First Brews...kinda

[mgross2]

Hello Everyone! Damn glad to meet all of you!

I am new to documenting my hobbies but I figure that the best way to learn how to do things the proper way is to always be open to suggestion/learning. I just graduated college and I wanted to get back into brewing. I was involved in a few batches when I first started college(6 years ago) so things are less than clear in my memory as to all of the in's-and-out's of brewing. In order to get my feet wet again, I have started brewing two extract beers with the first being a lemon zest Hefeweizen that is 6 days into primary fermentation. The second beer that I will be brewing is in the making as we speak. It is an extract recipe that I found on this website posted by member deepsouth. It is a !00% Brett Apricot Pale Ale. Got to go but will post pics here in about 30 min.

 

[mgross2]

These are the pictures from my most recent brew. there are a few pictures of the wort as hops were added @ 60 min, 30 min, 5 min. then there is a pic of the wort chiller in action then one right after i pitched the yeast @ 70 degrees. the initial readings from my hydrometer were. 1.05 SP/GR with potential alcohol % vol of 7%.



The last pics are of my 100% Brett Apricot Pale Ale on the left and my citrus hefeweizen on the left.

 

[BrewerBear]

Welcome to the addiction and forum, sounds like your off to a good start. Are you brewing this for beer can chicken?

 

[mgross2]

A friend of mine was helping me brew and he wanted something with apricot so we decided to do this recipe. The chicken will have to wait its turn cuz I'm going to be pretty thirsty by the time these bad boys are done. Question tho, when looking at the instructions for this recipe he has the primary fermentation lasting 50 days... That seems like a long time, but I'm completely unfamiliar with this type of yeast. So I guess my question is; why such a long primary?

 

[BrewerBear]

I've never done anything with Brett,but I think I've read it needs time to reach its peak.

 

[mgross2]

I've never done anything with Brett,but I think I've read it needs time to reach its peak.

Thanks for the feedback man!

 

[mgross2]

After 10 days of letting our Hefe ferment, my buddy and I decided to move it off of the yeast cake and into a different carboy for conditioning. Everything was cleaned thoroughly before hand and everything went smoothly.

After pitching the yeast for our Brett Apricot Pale Ale on the night of the 8th it took around 3 days before we were able to see any real signs of fermentation. The carboy appears to have some sediment sticking on the sides but it looks like the stuff on the bottom of the carboy. Should I be worried about this? I smelled the gas coming off of the carboy and it smelled like a tasty loaf of bread was rising/hopefully some tasty beer being made. I will post the corresponding pics from today's events from my cell phone and once again thanks for any and all feedback.

 

[mgross2]

This is a pix if the hefe after it has been put into the second carboy for conditioning.


this is a pix of the brett apricot pale ale and the sediment on the sides.



The beers are being fermented around 68 or 70 degrees

 

[BrewerBear]

Looks fine to me.I woulnd't bother with secondary on a hefe and did you take a gravity reading?

 

[mgross2]

I forgot to take an initial gravity reading on the hefe :smack: so I didn't bother with taking another one...

I was under the impression that it would just be a cleaner beer by transferring it off of the yeast cake. But I guess I just assumed that. In hind sight though, I think I've heard of people leaving it in one carboy for the entirety of the process. Was my assumption wrong, or are there benefits to be had from leaving it be?

Also I was wondering ipe: If I transferred the hefe into my keg this saturday and allowed it a week to carbonate in a fridge, would it be ready to drink by Christmas?

 

[BrewerBear]

Hefes are not realy known for clarity,but it did not hurt anything by doing it.It's nothgin for me to leave one in primary for 6 weeks or more,I brew when I have time then bottle when I have time I try not to have to rush any brew.

I don't keg but I don't see why it couldn't be ready in that time frame depending on what psi you have it at(can't help on what it should be sorry).

 

[mgross2]