UPDATE - First Brew - IPA

[cebo40]

Completed the first brew this morning. True Brew Indian Pale Ale. Super pumped and hopefully everything comes out well. Just wanted to go over my steps and any lessons I learned a long the way.

1. Sanitized everything. Use my 5 gal boiling pot, filled it with 2 gallons of water and 1/4 oz sanitizer per directions to soak everything. Soaked about a minute or two and air dried. Poured the 2 gallons from pot to carboy to sanitize as well.

2. Brought 1-1/2 gallons of water to 165 degrees. Steeped grains for 30 minutes, washed out with a small amount of warm water.

3. Brought water to boil and added 2 cans of extract and first go of hops. Boiled for 45 minutes.

4. Added additional malt (to up alcohol content per HomeBrew store rep suggestion) for last 5 minutes, and remaining hops for last 2 minutes.

5. Transfered boiling pot to cooler filled with ice and water. Brought wort temp down to 70 degrees in about 6-8 minutes.

6. Poured 3 gallons of room temp spring water to carboy.

7. Transfered wort to carboy via funnel. Poured wort back into pot then back to carboy to really get a good aireation.

8. Topped off with another half gallon. Added sanitized oak chips per instructions, then added dry yeast right on top of wort.

She's sleeping right now in the mini fridge at 60-64 degrees. Anxiously have checked a few times to check on the air lock. Minimal movement but she's slowing breathing. Yeast is just sitting on the top so hopefully the full ferment will get going soon.

My buddy was helping me and he got fired up so we ran up to the home brew store and scooped another carboy, air lock, and a wheat true brew kit. Another boil will happen tomorrow.

This forum has been incredibly helpful. Few more extracts to do then on to partial mash and all extracts! Brew on!

 

[IL1kebeer]

Sounds like you had fun.

Does your temperature controller for your fermentation chamber have a probe? If so you should tape it to your carboy and then tape some folded bubble wrap on it to insulate it. You really need to control the temperature of the wort, not ambient temp. I'm sure you will make beer without doing this, but trust me, it will be better and you will have less problems if you control the temp of your wort itself. The problem with keeping your ambient at 60-64 is that the wort will warm up during the vigorous part of fermentation. Your temps will put you in the sweet spot of 68-72, which is good for most ale yeast. After your yeast stop producing heat your temp will drop back down to 60-64, which is not good at all. This could cause your yeast to stop early and could result in a stalled fermentation. They also could floc before they clean up the byproducts they produced during fermentation, which also would not be good.

 

[cebo40]

Sounds like you had fun.

Does your temperature controller for your fermentation chamber have a probe? If so you should tape it to your carboy and then tape some folded bubble wrap on it to insulate it. You really need to control the temperature of the wort, not ambient temp. I'm sure you will make beer without doing this, but trust me, it will be better and you will have less problems if you control the temp of your wort itself. The problem with keeping your ambient at 60-64 is that the wort will warm up during the vigorous part of fermentation. Your temps will put you in the sweet spot of 68-72, which is good for most ale yeast. After your yeast stop producing heat your temp will drop back down to 60-64, which is not good at all. This could cause your yeast to stop early and could result in a stalled fermentation. They also could floc before they clean up the byproducts they produced during fermentation, which also would not be good.

Yes, the temp controller is the Johnson A19. Right now i've been going off the temp strip taped to the side of the carboy. Last check the wort is between the 66-68 range with ambient at 60-64.

So tape to the glass of the carboy?

 

[IL1kebeer]

Yes, the temp controller is the Johnson A19. Right now i've been going off the temp strip taped to the side of the carboy. Last check the wort is between the 66-68 range with ambient at 60-64. So tape to the glass of the carboy?

Yep. If it's taped and insulated then you can regulate the temperature of the wort itself it within 1 degree or less. You can verify this with your temp strip or a thermometer if you want. I noticed a big difference in my fermentations and overall quality of my beer when I started doing this.

 

[cebo40]

Yep. If it's taped and insulated then you can regulate the temperature of the wort itself it within 1 degree or less. You can verify this with your temp strip or a thermometer if you want. I noticed a big difference in my fermentations and overall quality of my beer when I started doing this.

Thanks for the advice. Had some bubble wrap, folded it up and taped it on. Probe now in contact with glass.

 

[IL1kebeer]

what yeast are you using?

 

[SeeMont]

Thanks for that advise, I have two (2) 6 gallon carboys currently in my chamber (67 degrees) and I am trying to figure out how best control the the temp. I have my probe in a small container of water. My chamber is a frig with heater, fan and temp controller. It seems to be maintaining a constant temp but now I am thinking? Any Ideas?

 

[cebo40]

what yeast are you using?

Muntons Yeast, came with the kit. True Brew IPA

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/munton-and-fison-ale-yeast.html

Says between 57-77 on the temp.

 

[cebo40]

Thanks for that advise, I have two (2) 6 gallon carboys currently in my chamber (67 degrees) and I am trying to figure out how best control the the temp. I have my probe in a small container of water. My chamber is a frig with heater, fan and temp controller. It seems to be maintaining a constant temp but now I am thinking? Any Ideas?

Pretty good idea with the probe in the water. I taped it to the outside of the carboy with bubble wrap to insulate as IL1Ke suggested.

I also have the temp strip on the side of the carboy just for reassurance. Last check we're at 68 on the carboy with 64 ambient.

Also noticed the heartbeat on the airlock had ticked up a bit....:rockin: Going on 9 hours since start of ferment.

 

[IL1kebeer]

Thanks for that advise, I have two (2) 6 gallon carboys currently in my chamber (67 degrees) and I am trying to figure out how best control the the temp. I have my probe in a small container of water. My chamber is a frig with heater, fan and temp controller. It seems to be maintaining a constant temp but now I am thinking? Any Ideas?

If your probe is in the water you aren't controlling the temperature of the wort. Remember that the yeast will give off yeast so your wort will be anywhere from 4-10 degrees hotter than the water.

 

[IL1kebeer]

Muntons Yeast, came with the kit. True Brew IPA http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/munton-and-fison-ale-yeast.html Says between 57-77 on the temp.

I'd bump up your controller to 67 or 68F and let your carboy freerise to there.

 

[cebo40]

If your probe is in the water you aren't controlling the temperature of the wort. Remember that the yeast will give off yeast so your wort will be anywhere from 4-10 degrees hotter than the water.

Checked on her this morning. We've got some good movement and the air lock is bumping away

I'm right at 67-68 on the carboy thermo reading. I dropped it down 3-4 degrees since it looks like primary fermenting is about to get going.

 

[cebo40]

I'd bump up your controller to 67 or 68F and let your carboy freerise to there.

Responded prior to seeing your post. 10-4 on the temp. What do you mean by "let your carboy freerise to there"?

 

[IL1kebeer]

Responded prior to seeing your post. 10-4 on the temp. What do you mean by "let your carboy freerise to there"?

Just set the regulator to the higher temp and let the carboy raise it's temp on its own as to not shock the yeast. This is actually really beneficial because it will slowly allow them to become more active and will result in a healthier fermentation and good attenuation.

Checked on her this morning. We've got some good movement and the air lock is bumping away I'm right at 67-68 on the carboy thermo reading. I dropped it down 3-4 degrees since it looks like primary fermenting is about to get going.

Keep it at 67-68. You can even let it rise to 70-71 after the first three days. This will make the yeast stay active to ensure good attenuation and proper cleanup of their byproducts that cause off flavors.

 

[IL1kebeer]

Double post

 

[SeeMont]

Thanks for the help. I am going to put the temp tape indicators on my carboys. Will try the probe on the carboy with wrap. I was also thinking about putting a wrap heater on my other carboy.