First homebrew...

[paytona500]

For starters, I am a woman so maybe these things don't come naturally? I love to drink beer, so why not brew some?!
My boyfriend has all of the equipment, and since he is in the Navy I decided to impress him and brew stout while he is gone.
So I brewed last weekend. Followed instructions, took my sweet time.
I first out it in the plastic carboy to ferment with an airlock. First full day, airlock was active. The whole week following... Nothing.
I had a strange feeling my seal on the carboy was off, so I did something possibly stupid this morning.
I transferred my 1 week old stout into the plastic cfermenter using a large brew strainer/funnel.
Is this going to be okay?!
I do feel much better about this seal... But did the transfer just ruin things?
It is my first ever brew so if it's a lost cause, I will learn from my eagerness. Any thoughts are welcomed!

 

[paytona500]

Sorry about the typos, my phone isn't the best for this app.

 

[unionrdr]

You likely oxidized it by transfering with a funnel instead of a racking tube with autosiphon. And the active bubbling slows or stops when initial fermentation is over. It'll then slowly,uneventfully creep down to Fg from there. Then give it 3-7 days to clean up fermentation by products & settle out clear or slightly misty. Then bottle.
So you'd have been fine just leaving it alone...

 

[paytona500]

So what is my next move? Is it going to be fine after transfer, or should I look into starting a new beer to ferment? We have two carboys, one glass one plastic, and then the fermenting bucket. So I could get another beer started as I just wait on this one...

 

[Yooper]

For starters, I am a woman so maybe these things don't come naturally? I love to drink beer, so why not brew some?!
My boyfriend has all of the equipment, and since he is in the Navy I decided to impress him and brew stout while he is gone.
So I brewed last weekend. Followed instructions, took my sweet time.
I first out it in the plastic carboy to ferment with an airlock. First full day, airlock was active. The whole week following... Nothing.
I had a strange feeling my seal on the carboy was off, so I did something possibly stupid this morning.
I transferred my 1 week old stout into the plastic cfermenter using a large brew strainer/funnel.
Is this going to be okay?!
I do feel much better about this seal... But did the transfer just ruin things?
It is my first ever brew so if it's a lost cause, I will learn from my eagerness. Any thoughts are welcomed!

First, don't ever say that women aren't natural brewers- they most certainly can be excellent brewers.

The only thing you did incorrectly was transferring via a funnel. That will oxidize the beer. Once fermentation slows, it's very important to do any transfers "quietly", without any splashing at all, by using a siphon and avoiding any chance of oxidation. Oxidation will ruin the beer fairly quickly, so I'd bottle it sooner rather than later and drink quickly.

The only way to know if a beer is finished or not (bubbles in the airlock aren't a reliable indication) is by taking hydrometer readings. If the hydrometer readings show that the beer is at an expected range of final gravity (FG) AND it's not changing over the course of at least three days, the beer is done. It can be bottled at that time or it can sit and clear a bit. Either way is fine.

You never have to worry about a seal. You do want to keep fruitflies and such out, but if the bucket doesn't seal tightly it's not a problem anyway. Most of the time, fermentation occurs for about 3-5 days or so, and after that the beer is just clearing and conditioning. If you have a bucket that doesn't seal well, it should be fine for at least a couple of weeks and by then the beer will be bottled so there isn't any reason to move a beer just because the bucket appears to not be tightly sealed. You'll know for next time!

 

[paytona500]

Thank you for the input.

I don't feel as if the stout is ready to bottle, but I may bottle it and set it in storage for a week or two then put into the fridge.

Would something like an amber or red ale be easier for a beginner? I love stout but I feel as if the flavors need to be perfect, and I cannot produce that as of yet!

 

[Setesh]

Congratulations on your first brew! Welcome to the club!
Your beer is definitely not a lost cause. It actually takes quite a lot to make beer a lost cause, and most of the time it can be fixed. I've been brewing for a little over 8 years and I screwed up a batch recently that I will have to brew another batch to resolve (mix them together). Even beers that don't taste good to drink can be used for cooking and such.
Now for some tips.
In the future try to minimize aeration of the beer as much as possible when you transfer it. The more oxygen that comes in contact with your beer the faster it will oxidize (spoil, basically). Transferring through a filter screen (or by pouring in general) will increase the surface area dramatically and therefore impart more oxygen. Just use a siphon tube next time and you'll be golden.
But luckily you brewed a stout! Oxidation effects are much more noticeable in lighter beers. Also, this is your first beer so odds are extremely high that it won't be around very long because you are going to drink it! Oxidation has more effect the longer your beer is around. Storing your beer cold will also reduce the speed at which oxidation occurs. So after you have bottled your beer and let it carb up nice and proper storing the bottles in the fridge will help if you plan on keeping it around a while. This forum is a great place to learn and is full of helpful folks, but I would really suggest picking up a copy of John Palmer's Learn To Brew. The newer edition is updated quite a bit and is well worth the price, but if you want you can read the 1st one for free online at:

http://www.howtobrew.com/

 

[Effingbeer]

Maybe not the best technique, but maybe not a disaster. The real key to not making terrible beer is sanitation. As long as you used a good no-rinse sanitizer like StarSan on the vessel and funnel you put the beer in, it will probably be ok.

Next time use a sanitized siphon and hose so you don't get as much oxygen into the fermented beer.

Did you get all the yeast goop into the second container? Either way you will probably need to let it sit in there for 2 weeks or so to let it settle out.

Good luck! I would be happy if I got home to a new batch of Homebrew. Very thoughtful.

 

[Yooper]

Thank you for the input.

I don't feel as if the stout is ready to bottle, but I may bottle it and set it in storage for a week or two then put into the fridge.

Would something like an amber or red ale be easier for a beginner? I love stout but I feel as if the flavors need to be perfect, and I cannot produce that as of yet!

Stout is about as easy as it gets, but it's not like ambers are harder. You can do just about any ale with the same amount of difficulty.

Why do you feel that the stout isn't ready to bottle? What is the current gravity? That's the only indicator of readiness.

Keep in mind that if you added the yeast to the wort while it was very warm (above 70 degrees), it's totally possible that the beer fermented out overnight and that's why you didn't see activity, and it had nothing to do with the seal (or lack of).

 

[unionrdr]

Stouts & other dark beers take longer to carbonate & condition. Pale ales,ambers,& reds will process much quicker.

 

[Setesh]

Ahh, you met Yooper, always listen to Yooper!

 

[Yooper]

Stouts & other dark beers take longer to carbonate & condition. Pale ales,ambers,& reds will process much quicker.

That's not correct. There isn't any thing in a dark beer vs a light beer that makes it take longer to carbonate or condition. It's true that huge amounts of roast malts may take longer to mellow, but most people don't have a recipe like that anyway. Carbonation happens regardless of the beer's color!

 

[unionrdr]

Some of my darker ones have taken longer than 3 weeks to carbonate & even longer to condition. Although I do think it's partly gravity related as well,besides how roasty,etc.

 

[Yooper]

Some of my darker ones have taken longer than 3 weeks to carbonate & even longer to condition. Although I do think it's partly gravity related as well,besides how roasty,etc.

Oh, yes, I think it's gravity related as well as ABV and yeast health. A super pale colored IIPA will take longer to carb up than a regular dry stout, so color isn't any indicator at all of that (as an example).

In any case, if this beer is done I would let it clear a bit (a day or two) and bottle it so that the oxidative effects are minimized as much as possible.

 

[paytona500]

I didn't get the goop from the carboy into the fermenting bucket, because of the strainer.
I will most likely leave it another week, and bottle it next weekend. Then keep it in a dark place for a week or two, then move it into the fridge and pray it has decent flavor!!

 

[JimRausch]

Hey Folks - Just a Q that might be relevant. I'm wondering if a darker brew such as a stout might have more antioxidants present. Basing this on darker chocolate = more antioxidants than lighter chocolate. Also red wines have more antioxidants than whites. And darker fruits(thinking blueberries and cranberries) have more antioxidants. If I'm anywhere near correct, then a darker brew might be able to handle more oxidation than a pale. Am I totally wet?
Anyways, Paytona, I predict your Stout will be fine. Good luck!

 

[Yooper]

Hey Folks - Just a Q that might be relevant. I'm wondering if a darker brew such as a stout might have more antioxidants present. Basing this on darker chocolate = more antioxidants than lighter chocolate. Also red wines have more antioxidants than whites. And darker fruits(thinking blueberries and cranberries) have more antioxidants. If I'm anywhere near correct, then a darker brew might be able to handle more oxidation than a pale. Am I totally wet?
Anyways, Paytona, I predict your Stout will be fine. Good luck!

Actually, it seems like the darker roasted malts are more susceptible to oxidative effects. When a beer with roasted malts gets even a hint of oxidation, there seems to be a metallic flavor in the beer. Roasted malts and oxidation do not mix well.

 

[JimRausch]

Thanks for clearing that up for me Yooper. I'll have to think about it and see if I can come up with a reason.

 

[DrunkleJon]

Thanks for clearing that up for me Yooper. I'll have to think about it and see if I can come up with a reason.

Darker malts do not have more antioxidants that lighter malts because they are the same malt, just toasted longer and as a result are darker. Malts are roasted kind of like coffee is. Starts out the same, but is roasted longer for a darker color, and more roasty toasty flavor. Hope this helps.