 gallon extract brews, can you boil 6 gallons (to allow for boil-off volume). If you plan to brew your first batches on stovetop, then you will probably be doing a partial boil - boiling about half of the volume and topping off with water to reach the final volume.

Can you answer these questions?

 

[PUNBREW]

Hey guys, new homebrewer here.
Was just wondering if anyone could help me out with regards to the basics of brewing a non apple cider. Was thinking something along the lines of blueberries, as they are plentiful and in season here. I've been doing some research into it, but just wanted to make sure I was heading in the right direction with the very basics.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[IslandLizard]

Hey guys, new homebrewer here.
Was just wondering if anyone could help me out with regards to the basics of brewing a non apple cider. Was thinking something along the lines of blueberries, as they are plentiful and in season here. I've been doing some research into it, but just wanted to make sure I was heading in the right direction with the very basics.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Fermented beverages using fruit are called wine, except for pears and apples, those are perries and ciders.
Look in the winemaking forum or post your question there.

BTW, wines are not brewed (no boiling).

 

[Mentalflikdid1]

This is a great place to start if you have ANY questions at all about brewing your own beer.

From Mr. Beer and extract kits to all-grain brewing, we welcome all new brewers who have questions or need advice on their equipment, techniques, fermentation, wort making, yeast, and more.

If you have a question, that means that others probably have had the same question too so no question is too silly. I promise. Ask us!

And to more experienced brewers, it goes without saying that we will be welcoming of those questions and be as helpful as possible in our answers. If someone feels that they can't be positive and helpful, they should refrain from posting in the Beginner's Forum. Ask me if you are unsure if something is appropriate- remember what your mother told you, "If you can't say something nice, then don't say anything at all!"

Feel free to message one of the admins or moderators if you have any problems with posting on the forum, or if you have any problems with navigating around the forum at all.

Cheers!

 

[Mentalflikdid1]

Did my first brew tonight, a Bavarian hefeweizen extract brew, but I know this is the first in a long line of beers

 

[passedpawn]

Did my first brew tonight, a Bavarian hefeweizen extract brew, but I know this is the first in a long line of beers

I believe that is the best beginner's beer. Have fun.

 

[Lucky Phil]

Hi All, I am new to this site so not sure if this is the right place to ask a question.
I have been brewing for a few years now & always followed the same process but last couple of brews have been quite low in aeration. They taste fine but are not real bubbly.
Any suggestions on what might be causing this?
Thanks,
Lucky Phil

 

[IslandLizard]

Hi All, I am new to this site so not sure if this is the right place to ask a question.
I have been brewing for a few years now & always followed the same process but last couple of brews have been quite low in aeration. They taste fine but are not real bubbly.
Any suggestions on what might be causing this?
Thanks,
Lucky Phil

Welcome to HBT!
To address your first question you'd be best off starting your own thread placed in the appropriate forum. Pick the forum that would best fit the topic.

I think you mean low "carbonation," not aeration.

In this case, the "Beginners Forum" would be a good place being a catch all for questions and issues most new brewers encounter.
If you think this problem is related to your bottling practice, you could instead start the thread in the "Bottling & Kegging Forum." But don't duplicate efforts by posting multiple threads, or in multiple forums, on the same question/issue you have.

Read around, you'll get a good idea how things work here.

To start answering your question, here are a few thoughts that come to mind:

• Are you using enough priming sugar? How much and what kind?
• Are the caps tight and well sealing? Crimp caps or flip tops? Today's flip top seals are prone to leaking after a few uses. Flip 'em over before filling each batch.
• At what temperature do you keep the bottles while carbonating? How long?

 

[ncbrewer]

Are you using enough priming sugar? How much and what kind?

I'll add a caution: Don't just try more priming sugar to see if it helps. Too much can cause bottle bombs. Use a priming calculator, and enter your estimate of the volume in the bottling bucket - not the fermenter. And welcome to HBT.

 

[John Kronberger]

Hi All, I am new to this site so not sure if this is the right place to ask a question.
I have been brewing for a few years now & always followed the same process but last couple of brews have been quite low in aeration. They taste fine but are not real bubbly.
Any suggestions on what might be causing this?
Thanks,
Lucky Phil

I generally go to the bottle when the gravity measurement is between 1.010 and 1.015. I've been using 1/3 cup of very fine sugar dissolved in a couple of cups of very warm water then going to the beer. I've been letting this fully integrate with 5 gallons of beer with a stir and about an hour to sit / settle. After getting the beer into the bottles, I always shake a couple of times and let the bottles sit in a comfortably warm place in the house in order to continue a very low level of fermentation in the bottle for a week before opening.

 

[kh54s10]

I generally go to the bottle when the gravity measurement is between 1.010 and 1.015. I've been using 1/3 cup of very fine sugar dissolved in a couple of cups of very warm water then going to the beer. I've been letting this fully integrate with 5 gallons of beer with a stir and about an hour to sit / settle. After getting the beer into the bottles, I always shake a couple of times and let the bottles sit in a comfortably warm place in the house in order to continue a very low level of fermentation in the bottle for a week before opening.

That is fine if you are not pushing the timeline. If you bottle early at 1.015 and prime also and the gravity then drops to 1.010 you are likely to have bottle bombs.

1/3 cup of is pretty low for 5 gallons so you might be OK even if it is not finished. One week is also pretty short for bottle conditioning. The accepted time frame is about 3 weeks at about 70 degrees. I never try one before 2 weeks, some are carbonated, some are not there yet. ALL of my bottled beers have tasted better at 3 weeks or longer. Much longer for some really big beers.

 

[eric19312]

I generally go to the bottle when the gravity measurement is between 1.010 and 1.015. I've been using 1/3 cup of very fine sugar dissolved in a couple of cups of very warm water then going to the beer. I've been letting this fully integrate with 5 gallons of beer with a stir and about an hour to sit / settle. After getting the beer into the bottles, I always shake a couple of times and let the bottles sit in a comfortably warm place in the house in order to continue a very low level of fermentation in the bottle for a week before opening.

This is different from what I’ve used or ever seen recommended.

The recommended method is
1. Make sure you are at terminal gravity - 2 hydrometer readings 2-3 days apart with no change is safest.
2. Calculate priming sugar requirement: https://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/
3. Boil the sugar in a little chlorine free water
4. Add boiled sugar water to bottling bucket
5. Rack beer from fermentor to bottling bucket, rack gently and don’t stir it up, the flow will be sufficient to mix in the sugar
6. Bottle and cap immediately

I’m mostly worried about difference between what you are doing and steps 1-2. Your estimated priming sugar sounds conservative and fairly likely to end low carbonation...1/3 cup in 5 gallons is low if the beer is done fermenting...but if it is not done fermenting it could be way to much and be potentially quite dangerous.

The issue with stirring in the priming sugar then allowing it to sit for an hour concerns me that you are going to pick up a lot of oxygen in the process. Better to move the process along and get the beer into capped bottles fast as you reasonably can. Also the yeast start eating that priming sugar right away. You want that happening in the sealed bottles not the bottling bucket.

 

[Mentalflikdid1]

 

[Mentalflikdid1]

First brew, 3 weeks of bottle conditioning. Bavarian hefeweizen.

 

[SEndorf]

First brew, 3 weeks of bottle conditioning. Bavarian hefeweizen.

Congratulations on the first beer!
Looks like a success with many more to come.

 

[J_B_22]

Hey All!

My girlfriend and I brewed our first batch and it has been fermenting for 1 week. I’m trying to learn as much as possible, and have noticed how important fermenting temp is, along with sanitation and cleanliness. I’m looking for ways to take the temp during fermentation? Is it alright to pop the lid off for a few seconds and take it every couple of days? Fermenting in a 6.5 gal plastic bucket that came with our Northern Brewer kit. Thanks for the any suggestions!

 

[eric19312]

Hey All!

My girlfriend and I brewed our first batch and it has been fermenting for 1 week. I’m trying to learn as much as possible, and have noticed how important fermenting temp is, along with sanitation and cleanliness. I’m looking for ways to take the temp during fermentation? Is it alright to pop the lid off for a few seconds and take it every couple of days? Fermenting in a 6.5 gal plastic bucket that came with our Northern Brewer kit. Thanks for the any suggestions!

No don’t do that.

Get a stick on LCD thermometer they are hard to read but cheap. You really want to leave your beer alone until it’s ready to bottle. Every time you open the fermentor you are exposing the beer to oxygen which is not good.