Incoming Noob with Questions and Pictures

[Spraentart]

Today was brew day! I have to say that it was an enjoyable experience. I purchased an extract kit from my LHBS and the necessary equipment to start brewing. The kit I purchased was a Brewer's Best American Pale Ale. The experience of brewing was quite like that of drinking beer. The aroma of the entire kitchen was of Cascade hops as I added them. (LOVE THIS SMELL!) After obtaining my hydrometer reading, I took a tiny swig of the beer and I imagined the beer carbonated and chilled. I'm pretty sure this stuff is going to be good.

I think any new brewer has a multitude of questions as they are going through. There was a frantic moment between my wife and I trying to figure out when to take the hydrometer reading. So that leads into my first question, before or after the yeast is added? My reading was at 1.050 before adding the yeast. The Brewer's Best instructions seemed to insinuate that they be taken before the yeast is added.

The next question I have is concerning the blow off valve. I have attached pictures below of my setup. I looked up on YouTube how to do this and I think I have it right but I am not 100% sure. Also, do I need a bigger container than this one gallon jug that has some water in it. My biggest worry is creating a big mess in my basement while brewing.

As I was pouring the beer through the strainer I was clogging the strainer from the sediment coming through. I think some of the residue got into the batch. I know this probably isn't that big of a deal but I imagine it will affect the way the beer looks in the end. What can I do to avoid this in the future? I'm also quite paranoid about sanitation, I think I had everything sanitized well.

Last but not least, I know someone is going to come in here and tell me to Relax. I'm your typical frantic noob making sure he did everything right. I understand that beer is resilient and that everything should be okay. I'm excited to prep my bottles, create a logo, and a label for my beer! Now I just have to come up with a name for my little Homebrew organization.

Thanks in advance, I've already seen the greatness that this community has to offer in the many threads that I've read.

 

[woody34]

Hydrometer reading before pitching yeast. Never used a blowoff tube. And I dump the entire wort into the fermenter, sludge and all. A little residue wont hurt if u siphon carefully. Someone with more knowledge can say whether the strainer can cause an oxidation but im pretty sure that's only an issue after fermentation happens.

 

[ahaley]

The oxidation as far as I am aware of, is ok from when you transfer it from kettle to fermenter, because once you pitch the yeast you have aerate it anyways. I strain it the first time into my primary. Now for the blowoff tube, itd get something bigger to be safe, but I use a airlock instead and mine doesn't differ much from yours. I'll post a picture. And if you're concerted about a big mess should the fermenter "explode" with liquid gold, you can always buy a 5 gal tub for storage and put that under the primary.
As for the strainer getting clogged, you can tilt the kettle just enough to barely allow the wort out and go super slow, or what I do is just pour and stop when it gets clogged then continue until you're finished.


Mines the one on the right that looks like yours.

Good luck!

 

[emjay]

The oxidation as far as I am aware of, is ok from when you transfer it from kettle to fermenter, because once you pitch the yeast you have aerate it anyways.

This is true, except I'd recommend aerating BEFORE you pitch.

 

[duboman]

Congratulations ! You did a great job for your first batch and all the answers given are spot on.

Your blow off set up is fine and there is no need to use a bigger jug. I use a growler and it's never over flowed. I would recommend adding some Star San to the jug though.

I would also get in the habit of always using a blow off set up even if you don't need it. I always use one just for peace of mind and no plugged up air locks or cleaning up violent fermentations

The debris will all settle out as trub along with the yeast so when you transfer just siphon from just above that layer and you'll be good.

Cheers!

 

[sweed]

Take gravity reading before adding the yeast. Relax!

 

[beergolf]

Congrats on the first brew.

My first was also a BB APA. It turned out pretty good.

The blow off tube wil work better if you get tubing. to go over the stem of the airlock,instead of in it. Second the little X on the airlock should be cut off so it does not clog up. Most brews do not need a blow off but I always use one. In close to. 80 brews I have had one 4 or 5 that I really needed it.

The other thing that will help you a lot is controlling ferment temp. For that brew if you can keep the temp in the mid 60's it will be better. Look up swamp cooler if you need to cool your brew. Fermenting too warm can give the brew some off flavors.

The hardest part is learning the art of patience. Don't rush your brews and you will be rewarded with some great beer.

Welcome to the forum and the hobby/addiction.

Hang out here and read up on brewing. There is a ton of very good info here, and a lot of very helpful brewers willing to help.

 

[csamuel]

I am new to the forum as well and all I can say (minus relax) is everything you don't know is here on homebrewtalk.com

 

[Spraentart]

Thanks for the prompt responses guys! I feel really great about my brew and started designing some labels for it tonight. I'm already plotting on what my next brew is going to be. I'm thinking a Blackberry Wheat for the wifey. I'm already plotting what new toys I need as well! I'll probably end up trying to make my own wort chiller. Again, thanks for the quick answers and I hope I can provide assistance to the noobies when I get some more brews under my belt!

 

[davekippen]

Congrats and welcome to the obsession I started with a kit that my mother in law got me this Christmas. Im 7 batches in or something. All I can think about is the next one LOL! This forum is the best - I can find answers to almost any stupid question I can think of with a simple search. What I cant find gets answered almost immediately. HBT rocks :rockin:

 

[ahaley]

This is true, except I'd recommend aerating BEFORE you pitch.

Thank you for catching that, I didn't realize that's how it got worded.

 

[gmcastil]

I would also get in the habit of always using a blow off set up even if you don't need it.

Agreed. I have had 3 gallon batches in 6 gallon carboys go nuts at fermentation and require a blowoff tube. Without exception, every beer gets a blowoff tube for the first week. After that, I swap it for an airlock for the last 3 weeks it spends in the fermenter.

 

[Spraentart]

Small update today, I decided to go ahead and rig up a swamp cooler after temps sat at around 72 all night. Fermentation seems to be pretty active producing bubbles about once a second.

 

[Spraentart]

Currently around 68 in the swamp cooler. I added an ice pack to get it a bit lower. I will have this prepped for my next brew for sure to provide consistent temps the whole time. When racking into secondary should I be as concerned with temps? As I said before the house stays at around 72 degrees and the fermenters are in the basement.

 

[unionrdr]

Unless you're adding fruit or oaking,etc,you don't need a secondary. Less chance for oxidation,besides less lost beer from the racking proceedure. And your blow tube size is bigger than mine by a little,so you're good there. I use hop sacks to keep the mess down. And pour all through a fine mesh strainer into the fv. Dito with top off water. I get more aeration that way. Then stir like mad with a plastic paddle for 5 minutes straight to aerate it some more.
Take hydrometer sample then pitch & seal. Control temps at least till initial fermentation is done. But I do it till FG is reached.

 

[Spraentart]

Checked the swamp cooler this morning.. hovering around 67. Fermentation has slowed.. getting bubbles once every 10-12 seconds.

 

[Spraentart]

1 week of fermentation down, one more to go. I feel like a kid counting down the days to Christmas.

 

[IkeKrizzule]

What I like to do, not sure if its right but it seems to work for me, is add the yeast and then take my hydrometer sample. Then I keep that sample in my tube throughout the fermentation and use it to see where everything is at.

I know it might not ferment exactly the same in the primary as in a tube, but I figure its close enough and means less beer wasted with samples, less chance for infection opening things up.

 

[emjay]

What I like to do, not sure if its right but it seems to work for me, is add the yeast and then take my hydrometer sample. Then I keep that sample in my tube throughout the fermentation and use it to see where everything is at.

I know it might not ferment exactly the same in the primary as in a tube, but I figure its close enough and means less beer wasted with samples, less chance for infection opening things up.

Thing is, it will make it damn near impossible to detect problems, eg low attenuation, infections, etc.

 

[Spraentart]

Well guys, I've got shingles so I haven't really been able to give my beer the attention it needs. Is there any harm in letting it sit on the yeast cake for potentially another week? I'm currently in so much pain that I can't see myself doing anything with it this weekend. Saturday will mark 2 weeks in primary.

 

[eastoak]

Well guys, I've got shingles so I haven't really been able to give my beer the attention it needs. Is there any harm in letting it sit on the yeast cake for potentially another week? I'm currently in so much pain that I can't see myself doing anything with it this weekend. Saturday will mark 2 weeks in primary.

you could leave it there for a month or more and it would be fine, that's exactly what lots of people here do.

 

[BrewMeABrew]

You will find the general consensus around here is 3/3. That is, people with more knowledge (Revvy) will recommend a minimum of 3 weeks primary and 3 weeks in the bottle for the average brew. That said, you won't get any autolysis (dead yeast) flavor for significantly longer than 3 weeks. I've heard of people forgetting about their primary for 2 months and still being okay, although i would strongly advise against doing that on purpose.

 

[BrettFitz]

Sorry to hear about your malady. At least it seems like you can look forward to some really good beef after you recover! From what I read and what little experience I have, you are on track for a fine beer.

I strive to keep my temps a smidge lower - maybe 65 or so - and just use an unplugged fridge with a gallon sized ice jug that I switch out each morning then night. But that's just me. You aren't doing ANYTHING wrong.

Secondary? You will find that it becomes a matter of preference. Since you will be "on the cake" for about 3 weeks, I would not worry about it one bit with this batch. When you transfer it to the bottling bucket, just be sort of careful and you will end up with a beer that is perfectly clear with a very thin hard sediment on the bottom. Pour it slowly and evenly and it will be very clear, especially if you manage to let it sit for 3 weeks, then let it chill for at least a few days before you try it.

Good luck, look forward to future posts.

Cheers-

 

[Dan]

Sorry to hear about your illness, hope you get well soon. I can't really add anything as advice it's pretty much all been said. Good luck with your future batches.

Have fun with your wort chiller build, if you're a DIY type it will probably be just the beginning of projects all in the name of beer!

 

[Spraentart]

Thanks for the feedback guys! I spent Friday evening in the ER due to dehydration but I think I'm beginning to turn a corner. I never expected to be so young and get shingles. I took an FG reading this evening and it was at 1.010. Tasted the sample I took and it was fantastic. SWMBO is going to assist me with bottling on Friday. I should be off my meds as well so I plan on enjoying Perennial's Homefront IPA and Founders Red Rye PA while bottling. Again, thanks everyone for the well wishes and advice.

 

[annoyingrob]

Good to hear you're ok,

Now, get a few more batches fermenting. The pain of waiting is lessened if you're brewing every two weeks or so, and have new batches coming out the other end every two weeks as well.

 

[ahaley]

That's great, good luck with the bottling!

 

[Spraentart]

Wow! I didn't realize bottling was going to be as much work as it was. I did encounter a few problems as expected. The first problem was getting the siphon to work properly. Don't worry, I didn't resort to sucking through it although I certainly got frustrated enough to want to. I ended up with major siphon problems at the end to where I couldn't get it to work and I chalked it up to inexperience and lost some beer out of the deal. I bottled 40 bottles, so I figure I lost a little less than a gallon of beer. (my calculations may be off) Overall, it was a great experience and I'm pretty tired after a day of work and then bottling. I did enjoy Perennial's Homefront IPA this evening while bottling and I'm now enjoying Young's Double Chocolate Stout. Both are great by the way. Can't wait to relax and enjoy one of my own in a couple of weeks!

 

[ahaley]

Wow! I didn't realize bottling was going to be as much work as it was. I did encounter a few problems as expected. The first problem was getting the siphon to work properly. Don't worry, I didn't resort to sucking through it although I certainly got frustrated enough to want to. I ended up with major siphon problems at the end to where I couldn't get it to work and I chalked it up to inexperience and lost some beer out of the deal. I bottled 40 bottles, so I figure I lost a little less than a gallon of beer. (my calculations may be off) Overall, it was a great experience and I'm pretty tired after a day of work and then bottling. I did enjoy Perennial's Homefront IPA this evening while bottling and I'm now enjoying Young's Double Chocolate Stout. Both are great by the way. Can't wait to relax and enjoy one of my own in a couple of weeks!

That's a bummer that you lost some beer, but who hasn't? I have a spigot and I've gotten side tracked talking to my wife and realized that, my hand was wet and cold lol. Hope you have better luck next time!

 

[chessking]

Now, get a few more batches fermenting. The pain of waiting is lessened if you're brewing every two weeks or so, and have new batches coming out the other end every two weeks as well.

Couldn't agree more. Fill up the pipeline.

 

[annoyingrob]

Also, by the sounds of it, buy an autosiphon

 

[Spraentart]

Also, by the sounds of it, buy an autosiphon

Already on the list

 

[FATC1TY]

Yeah, get an autosiphon, makes it so easy you won't even think about it. I bought a clip for it, I'm able to lower it to where I'm not pulling any trub off the bottome and just let it do it's thing.

While you are waiting on it to carb up in the bottles, nows the time to plan for another brew soon. That first one is the hardest. You want to keep messing with it and waiting and waiting. Once you get a batch or 2 bottled, and still brewing, you can drink the fruits of you labor while you are making more. Then you'll ALWAYS have brews on hand, and will be more patient.

Then you can really sit back and RDWHAHB.