Go to your local fish store they have them for tanks
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One of the great things about this pastime is that most likely, you will get a drinkable first batch. It's amazing how resilient beer is.Well I've had some ice in the keg tub now for about an hour. Is it safe to just leave that in there and let it melt tonight? Will that get it too cold? Once it's melted it should get to room temp and stay there, but I don't want to get it too cold. Man, there's really a lot to this! I love it! I'm not expecting a drinkable first batch after following these crappy instructions. But 30 bucks for a learning experience isn't too bad. Maybe by batch 3 or 4 I'll have it down enough to make a decent brew
Thanks all. Appreciate the tips.
One of the great things about this pastime is that mostly likely, you will get a drinkable first batch. It's amazing how resilient beer is.
I think brewing is like chess, in a way: there are enough complexities to keep you busy for the rest of your life if you want to delve into them, but you can learn enough in a very short time to play a respectable game and enjoy yourself - or brew a respectable and enjoyable beer.
You know what? Don't even worry about it on this batch, if the ambient temp's in your laundry room are what you say they are. Stick the bucket in a corner, and let the yeasties do their thing. Typically a batch will ramp up a few degrees when it first starts going strong, then slowly taper back down to match ambient temp's.Whats the best way to monitor temp without opening the fermenter? Ive got an adhesive fermometer on order from amazon that i was hoping to stick on the fermenter at about the 4 gallon mark. Will that be accurate enough? Im envisioning the type of stick-on thermometer I used to have on my fishtank. But im guessing the plastic bucket will prevent the reading from being very accurate. Are there better ways?
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Man, now I'm also reading that it's not good to add your LME until flameout (which I take to mean as just at the end of boil)? But these instructions had me add it just as my initial 1.5 gal of water got to a boil. It didn't scorch or burn, so I'm not sure if it will end up being a mistake, but dang, these instructions seem SHADY! It also says to bottle after just a week. That seems very soon! I'm going to get a hydrometer next week. That way I can bottle when the proper FG has been reached. Did I mess up by not taking an OG reading? The kit didn't come with a hydrometer like I assumed it would.
Bravo! Excellent troll thread cjen (aka pat)! Actually an ok discussion and good advice for a troll thread Your homebrew vocabulary and apparent knowledge is way to big to be a first time brewer. You havent posted on any other threads, you and "pat" are posting 1 minute apart, both on your "ipad using homebrew". And pat miraculously starts a new troll thread "abv too low" that written in the same context as your first post. You both joined the same day, not posting on other threads. You both bought a kit from Monster Brew and your profiles have zero information. Sorry, just not buying it.
But I digress....its way better than other troll threads I have seen. And you have sparked some decent conversation, so its not all bad. Just hope your doing it for the right reasons my brew brother and not to be an arse.
No harm, no foul.
Cheers!
Ha! I think I just got sucked into the other thread...
So are you the third of the multiple personalities of this same individual? Great first post
I believe ya, congrats on your first batch!
Never heard the term troll before anyone care to define for me?
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http://lmgtfy.com/?q=What+is+an+internet+troll
I don't think you are trolling. But if you are, I praise your subtlety.
Man, now I'm also reading that it's not good to add your LME until flameout (which I take to mean as just at the end of boil)? But these instructions had me add it just as my initial 1.5 gal of water got to a boil...
I'll be home in about 2 hours, I'll do a temp read of the swamp water and see if I need to get it back up to 67ish.
Thanks guys!!
Just guessing here, but it seems your fermentation peaked some time ago and is now slowing or perhaps even stopped, my guess is that the show is over and the horse has left town. Making temperature adjustments at this point won't really impact the final product. If your room temperature is b/w 65 - 70, you can remove your fermenter from the swamp cooler and just let it sit for 2-3 weeks....RDWHAHB, ya did well!
If the yeast got stopped prematurely due to cold temps, does that mean the batch is bogarted?
No. Once you warm it up, they will continue until they run out of sugars they can metabolize.
Oh awesome!! I'll get the heat turned on so it hopefully stabilizes around 68. Dang Iowa spring weather!!!
FYI, I think your fermentation is likely done, or close to it.
RDWHAHB
2.5 days with a warm start isn't unreasonable. Yeast at warm temps work very fast. They just don't make the tastiest beer that way usually.
After only about 2.5 days?? I have my heat on now. Going to try raising it a few degrees and see if bubbles speed up. Water currently at 64 (same temp as house) and bubbles about 2 x per minute. Ill bring it up to 67 and see if it speeds up.
Thanks!
All I'm trying to tell you is that at this point the bird has flown. Don't continue to fret and raise the heat a couple degrees, count airlock bubbles etc. etc.....
It's over Johnny, the bus left the station. Go ahead and warm it up a few degrees, but don't be disappointed when nothing happens.
Cheers!
Im already planning on being disappointed with my first batch the next one should go better!
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