First batch brewing...

[steppenwolph]

I am brewing my first batch of beer. It is fermenting in a corny keg with a blow off tube jammed on to one of the posts and run into a bucket of water. I am completely transfixed by watching it bubble, and will often walk over to watch it go. It got clogged or something and stopped bubbling. I gave the keg a good jostling, and a whole bunch of stuff blorpped out the tube. It was fascinating. Then I did this every so often just to watch the reaction, which was always a big sudden increase in blow off. Now I've laid off, thinking that it was bad for the fermentation process. Is that true? Or can I jostle the keg for entertainment whenever I want?

Also, what can I expect the final gravity reading to be using Safale S-05 yeast in a wort of two row pale Briess malt mashed at 154 F and having an original gravity of 1.068?

I did not mash this myself, but am participating in a club event where we all start with the same basic wort and then add whatever to make a unique beer. These will all be entered into a competition sponsored by the local brew pub that made the wort. It was a fun and easy way to get a batch of brew going. I steeped some Victory malt, some caramel malt and a tiny bit of chocolate malt at 160 F for 20 minutes along with 1 oz of Northern Brewer hops, 0.3 oz of coriander, and then boiled it for 60 minutes and added another ounce of Northern Brewer at the start of the boil. At 50 minutes I added an ounce of Willamette and then another ounce at flameout. I don't really know what all this will add up to, but I am going for a hoppy nut brown ale. I plan to let this go for at least three weeks, possibly four. What do you all think?

 

[Golddiggie]

Welcome to yeast channel... Where you can watch your airlock or blow-off tube 24x7...

I've not felt the need to roust the primary when it's going ape-nuts... Mostly because I knew that the tube wouldn't get clogged, and it would blow-off at it's own pace. I would suggest leaving it alone, so that you don't risk adding oxygen during the wrong time.

For the brew's end gravity... The people who wrote the recipe should have a decent idea... I would suspect it will be under 1.020. FG has a lot to do with the mash temp.

I used fermcap in the batch I've had fermenting in my corny keg... I just pulled the pin-lock style relief valve out and installed the airlock inside a bung there. With the fermcap, and using Wyeast 1335, I didn't have anything go into the airlock, and didn't need to use a blow-off tube at all. :rockin:

I will be picking up some ~5 gallon Sanke kegs tomorrow. I'm planning on using those for either fermenting, aging, or both... I suspect that my PET carboys will be seeing less use moving forward. I'll keep them, just won't need to use them as often... Of course, I could just use them and brew MORE often. Once I move to a new place, and have the room, I could see brewing every weekend for a while. To get my pipeline established again... I do have a feeling that building a fermentation chamber for the Sanke kegs will be far easier than for carboys... I should be able to fit more of them in it too.

This is going to be a good brew year... :rockin:

 

[steppenwolph]

This batch has been fermenting for two weeks as of today. I took a hydrometer reading today and it was at 1.010. From a starting gravity of 1.066, that yields a nice 7.3% abv. Of course I tasted the brew, I think it will be pretty good when finished. There was a good level of bitter, and a nice floral component from the Willamette added at flameout. I plan to let this sit another week on the yeast cake and then rack to a corny keg for forced carbonation. Any comment on that plan? Would you do it differently? Can you carbonate naturally in a corny keg? I can't wait until the stuff is ready to drink!

 

[Golddiggie]

You an carbonate either with sugar or CO2 in a corny keg... If you decide to go the sugar route, just be sure you use the right amount (less than you would if you bottled the batch)... If you plan to use CO2, then reference this chart for how much PSI to put the brew at (at the proper temperature)... Either way, plan on a 2-3 week carbonation time frame...

I wouldn't opt for the rapid forced carbonation method with my initial brews in kegs... Far better to just do it up a little slower, and know you'll have the right CO2 level than try to rapid force carbonate and have to do who knows what to get it right.

 

[iaefebs]

Your plan of letting it sit another week is fine. Lot's of people let a batch go 3+ weeks in the primary. You Got a 84.8% attenuation which is in the realm of the S-05. Shaking the fermentor is alright. The thing you want to watch is the yeast has a natural life cycle. Each yeast will attenuate and flocculate to it's own schedule. If you are trying to emulate a particular style of beer and you keep rousing the yeast it might finish off lower then the style calls for. I like what your brewclub is doing with this contest. Good luck with your brew, take good notes so everyone can learn from each other. Yes.. you can carbonate in a keg with corn sugar or whatever you use to bottle.... A corny is just a big bottle. I usually add my boiled and cooled sugar water, seal the lid with 30 psi, and let it sit.

 

[steppenwolph]

I will be picking up some ~5 gallon Sanke kegs tomorrow. I'm planning on using those for either fermenting, aging, or both...

I just picked up a 1/4 bbl tall (as opposed to the shorter, squat type) sanke keg as well. Def have plans for that to be a fermenter. All I need is a carboy cap and some blow off tube and it is good to go. It hold 7.75 gals, so lots of head room there.

 

[Golddiggie]

I just picked up a 1/4 bbl tall (as opposed to the shorter, squat type) sanke keg as well. Def have plans for that to be a fermenter. All I need is a carboy cap and some blow off tube and it is good to go. It hold 7.75 gals, so lots of head room there.

Wish I could source the tall 1/4 keg right now...

For the hole where the spear goes, the large universal bung fits perfectly... MUCH easier to use than the cap... I have one in the keg I'm aging my wee heavy in now...

 

[steppenwolph]

Well, the brown ale was put into three bottles and submitted for judging. The rest remains in the keg, except for what I have consumed. The judges hated my beer. It was judged by two different judges; one gave it a 27, the other gave it a 28. That is a little disappointing, but not a big deal. I really like the beer, and am looking forward to future batches.

 

[Blisster]

don't worry about what some homebrew club judge thinks about your beer. If you and your mates like it, then it was a rousing success!

 

[steppenwolph]

don't worry about what some homebrew club judge thinks about your beer. If you and your mates like it, then it was a rousing success!

I feel the same way! It was my first batch, it did not get infected, it is eminently drinkable, and I am enjoying a pint as I type! Cheers!

 

[Blisster]

well there you go!