ChattanoogaJSB
Member
Hi all- I was perusing the beginner stickies for a few days and after my positive experiences on the antique side of the Corvette forum, I figured I'd better sign up here and join the fun (thereby committing myself to another addictive internet forum).
Anyway, a buddy from church gave me a couple of home brewed IPA's two weeks ago. I was hooked. I ordered a "deluxe" kit from Northern and the "Caribou Slobber" option extract kit to start.
Saturday I could hardly wait for the brewing! I made my Wort after watching the DVD twice and carefully sanitizing everything, cooled it in the ice bath, check the temp to below 90 degrees, poured it in the carboy, topped her off with water to five gallons, pitched the dry yeast (after starting it in the 100 ml warm water as directed on the package, I didn't pitch it dry).
Things started bubbling almost immediately, within a few hours. I went to the movies that night and found my coat closet full of a foam explosion (basically all the beer still in the carboy), plug and airlock laying beside. What a letdown! Since it was still erupting, I hoped it had enough positive pressure nothing "bad" got in and I moved it to the garage and put on a blowoff tube made hastily from the siphon tube shoved into the stopper, to a bowl. It bubbled continuously overnight, and then slowed. By day 3 I moved it back to the (cleaned) closet to get the temp below 78 and the Krausen has fallen back down. I also rocked it a bit with the plug covered to get the foam that was clinging to the roof of the carboy back into the beer a bit after the lower section fell back in. I'm still on the blowoff tube and may stay that way until I go to the secondary, even though I'm only getting a few bubbles, at 50 second intervals this morning.
Hopefully this beer isn't ruined, but I tried to read the stickies and everyone suggests riding it out. I sure didn't mean to ferment so fast! I know now that starting with a blowoff at least is a MUST. I'm thinking of using the secondary at day 10 just to free up my primary to start another batch in case this one is ruined.
I thought I'd avoid "asking another dumb question" that's already been answered, and just tell the sad tale in my introduction. If anyone has any advice, I've tried to lay it out there. Otherwise... I look forward to learning more and hopefully my poor start will lead to many better ones in the future!
-b
Anyway, a buddy from church gave me a couple of home brewed IPA's two weeks ago. I was hooked. I ordered a "deluxe" kit from Northern and the "Caribou Slobber" option extract kit to start.
Saturday I could hardly wait for the brewing! I made my Wort after watching the DVD twice and carefully sanitizing everything, cooled it in the ice bath, check the temp to below 90 degrees, poured it in the carboy, topped her off with water to five gallons, pitched the dry yeast (after starting it in the 100 ml warm water as directed on the package, I didn't pitch it dry).
Things started bubbling almost immediately, within a few hours. I went to the movies that night and found my coat closet full of a foam explosion (basically all the beer still in the carboy), plug and airlock laying beside. What a letdown! Since it was still erupting, I hoped it had enough positive pressure nothing "bad" got in and I moved it to the garage and put on a blowoff tube made hastily from the siphon tube shoved into the stopper, to a bowl. It bubbled continuously overnight, and then slowed. By day 3 I moved it back to the (cleaned) closet to get the temp below 78 and the Krausen has fallen back down. I also rocked it a bit with the plug covered to get the foam that was clinging to the roof of the carboy back into the beer a bit after the lower section fell back in. I'm still on the blowoff tube and may stay that way until I go to the secondary, even though I'm only getting a few bubbles, at 50 second intervals this morning.
Hopefully this beer isn't ruined, but I tried to read the stickies and everyone suggests riding it out. I sure didn't mean to ferment so fast! I know now that starting with a blowoff at least is a MUST. I'm thinking of using the secondary at day 10 just to free up my primary to start another batch in case this one is ruined.
I thought I'd avoid "asking another dumb question" that's already been answered, and just tell the sad tale in my introduction. If anyone has any advice, I've tried to lay it out there. Otherwise... I look forward to learning more and hopefully my poor start will lead to many better ones in the future!
-b
