First brew this sunday any tips?

[wingnutjr]

Going to do my first AG brew (first brew ever in fact, go big or go home) going with a batch sparge set up, haven't determined the brew kettle yet will be buying one this weekend. Any tips or common mistakes that you run into on your first batch? Thanks!

 

[ETCS]

The way I see it, is this, you are going to make some mistakes, what they might be who knows. I will say this, learn from them and fix them the next time you brew. Most of all, have fun making beer and don't get too stressed out about it.

Cheers

 

[LouieMacGoo]

Sanitation and preparation are the two biggest things that can ruin your beer if not done properly! Make sure you follow the directions for cleaning everything and keeping it clean while your brewing. Also preparation make a check list of all the steps that you will need to do and be aware of. This will help to keep you on track and help to make sure you don't make any big mistakes.

My biggest problem early on was the preparation piece of it! The process would be ready for the next step and I wouldn't be!

 

[doctorRobert]

look out for the hot break
be prepared to smell like wort, and have swmbo complain
have a plan to cool the wort, and be patient with it. Don't do all the work and then rush to pitch the yeast too warm

 

[ilikeguns]

take notes! temperatures, volumes, ph, quantities, impressions etc.. no matter how trivial.. brew days will quickly merge into one another and you'll try to remember what you did in the past..

 

[ScottG58]

Relax. Remember that it's fun. Try to plan your brew as best you can. I learned to keep a gallon of water on the boil during the mash in case I had to adjust mash temperature. A gallon of cold water in case you want to go the other way. Make adjustments slow. Preheating your mashtun if you are using a cooler by putting some boiling water in it will help you hit your target mash temp. I like to put my hop additions in baggies for each separate addition. I write on the Baggie which addition it is and the time that I need to put on the timer for the next addition. Shake the fermentation vessel after you put the beer in it. Don't worry when it doesn't start bubbling in the airlock when you think it should. There is almost nothing you can do to wreck your beer even though you may be certain that you did. They made beer in ancient Mesopotamia without humans understanding about all of the things we worry about. Most of all have fun. Cheers!

 

[mikescooling]

Get a bigger pot than you think you'll need, then get the next size bigger. Don't let it boil over. Have some DME or LME on hand just encase.

 

[brewvac]

I agree with the big pot advise. Also, if you can afford anything to help control your fermentation temps, it's well worth the investment. Sanitation and fern temps are the two parts that will give you the best beer in the end.

 

[Transamguy77]

Take detailed notes, if you go to Brewersfriend.com they have brew day check sheets that I found very helpful so you can remember without being overwhelmed.

Relax and have a good time, remember its supposed to be fun!

 

[BreezyBrew]

Dont let the carbon sit with oxyclean in it for more than 24 hrs, the crystals can attach themselves to the side and be tough to clean without an acid wash. Also, put a towel on the carboy when dumping from the boil kettle, there is usually foam everywhere that makes a big mess. Just keep pouring through the foam.

Also, do absolutely everything you can in preparation, and write out your procedure. It's harder to remember stuff when you are brewing.

 

[BigFloyd]

Also, do absolutely everything you can in preparation, and write out your procedure. It's harder to remember stuff when you are brewing.

+1

It helps me to type out a separate set of step-by-step instructions with reminders/checklists included at certain steps where I'll probably need them (like "be sure to secure your stirbar with another magnet when pitching"). I do this even if the ingredient kit comes with a set of instructions. The process of sitting down and typing it out helps me to better cement each step in my mind.

If at all possible, try to find someone who does AG brews and have them kind of coach you through the first batch.

I'm right there with you buddy. Jumping into AG this coming weekend. I'm hoping that my "coach" can make it over. I've watched him do a batch and helped a bit, but it's not like doing one yourself.

 

[jmh286]

If you don't have brew software for the computer get some. Brewsmith is the best investment I have made in my brewing. Also make sure you sanitize the crap out of anything that may touch anything that may touch anything that may touch the beer. If you get in the habit of being anal about sanitization now, it will make your beer of the future better. If you don't already have one, get a hydrometer or two. Waiting for your first beer to finish fermenting will be the hardest thing you will do and having a hydrometer will help you tell if it is actually finished or just taking a break. Having the second one will make sure you can still take a reading when you break the first one, which seems to happen at the most inconvenient time. Other than that, just take your time. Make sure you hit your strike water temp and sparge temp. It won't seem like a big deal until you miss your OG by 10 points because you rushed your sach rest.

Follow the steps, chill out and after your first brew RDWHAHB.

 

[brewinchef_fairfax]

+1 for sanitation. Keep a full bucket of sanitizer around and sanitize and re-sanitize tools as you use them - including your hands. If it's going to touch the beer in any way - just keep it clean. Also - be sure to prep for an ice bath to cool your wort if you don't have a wort cooler. Get it down to the high 60's or at least 70 very shortly after the boil.

 

[octopus]

I think the best advice you can get is to make a checklist of every step. The more detailed the checklist is the better.

 

[wingnutjr]

Wow, thanks everyone for their input! This site is pretty amazing for seeking advice especially from the people who have done it! I appreciate it very much Cheers

 

[Homercidal]

I concur with the preparation and checklist. And I highly recommend taking careful notes along the way. Times, temps, volumes, everything. You can find many downloadable log sheets on Google.

Something is likely to go "wrong" but it's really awful hard to screw up brewing and even AG is not difficult.

The biggest thing in my mind is to make sure you perform good yeast procedures. Proper handling, proper pitch amount, proper temp during fermentation.

 

[BreezyBrew]

One other thing I like to do is measure out my hop amounts in disposable cups with the amount and time on them. Then line them up left to right. Makes it much easy not to get mixed up.

Def agree on taking lots of notes, and volume amounts.

 

[weirdboy]

If you are using a cooler MLT, don't forget to preheat your mash tun. Put your strike water in there several degrees hotter than the actual strike temp you are planning for. E.g. if your strike water is supposed to be 160F when you mash in, put it in there when it's 170F and let the cooler take that excess heat out. Then when you stir in the grains, do THAT at a degree or two higher than the intended strike temp as well. It is easy to drop your mash temp a degree or two in a cooler, but much harder to raise it a degree or two.


With all that said, I recommend against being way over your intended mash temps if you can avoid it. Once you start getting into the upper 150's / lower 160's your mash converts very quickly, so you want to try and dial it in within a couple of degrees if you can.

 

[thaworm69]

Keep a spray bottle of water ready for boilovers! I didn't have one on my first batch and I'm sure my neighbors thought i was crazy! Trying to blow on the boil to keep it down. Needless to say it doesn't work! Have fun!

 

[dryboroughbrewing]

Don't drink too much during your first brew day, it'll be hectic and messy enough without you belting out show tunes. That being said I also highly recommend a checklist, and since you haven't done this previously, go slowly and don't rush.

 

[wingnutjr]

Well I was a few weeks late cause my LHBS gave me the wrong fittings/work schedule but It came out nice minus a boil over, hit my OG at 1.05! well see how it turns out in 4 weeks!! Thanks again everyone your tips came in handy