NOOBY - don' think I did a good job.

[Mrcrowley269]

Attempted to mix ingredients of 2 recipes. I did it as a partial mash, believe that is the term. Steeped Belgian aromatic, cara-Munich, and chocolate. The problem occurred when I added the pilsner LME extract. During the boil, I saw some black flakes floating around. When I finished, I noticed it had burned on the bottom. I am going to try it anyway. I have a couple of questions. 1st: The hydrometer, I do not know how to read it as there are 3 different markings. 1 said 1.000 then the 70 below it, another read 18, and the last read 10%. Which one do I read, and what is the reading? 2nd: I plan on conditioning with tablets. I have 16 oz bottles and plan to use 5 per bottle. Is this OK to start, and can it pop the top prematurely?

 

[unionrdr]

You read the scale that has 1.000 toward the top. With longer lines that read 10,20,30,40,etc.The shorter lines between the longer numbered ones read 2,4,6,8 as yo go down the scale toward higher numbers.
So if you read 2 marks below the "70" line,you'd actually read "1.074". I think it's like 3-4 tablets per 12oz bottle. You may need more. Are they the Munton's carbonation tabs?

 

[Mrcrowley269]

Brewers best, and I have 16oz bottles. It says 5 tabs for high, I figured that would be ok for 16oz bottles. Just. Did not want the tops to blow off.

 

[Mrcrowley269]

I have a question on secondary fermenting. There is a little bubbling, very slow. I brewed last Sunday and it started fermenting on Tuesday I believe. I think by what I read, it should not be bubbling anymore, this is correct right? Would the actual 7 days start from brew date or the ferment start date? Also, should I put any sugar in on second ferment? I do not remember doing that several years ago.

 

[cullen]

It's perfectly OK for there to be some bubbling in secondary. There are two things you should be looking for before you bottle:
1. Has the yeast settled?
2. Have you reached a pretty constant specific gravity?

7 days is just an estimate. The yeast will do its thing on its own cycle. There's no harm - and there may be some benefits - in letting it stay in secondary much, much longer.

 

[unionrdr]

Since you jostled the beer by racking to secondary,it's likely just off gassing. I even do dry hopping in primary. I like to let it reach a stable FG there. Then give it 3-5 days to clean up & settle more.

 

[Mrcrowley269]

I am so sorry for not explaining. The brew is still in the primary fermenter. The bubbling has slowed more since this morning, but still bubbling. Can I move it to the secondary tonight? Also, if I add a little sugar, will it start fermenting again and raise the alcohol content? Was thinking maybe a 1/4 cup.

 

[helibrewer]

Sounds like your OG was in the 70's so I do not see any reason to add sugar to your fermentation. Your FG will be roughly 1/4 your OG. That's a fairly big beer so aditional time is quite likely. Take gravity readings, let the beer condition and settle...don't get hung up on calendar dates.

 

[Mrcrowley269]

Sounds like your OG was in the 70's so I do not see any reason to add sugar to your fermentation. Your FG will be roughly 1/4 your OG. That's a fairly big beer so aditional time is quite likely. Take gravity readings, let the beer condition and settle...don't get hung up on calendar dates.

Thanks hrlibrew...I am new, did a few kits about 15 years ago. I decided to take up the hobby again.

 

[Mrcrowley269]

I have a question on gravity readings. I plan on doing 1 tonight and one tomorrow night. If they are the same, I should be ready to bottle, right? Brew has been sitting in secondary fermenter for a week and 2 days, no activity I can see. Also, should the beer used for the reading be discarded or returned to the fermenter?

 

[jester5120]

Since no one commented on scorching the beer a little I thought id throw in my 2 cents. Since your beer has some darker malts in it the burnt flavor that will likely come should be hidden well or even complement some of the flavors

 

[yancydc]

I have a question on gravity readings. I plan on doing 1 tonight and one tomorrow night. If they are the same, I should be ready to bottle, right? Brew has been sitting in secondary fermenter for a week and 2 days, no activity I can see. Also, should the beer used for the reading be discarded or returned to the fermenter?

It's probably been long enough that a couple readings should do it, you could have a day in between if you're really paranoid. But you should be fine, don't worry.

Drink the test beer! :rockin:

 

[Qhrumphf]

I have a question on gravity readings. I plan on doing 1 tonight and one tomorrow night. If they are the same, I should be ready to bottle, right? Brew has been sitting in secondary fermenter for a week and 2 days, no activity I can see. Also, should the beer used for the reading be discarded or returned to the fermenter?

To answer the first question, it might be done fermenting, but yeast create byproducts during fermentation, and extra time will let the yeast clear those up and benefit your beer. I never ferment anything less than 2 weeks, and it's usually 3-4 weeks in the primary fermenter. I rarely secondary unless I add fruit, or unless I'm bulk aging something for many months. Give it another day before taking another reading, and if by both read the same thing, then give it another week or two, and THEN bottle.

To answer the second question, either drink it or dump it, don't put it back in the fermenter.

 

[Pilotpip]

The first couple brews I made were racked to a secondary WAY too soon. In the subsequent 7 I've made I've not touched them for at least 2 weeks after closing the primary. The result: better beer.

Leave it alone, let the yeast do it's thing. It's not going to hurt to leave it in the primary on top of the yeast cake for a few weeks. If anything, you'll like the results better. This is the consensus of the "experts" here and I would have to agree with their advice on this.

 

[Mrcrowley269]

Well...here is what I have. My OG was about 1.070, wasn't sure how to read it but it was close to 1.070. Tonight I have 1.010 for sure. By what I read on calculating the ABV I came up with, around 7.86 ABV. Darker than I wanted, but nice brown, with a kind of copper hue.

 

[Mrcrowley269]

 

[temptnmonkey]

whenever you use extracts, the beers tend to come out a littler darker from my experience, and from what I've read (not sure why).

The ABV calculation is correct. how does it taste?

 

[Qhrumphf]

LME will cause more darkening than DME will, and in either case the problem is solved by adding the extracts later in the boil as opposed to right in the beginning. If I'm not mistaken, it has to do with melanoidin reactions from essentially being boiled twice (during production of the extract and during the boiling of the wort). Same idea as kettle caramelization during long boils for a more traditional Scottish ale.

 

[Mrcrowley269]

Taste isn't bad at all. Next time I will use a tad less hops, seems a little bitter, but not horrible. I think it has a nice after taste, grew on me quick. Think it is still a little green, tastes a little planty. Not bad for my first try at it. I brewed like 4-5 kit beers 15 years ago and this is my first atteppt at a recipe.mixed recipes. Used 4 oz Belgian aromatic malt, 1/2 lb Belgian cara-munich, 1oz chocolate, grain. 1 1/4 lb pilsner DME, 6.6 lb Maris Otter Golden DME. 1.5 lb clear rock candi, 1oz tettnager, 1pz hursbrucker, and 1 1/2 oz styiran.

 

[Stauffbier]

Taste isn't bad at all. Next time I will use a tad less hops, seems a little bitter, but not horrible. I think it has a nice after taste, grew on me quick. Think it is still a little green, tastes a little planty. Not bad for my first try at it. I brewed like 4-5 kit beers 15 years ago and this is my first atteppt at a recipe.mixed recipes. Used 4 oz Belgian aromatic malt, 1/2 lb Belgian cara-munich, 1oz chocolate, grain. 1 1/4 lb pilsner DME, 6.6 lb Maris Otter Golden DME. 1.5 lb clear rock candi, 1oz tettnager, 1pz hursbrucker, and 1 1/2 oz styiran.

The hops will likely mellow after conditioning and a little aging..