?'s - "noob" here

[AboutTheStout]

First time Home Brewer...seen the process through a few times with some other first time brewers but I'm still not convinced...so without typing too much BS I'll get right to a few simple questions...sorry to be so blunt, but I don't want to start rambling on more than I already am...

1.) When moving the brew from the wort to the bucket via siphon I was made aware that air is not your friend and you want to make sure not to get any air into the brew when 'transfering' - well, one time when sitting in with a friend he had somewhat of a clog in the siphon and pumped a couple of times producing some bubbling in the bucket - is this a huge deal? I guess I thought a bit wouldn't be an issue, but clearly a lot, right? Any variance in what is ideal? The few times I've seen this process in motion it seems as if a little air is bound to get in....I dunno, maybe not...is this horrible? Again, nothing too crazy...it's not like it looked like a kid blowing into a straw in a glass of milk...nothing that crazy hah

2.) When sterilizing...I assisted one individual using gloves and another without...hands clean, handling things with paper towels...is this problematic?

3.) When going for, for example, an IPA and you want to make try to yield a slightly darker brew...could you lengthen the steeping process an additional bit without making the end product bitter or too strong? I dunno, maybe that is a dumb question.... >.< ... I ask you to 'beer' with me - not one to make excuses but obviously I'm new to all of this...any help would most definitely be appreciated!

I had the privilege of meeting an owner of a Winemaker store and later tasting his beer via a friend and his Milk Stout was AMAZING...I just want to crack a beer I brew and be as blown away as I was then...I mean, that was comparable if not better than most Stouts I've ever had...gives me hope! Tho obviously he was working with major experience...but dayum...I dunno, /ramble I guess....thanks, in advance...

 

[eschatz]

Are you talking about going from the boiling kettle to the primary fermenter or are you talking about going from the primary fermenter to the bottling bucket? The yeast benefit from giving them oxygen when you pour from the kettle to the primary fermenter. However, you DO NOT want oxygen in your beer when you go from fermenter to secondary fermenter or to bottling bucket.

As far as sanitizing goes I never use gloves. I just keep my hands sanitary. However, I've seen people wear gloves. I've never had an infection in over 100 batches so I wouldn't worry about it too much. Just make sure everything is sanitary by using starsan (dont fear the foam!), Idophor (that's what I use), or one step, there are other good products too.

As far as making beers with your own recipes I HIGHLY RECOMMEND a book by Ray Danials titled Designing Great Beers. It'll give you the basics of each style so that you can make your own recipes. I was easily the most helpful book I've purchased.

 

[AboutTheStout]

Moving the beer from the wort, which as I'm to believe is what one would call the "pot", after cooling the wort and transferring to the bucket (bucket, assuming some home brewers go the bucket route that I've seen - maybe not all) for that initial fermentation. Is this not correct? I'm sorry...consumed some beer tonight, it's late...I'm a newcomer....

Like, here's the wort - in the sink/bin where it is cooling...now, moving it to the bucket via siphon....that's where I was going...

 

[Rezilynt]

Welcome to the obsession!. My answers are in blue.

1.) When moving the brew from the wort to the bucket via siphon I was made aware that air is not your friend and you want to make sure not to get any air into the brew when 'transferring' - well, one time when sitting in with a friend he had somewhat of a clog in the siphon and pumped a couple of times producing some bubbling in the bucket - is this a huge deal?

This depends, if you mean transferring from your boil pot to your primary - you actually want oxygen in there (the yeasties need it to have sex and reproduce) If you mean from the primary to the bottling bucket, then, no, you do not want any oxygen. A few bubbles will not always hurt- best to be real gentle at this point though.

2.) When sterilizing...I assisted one individual using gloves and another without...hands clean, handling things with paper towels...is this problematic?

Personal preference - I see gloves as overkill but some may not. I always stick my hands in the sanitizer though

3.) When going for, for example, an IPA and you want to make try to yield a slightly darker brew...could you lengthen the steeping process an additional bit without making the end product bitter or too strong?

The darkness will come from the grains being used

 

[Blender]

1. I am assuming that you are questioning air at the bottling stage. A few bubbles from the tubing is not a big issue.

2. We sanitize and don't sterilize. I never use gloves or paper towels when handling my equipment. I do have a 10 gallon trash container that I fill with 5 gallons of sanitizer and just keep most of stuff immersed until needed. I have 4-5 good clean cotton bar towels that I use to wipe things off before or after eash use.

3. I always thought IPAs were on the light side actually.

 

[strider]

That is the one time u WANT aeration. If siphoning, siphon noisily, and after give the bucket some shaking for good measure. When yeast is reproducing it uses O.

Bit late...lol

 

[reim0027]

As I know it, wort is the beer before yeast is added.

When moving the wort to the primary fermenter, you want to aerate it before adding yeast. The reason for this is to give the yeast some O2 to reproduce and adapt to their new environment.

EDIT:
Took too long to post, 3 people beat me to it.

 

[Hugh_Jass]

wort = beer without the yeast pitched. The wort is boiled, cooled, racked from boil pot to fermenting container.

1) brewers add oxygen to the wort after cooling to yeast pitching temps. It actually helps fermentation.

2) You'll want to develop sanitary practices. Many on here(me included) use a 'no-rinse" sanitizer; i.e. Star-San or diluted idophor

3) I'll let someone with more experience address this point.

 

[AboutTheStout]

Wow...everyone, thank you so much!

First off, the gloves...I figured that yes, would be a bit of an overkill as if you were being clean enough and what not it wouldn't be that big of an issue. I wouldn't say I'm a germaphobe or whatever, but I'm always thinking about things touching things and what not...hah, it doesn't rule my life but I'm always wondering!

And so...awesome...this is what I'm getting from you wonderfully kind people. The first transfering stage...from the "cooker" to the first step of fermenting, air is good as that is when you are adding the yeast and what not, so I can see that being good - right?

Then when moving to the seconday fermenter, that's when you want to take it a little easier? And the same with bottling? Or more so with the second stage of transferring than when bottling?


*Hopes he is making sense*

 

[AboutTheStout]

Ok, and dayum...so the wort as it is called is the beer before yeast is added? Not the device holding the beer? Wow, I'm totally making an a** of myself...that's good to know tho, so yeah...I meant in the stage of moving the wort to the initial fermenter - when you add the yeast...so air is good then, awesome. That totally makes sense, I think some of the initial things I heard were either misunderstood or just heard wrong...being a newcomer everything sounds strange and what not, just like learning about anything else I guess.

 

[Hugh_Jass]

"First off, the gloves...I figured that yes, would be a bit of an overkill as if you were being clean enough and what not it wouldn't be that big of an issue. I wouldn't say I'm a germaphobe or whatever, but I'm always thinking about things touching things and what not...hah, it doesn't rule my life but I'm always wondering!"

It's not about being clean, it's about being sanitary. Risk of infection is real, but with simple steps that risk can be mitigated. I use a spray bottle of diluted idophor to spray all objects and surfaces likely to come in contact with my wort/beer. I also soak, in same sanitizer, objects that are too large or have too many likely areas that would encourage infection.

It is encouraged to add O2 to your solution prior to pitching the yeast. Once the yeast are converting sugars to alcohol, any O2 introduction will cause off flavors in your beer.

Oh, and welcome to the obsession.

 

[Rezilynt]

Don't worry - we've all been there. You may want to read How to Brew by John Palmer. He was even nice enough to put one on the internet to read for free. Just search Google for him and it'll come up. It's a great book.

-

And so...awesome...this is what I'm getting from you wonderfully kind people. The first transfering stage...from the "cooker" to the first step of fermenting, air is good as that is when you are adding the yeast and what not, so I can see that being good - ?

Right - "cooker" = brewpot Wort (pronounced wert) is what you are boiling and will become beer after fermentation.

Then when moving to the seconday fermenter, that's when you want to take it a little easier? And the same with bottling? Or more so with the second stage of transferring than when bottling?

You want to be careful with it at all times after the initial aeration.

 

[AboutTheStout]

Ah ok. I mean, I figure the sanitizing is taken seriously...yes. I would be very serious about that. But gloves? I mean, I always wash my hands...after smokes, everything...hell, I'll wash my hands just to wash em sometimes - it's not a condition, yet =/, but yeah...hah, I mean, I would take as many precations as possible.


Now...non wash solutions...I hear people, and have seen people, rinse no rinse solutions. My thing is, if I see residue on it I'll want to wash it and since I'm hearing that's not a bad thing I figure I'll do that...like the siphon...would it really kill it to rinse it?

And so the air in that specific process is not a killer...I guess from what I've been reading hasn't really stressed this so I figured the air thing would correspond to all the stages. But the air and yeast, obviously, that makes sense. Sorry for all the questions.

edit:

Oh, and the water...I mean, I hear if the water tastes good and is clear then use it..why not right? In the burbs here we get good water, tastes good..I pour a glass of water and that sh*t is CLEAR ... no foul tasting, I know well water and this is the polar opposite so I figure I'll use this water? I know someone who literally used Figi water or whatever, I was like...ok, if that's recommended I'll do it...but yeah, I figure my water would be perfect - it's clear, tastes as flawless as water can taste, should be good...right?

 

[Rezilynt]

Hugh_Jass What happened to to the avatar? That always helped me get through the day

 

[Hugh_Jass]

Rezilynt,
I think you might be referring to another poster that has a rather attractive bill board promoting my moniker. I agree, that's one of my go to "peeks."

 

[Rezilynt]

Rezilynt,
I think you might be referring to another poster that has a rather attractive bill board promoting my moniker. I agree, that's one of my go to "peeks."

You are correct - I panicked

 

[HairyDogBrewing]

3.) When going for, for example, an IPA and you want to make try to yield a slightly darker brew...could you lengthen the steeping process an additional bit without making the end product bitter or too strong?

Longer steeping won't extract more color.
For a darker beer, you can add an ounce or two of black patent or black barley without changing the flavor much.

Bitterness comes (mostly) from the hops.
Add to or subtract from the 60 minute hop to adjust bitterness.