First brew day completed........

[Teufelhunde]

Well, the first five gallons is in the bucket.....now the waiting begins......

It took about 3.5 hours start to finish, about a half hour longer than I had expected, but not bad...All in all it went pretty well, I think......No trouble getting it to boil on my electric stove, which I had seen some folks have an issue with....and I do like the smell of the hops left in the air now......No problem with boilover, my stove appears to be pretty easy to dial in the heat just right.

My starting gravity was a bit low, about 1.045, I think because I left too much wort to go down the drain with the sludge from the hops. Next time I will strain as I pour to avoid that...even with the low gravity, if all goes well, should end up around 5%, I think.

Yeast pitched at wort temperature of 68 degrees.....and lesson learned.....pitch the yeast BEFORE you carry the bucket through the house and put it in the mini-fridge.....that way you can avoid carrying it BACK to the kitchen and having to open it up and pitch the yeast at that time......

I am kind of worried, however, that I screwed the pooch pretty badly, as I forgot the MOST important steps......drinking a beer while monitoring the boil, and another waiting for the wort to cool......

Now the waiting.......

YMMV

Lon

 

[rburrelli]

Yeast pitched at wort temperature of 68 degrees.....and lesson learned.....pitch the yeast BEFORE you carry the bucket through the house and put it in the mini-fridge.....that way you can avoid carrying it BACK to the kitchen and having to open it up and pitch the yeast at that time......

Lon

Why would you carry the wort back to the house to pitch yeast? take the yeast to the fridge and pith it there

 

[Teufelhunde]

Why would you carry the wort back to the house to pitch yeast? take the yeast to the fridge and pith it there

The fridge is in a bedroom with laminate floors. didn't want to take a chance on spillage........

 

[SEndorf]

I am kind of worried, however, that I screwed the pooch pretty badly, as I forgot the MOST important steps......drinking a beer while monitoring the boil, and another waiting for the wort to cool......

Now the waiting.......

YMMV

Lon

Congratulations. You made beer.
A common mantra around these parts is, "No beer before the boil."
So you see... you didn't screw anything up at all.....

 

[Special Hops]

Congratulations. You made beer.
A common mantra around these parts is, "No beer before the boil."
So you see... you didn't screw anything up at all.....

Agreed. Used to drink while brewing and that is a recipe for disaster. Now I generally on Sunday morning and I will wait until the boil is done before having the first beer. Much safer.

 

[HB_ATL73]

Congrats on your first brew!

 

[HB_ATL73]

My starting gravity was a bit low, about 1.045, I think because I left too much wort to go down the drain with the sludge from the hops. Next time I will strain as I pour to avoid that...even with the low gravity, if all goes well, should end up around 5%, I think.

I believe that no matter how much of the volume you put into the fermenter, whether it be 1 gallon or 5, the OG would be the same. Your post boil volume of wort carries the same OG throughout. The way you could increase your OG next time is to reduce the post boil volume (ie boil longer) with the same ingredients or increase the amount of sugars (grain or extracts) relative the volume in the fermenter.

 

[Teufelhunde]

I put less of the boil in due to trying to NOT get the sediment, therefore more added water, reducing the sugar content per volume....

 

[HB_ATL73]

therefore more added water

Ah that would be good information to know

 

[Teufelhunde]

Update on the first 5 gallon brew.....about 32 hours since it went in the fermentor and I just checked on it.....getting a bubble through the airlock every 6-7 seconds......

 

[Saunassa]

Now is one of the hardest parts of brewing, the wait. Unless dry hopping it don't be opening that bucket of golden wonder for two weeks. Give it time to ferment and yeast and trub to settle out.

 

[RM-MN]

It's always fun to see those first bubbles in the airlock to suggest that fermentation has started but be aware that those bubbles are for your entertainment only and not an indicator that fermentation is complete. Use your hydrometer for that.

 

[brewbama]

It's always fun to see those first bubbles in the airlock to suggest that fermentation has started but be aware that those bubbles are for your entertainment only and not an indicator that fermentation is complete. Use your hydrometer for that.

+1. Never gets old.

 

[seatazzz]

+++1. Also staring through a clear carboy to see the yeast clumps bouncing crazily around. I can watch that for hours.

 

[Teufelhunde]

Update on the first five......7 days in the fermenter and it has all but stopped. Took a SG reading of 1.010, which would put it about 4.6 ABV......It actually tasted pretty good for flat beer......I think it is officially soup now, but will take another reading in a couple days to be sure......

Lon

 

[jrowland74]

Congrats on your first brew, devil dog! I'm sure it will be the first of many!

 

[Teufelhunde]

Final update on this batch.......I cracked the first one today after eight days in the bottle.....got a nice psssssss when the seal broke....it is a clear, nice light amber color, decent aroma and not bad tasting....not quite as flavorful as Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, but I'm not gonna pour it out either. I might try this one again, but if so, I think I will add a dry hopping at the end to spice it up a bit.......1.5 thumbs up......

YMMV

Lon

p.s. I might add, the other half doen't like it, but she drinks bud light, so her opinion(on beer) isn't worth much.......