A couple questions before Brew Day

[RCBIV]

Brew Day No. 1 is Tuesday and I just have a few clarification questions:

1) With the yeast, does it matter when I aerate? I'm using dry yeast for the first brew. Should I pitch the yeast and then shake the glass carboy for a few minutes, or should I shake and THEN pitch the yeast? (I'm using US-05, if that matters at all.)

2) Measuring the gravity: Do I take a reading right before I stash away the carboy, so after pitching the yeast and aerating it? Or should I do it after topping it off with water?

3) There is probably more to be asked as I continue to think about the process...

Thanks, everyone.

 

[flushdrew42]

answering your first question...

i'd kindof do both.
get wort into carboy, shake etc...
pitch yeast. cap it and let it sit for 5-10 min (this will be difficult - you will want to mess with it...)
then shake/stir/swirl vigorously.

as far as gravity, OG is pre yeast pitch, post topping off w/ water.


welcome aboard, and happy brewing!

 

[mux]

I agree with shaking before and after. I take my OG reading as I pump to the carboy, before oxygenating or pitch.

 

[hopheaded]

1) I always shake after adding my yeast (dry or liquid) and have never had a problem.

2) I take gravity before adding the yeast (so if youre doing partial boil, yes, after you add the water and have your 5 gallons). Its probably not a huge difference, but you dont want to suck up your yeasties.

 

[RCBIV]

answering your first question...

i'd kindof do both.
get wort into carboy, shake etc...
pitch yeast. cap it and let it sit for 5-10 min (this will be difficult - you will want to mess with it...)
then shake/stir/swirl vigorously.

as far as gravity, OG is pre yeast pitch, post topping off w/ water.


welcome aboard, and happy brewing!

Thanks. What's the benefit/purpose of letting it sit for 5-10 minutes?

 

[markmc40]

This might be painfully obvious, but I've made this mistake...shake prior to taking your gravity reading if you top off with water. You want the real number, not a diluted area around the top or a heavy number from the bottom.

 

[RCBIV]

This might be painfully obvious, but I've made this mistake...shake prior to taking your gravity reading if you top off with water. You want the real number, not a diluted area around the top or a heavy number from the bottom.

So you're saying your mistake was taking gravity BEFORE shaking the carboy with topped-off water?

 

[Mozart]

So you're saying your mistake was taking gravity BEFORE shaking the carboy with topped-off water?

I'm brand new to the hobby myself, but I'd think so.

If you take the reading before topping off with water, the reading will be skewed heavier. This is because you're adding water, with an SG of 1.0, to your wort with an SG higher than 1.0, so adding water will lower the overall SG.

You want to shake the carboy after adding the water because otherwise there's the risk of the heavier (higher SG) liquid being more toward the bottom of the vessel and the lighter water being more heavily concentrated at the top. If you sample from the bottom or top, you could wind up with a measurement that is either above or below the overall SG for the entire batch.

Add water, shake or stir, then measure, then pitch. That's the order that this fellow newbie has come to understand, at least.

 

[unionrdr]

...you did notice the date on this thread?...

 

[Mozart]

...you did notice the date on this thread?...

Ooops!