Noobrew

[VioletBug]

Hey Folks, just wanted to use this post to introduce myself.
Brewed my first batch today: Picked up a prepared ingredient kit from local home brew supply, Fat Tire Amber Ale clone (Extract).
Never realized how long it would take to get 3 gallons to boil, but I enjoyed the hellouta it.
Couple of questions/comments:
1) Is it necessary to 'dangle' while steeping the grains and the hops? I just dropped 'em in and let'em float
2) Muslin bags are super easy to use...is there anything reusable out there? I used cheese cloth and made a bag for the hops, as I ran out of Muslin bags from the grain.
Here's some pics of my basic set up:

 

[b-boy]

Nice. Hope it turns out for you. I've never boiled on the stove. I've always used a turkey fryer and propane or NG. I can't imagine my stove being able to handle that much fluid.

You don't need to dangle the bag for steeping. Just toss it in.

As far as reusable bags, they are available. I've bought them. They get pretty funky after a few uses, especially with hops.

 

[flars]

Stir your bags of steeping grains around some to make sure the grains are wetted all the way through. Looks like you used enough bags to keep the grains loose inside each bag.
May just be terminology, but the hops would be boiled, not steeped.

Welcome to HBT.

 

[VioletBug]

Thanks. I have propane fired stove top, so the hot propane is much more efficient for this process than natural gas.
Yeah, terminology, sort of...the first two hops were boiled, the finnisher was steeped.

 

[mrgrimm101]

I always brew on my stovetop. It's not ideal, but it works for now. Just takes so long to get the boil going. I haven't bought a burner yet, but that will be one of my next upgrades.

It's not necessary to dangle the hops. I've seen people use the muslin bags with whole hops to try and keep the particles from breaking up too much. If you are using pellets there is no need for a bag, just toss them in. They break up really well and settle out with the trub eventually.

I always tie off my bag of steeping grains and suspend it so that it is just above the bottom of the kettle. I've read that the grains and bag can potentially scorch if they are in contact with the bottom of the kettle. This can lead to tannins and other unwanted flavors. I could be wrong about this, it's just what I have read.

As said before, anything reusable will only have so many uses before it gets "funky" and you won't want to use it. There are mesh bags that can be washed and rinsed to be reused, but I can't imagine that you will get too many uses for the price. I usually just stock up on muslin bags, even if I don't need them. The ones I get are cheap and it sucks when you are brewing and realize that you don't have any.

 

[VioletBug]

Thanks for info
Update on first batch:
day #6
Original SG was 1.050
Current SG at 1.022
Goal SG 1.011 (I think)
How many more days should I anticipate needing to ferment at this point?
Here's a pic of the krausen. Aroma is very good. Taste is kinda bland though. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1420140589.066247.jpg

 

[titansvol]

congratulations on the first brew. I let most of my brews stay in the primary for 3 weeks.

 

[GHBWNY]

Your FG is not a matter of a certain number of days left in ferm, but what your hydrometer says. At the end of 7 days or so, take an FG reading. Let it sit another 48 hrs., take another reading. If it is the same, you're at the end of ferm., but just to make sure, let it sit another 24 hrs. and take another reading. If that's consistent with the first two, you're good to bottle. Don't depend on kit instructions re: number days that "it should be done" fermenting, don't depend on appearance of wort/krausen, don't depend on anything except your trusty hydrometer. Consistent readings at the end of expected ferm time is the only way to insure you won't be having bottle bombs. As titansvol's comment implies, time and patience are your best friends in brewing.

Welcome aboard!

 

[Thejbj13]

Thanks for info
Update on first batch:
day #6
Original SG was 1.050
Current SG at 1.022
Goal SG 1.011 (I think)
How many more days should I anticipate needing to ferment at this point?
Here's a pic of the krausen. Aroma is very good. Taste is kinda bland though. View attachment 245929

I had my OG at 1.051 and an OG of 1.013 and it turned out great! Hope you find the same success I did! Welcome

 

[mrdail87]

I reuse my mulsin bags all the time. They can be a little tough to clean, I'll admit. I usually rinse them really well after I'm done brewing and let them air dry. It's easier to shake off the grains off after it's dried out.

 

[Davefox15]

I usually do all grain brews but sometimes, especially with friends or when i want any easier recipe i go back and do an extract...in that case you can reuse the muslin bag for the grain...just wash it out really good...and watch online at certain HB sites when thy have their big sales, usually around holidays, you can usually pick up a bunch of stuff for cheap...that way you don't have to wash it out...

as for the hops...i always just boil them and leave them in the wort and put them into the fermentor... i usually use a conical brew system but sometimes do the buckets too and its the same...just stays at the bottom to i rack it not the secondary

 

[VioletBug]

So now you have me a little concerned that my hop boil didn't extract as much as it should have. I used cheese cloth bags for the hops. The hop pellets expanded (unexpectedly) to a point to which the cheese cloth bags were very tight and the hops were very much stretching the bag out. Seemed compressed. I tasted my wort today and it was a little bland in flavor. Next time I'm just throwing the hops in the book as is and letting the strainer do its job during the transfer into the fermenting bucket. Should I just sit tight and deal with the outcome? Or should I add some hops to the primary fermentor for the remainder of the next 1-2 weeks?

 

[b-boy]

Adding hops during primary won't do much for you. If you want to dry hop I'd wait until primary fermentation is done. Add the hops 5-7 days before you're going to bottle. It will add some nice hop aromas. Not much bitterness or flavors though.

I have a hop spider and I've had the same thing happen to me with IPAs. They swell up to the point that I'm not sure how much wort is flowing around them. It never seems to effect the final product though.