Beer recipe says to only ferment for a week.

[Gunshowgreg]

EDIT: forgot to mention I used white labs american ale yeast

Well this recipe tells me to only ferment for a week. I got it in my carboy right now. It's a pale ale. Low gravity. I've always done things in the fermenter for atleast two weeks before bottling. Maybe I'm misunderstanding the instructions but perhaps I can get some help and thoughts.

My OG was 1.040 funny how that works out

I used quick oats in place of the Thomas faucet oat malt and the sugar was added to the last 5 minutes of the boil. I didnt want it to darken the beer

For any of you Game of Thrones nerds out there you may find an incentive like I did to brew this [emoji482]
Please see pictures

 

[kh54s10]

Fermentation should take less than a week. Allow the yeast to drop clear (or crash) and package.

I read that as waiting until the beer is clear. Or cold crash.

The best way to be sure that your fermentation is finished is with enough time and then taking gravity readings.
I recommend at least 10 days. So your 2 week procedure is good.

 

[IslandLizard]

It's a Pale Mild, a low gravity, low alcohol beer, so yeah, it's most likely done and ready to package after a week. You could leave it a few days longer in the fermenter if you want, the yeast may condition it a bit more. When fermentation is done, either of these yeasts should drop out fairly fast, leaving clear beer behind.

If you're bottling you definitely want to make sure it's done fermenting, so take a gravity sample 3 days apart. If both match and are near the expected FG, bottling should be safe. Or keg it.

These theme based beers (and cooking recipes) can be cute at a party. Just beware, they may not always be correct or tested. This one looks solid, though.

Harvest and save your yeast cake, you can brew many more beers with it. Milds are great ways to step up a yeast pitch for stronger beers following this, like an ESB. Or use 1/4 of the harvested yeast cake for another Mild. Milds are very easy drinkers, they don't last long.

Substituting oat flakes for the oat malt is fine. Oat malt is often difficult to obtain, while flaked oats (or rolled oats, instant oats, like those from your supermarket) actually leave a bit more flavor. They do basically the same, add body and a smoothness to the mouthfeel due to the oils.

 

[IslandLizard]

On a side note, oat malt are very small, narrow, needle-like kernels. They should be crushed separately at a very narrow gap (0.022"), or half or more may never get crushed, and tossed out whole and unused after the mash. Most brew stores have their mills set at a fairly wide gap, 0.040" or wider being not uncommon. They simply can't crush oat, wheat, or rye malt, as is, half or more fall through uncrushed. Most store owners won't let you change gaps and they won't do it for you either.

So choosing quick oats instead was a good choice!

 

[IslandLizard]

EDIT: forgot to mention I used white labs american ale yeast

That will change the resulting beer quite a bit. It will also take somewhat longer to clear.

 

[Gunshowgreg]

It's a Pale Mild, a low gravity, low alcohol beer, so yeah, it's most likely done and ready to package after a week. You could leave it a few days longer in the fermenter if you want, the yeast may condition it a bit more. When fermentation is done, either of these yeasts should drop out fairly fast, leaving clear beer behind.

If you're bottling you definitely want to make sure it's done fermenting, so take a gravity sample 3 days apart. If both match and are near the expected FG, bottling should be safe. Or keg it.

These theme based beers (and cooking recipes) can be cute at a party. Just beware, they may not always be correct or tested. This one looks solid, though.

Harvest and save your yeast cake, you can brew many more beers with it. Milds are great ways to step up a yeast pitch for stronger beers following this, like an ESB. Or use 1/4 of the harvested yeast cake for another Mild. Milds are very easy drinkers, they don't last long.

Substituting oat flakes for the oat malt is fine. Oat malt is often difficult to obtain, while flaked oats (or rolled oats, instant oats, like those from your supermarket) actually leave a bit more flavor. They do basically the same, add body and a smoothness to the mouthfeel due to the oils.

Lol "cute at a party" I found that quite humorous. I'm pretty excited to try it out. As far as the yeast is concerned the American Ale yeast by White Labs was the closest thing by HBS had on hand and they did some comparisons with the chart they had. Was kinda bummed I could get the test I wanted. But I plan on reusing this yeast and making this same beer again a few more times with the vile I bought yesterday. I was thinking a low gravity beer would be a nice "table beer" and would go down smoothly and not last long like you mentioned. I tasted the gravity reading last night. It was pleasant for starting out. Nice color also. Even though it might be slightly darker in a glass. One of the hardest things I find with myself in the hobby is trying to make something taste exactly how I want it to. And even though the beer is good I still dont like it because it's not what I wanted it to taste like. I've only poured put a couple of batches. Fortunately they were only 1 gallons when I first dabbled in these arts.

I'll wait a week and see how the beer looks. No activity in the blow off tube yet. Pitched last night. Its sitting at 68 degrees and I didn't do a starter for it being a low gravity beer. So I'm sure that explains the lag.

 

[IslandLizard]

As far as the yeast is concerned the American Ale yeast by White Labs was the closest thing by HBS had on hand and they did some comparisons with the chart they had. Was kinda bummed I could get the test I wanted.

Well, that doesn't put much confidence in your brew shop's clerk who helped you pick an alternative strain. Any British yeast would have been closer than U.S. Chico (WLP001/WY1056/US-05, etc.). The key with fermenting Milds, due to their low gravity, is restrained attenuation so there is plenty of body (mouthfeel) left when it's done.
It may be a little thinner than designed, and somewhat higher alcohol than intended, although the latter won't hurt.
In this case, not obtaining the British yeast, I would have omitted the sugar addition and mashed at 156F.

Your direct pitch should be fine, it's a low gravity ale after all. Definitely reuse/repitch that yeast cake, 1/4 to 1/3 at a time, it's good yeast for pretty much any U.S. West Coast Ale and then some, just not ideal for British Ales, or NEIPAs.

That wort indeed looks really beautiful and is very clear!

One of the hardest things I find with myself in the hobby is trying to make something taste exactly how I want it to. And even though the beer is good I still dont like it because it's not what I wanted it to taste like.

That is one of the most difficult things. Keep notes of what you like and don't like and see if you can trace them back to certain ingredients and processes you used. Even after 10 years of homebrewing I can still barely peel a beer apart into its base components, but when I lay the recipe next to it, each ingredient and its contributions is starting to make sense now. Beer Deconstructed, Chapter 1...

I'd reduce that ferm temp to 65F until it starts to slow down, then ramp up over 2 days to 72F and let it be there for a few days. Cold crash for a few days to a week, and bottle/keg away. No secondary please.

 

[Gunshowgreg]

Well, that doesn't put much confidence in your brew shop's clerk who helped you pick an alternative strain. Any British yeast would have been closer than U.S. Chico (WLP001/WY1056/US-05, etc.). The key with fermenting Milds, due to their low gravity, is restrained attenuation so there is plenty of body (mouthfeel) left when it's done.
It may be a little thinner than designed, and somewhat higher alcohol than intended, although the latter won't hurt.
In this case, not obtaining the British yeast, I would have omitted the sugar addition and mashed at 156F.

Your direct pitch should be fine, it's a low gravity ale after all. Definitely reuse/repitch that yeast cake, 1/4 to 1/3 at a time, it's good yeast for pretty much any U.S. West Coast Ale and then some, just not ideal for British Ales, or NEIPAs.

That wort indeed looks really beautiful and is very clear!

That is one of the most difficult things. Keep notes of what you like and don't like and see if you can trace them back to certain ingredients and processes you used. Even after 10 years of homebrewing I can still barely peel a beer apart into its base components, but when I lay the recipe next to it, each ingredient and its contributions is starting to make sense now. Beer Deconstructed, Chapter 1...

I'd reduce that ferm temp to 65F until it starts to slow down, then ramp up over 2 days to 72F and let it be there for a few days. Cold crash for a few days to a week, and bottle/keg away. No secondary please.

Man that extra texture with the mouth feel and it being a lighter beer would have been a nice and interesting combo. I should have asked that ****** bag if he had a dry yeast equivalent. I was really wanting to reuse it so I kinda settled. Next time.

I'm new to reusing yeast. I do it the "standard way" with the jars and the boiled cooled water (you know what I'm talking about) when I go to make a starter from washed reused yeast am I not supposed to be using all of what I have washed to make the stater to accomplish a good yeast count? The more the better right?

Thank you for the compliment. I been working hard at this. Lol.

I guess I can turn the air down in the house. That's pretty much how I regulate my temps. No refrigerator or basement for this guy. I live in SW Louisiana and for right now with the colder weather I'm trying to enjoy it without pissing off the wife and making it too cold in the house. (Dont typically like to run the heater)

 

[Gunshowgreg]

Finally seeing some activity in my blow off container. I lifted up the t shirt to see what was going on but I have never seen this in a beer I have made before. Anything to worry about?

 

[kh54s10]

Coagulated proteins and other gunk. Look alright to me. Is that a vinyl record in your carboy?

 

[Gunshowgreg]

Coagulated proteins and other gunk. Look alright to me. Is that a vinyl record in your carboy?

It's a temp gauge that sticks to the side like a sticker. Came with my northern brewer starter kit.

Glad it's nothing to worry about

 

[balrog]

What @IslandLizard said about yeast is really really true here--many english yeasts always impart a dark fruity flavor to me, and finish higher leaving a fuller mouthfeel, but not necessarily "sweeter".

 

[balrog]

Coagulated proteins and other gunk. Look alright to me. Is that a vinyl record in your carboy?

Song of Yeast and Fermentation, Game of Beer, by S. Cerevisiae

 

[Gunshowgreg]

Song of Yeast and Fermentation, Game of Beer, by S. Cerevisiae

Ha ha that's hilarious.

 

[ncbrewer]

I guess I can turn the air down in the house. That's pretty much how I regulate my temps. No refrigerator or basement for this guy.

A swamp cooler works pretty well for cooling the fermenter. Plastic tub with water, with fermenter set in it. Towel or T-shirt draped over it hanging into the water is optional. Ice jugs rotated in the water for cooling.