Howdy!
I have loved craft brews since my college days in Madison, WI. My wife took the hint and got me a gift certificate for the LHBS. I ran out and got my 1 gallon kit and started brewing following the instruction sheet that came with it. I over shot the target temp a bit, but got the wort into the first fermenter, and pitched the packet of dry yeast into it. All per the instructions. The airlock on the bucket started percolating pretty quickly but had mostly stopped by the next morning. I was told by the store to just wait and it should be fine. Now I have my beer moved into a secondary fermenter. There was no kreuzen(sp?) in the bucket, but a little seems to be forming now in the jar. The kit didn’t come with a hydrometer so I don’t know my OG. Bottling is coming up this weekend and I am going to prime with 0.85 oz corn sugar. Is there any way to tell if I am going to have a nice brown ale or mud water at this point? Is there anything I can do to improve, or should I just wait and make adjustments on my next batch? Should I be keeping my clear jar (secondary fermenter) out of the light?
Lots of great info here, and I’ll keep reading and learning. I like the BIAB method because it is simpler & uses less equipment and time but you can still really craft a personal brew. Can’t wait to do a couple more kits then start making my own recipes. This is a great resource for us neophytes. Thank you for any advice, and all the other posts I read while I should be doing other things.
Tim
Post #2 made 12 years ago
Well done Tim, sounds like your hooked.. 
I've a few questions for you which may help me address your worries.
How far did you over shoot your target temp. I'm assuming you mean your mashing temp?
What type of beer are you making. what is the expected ABV.
What yeast did they supply you with. What temp are you fermenting at.
As you have the beer in secondary (not really necessary and an infection risk) I'd try to be patient and in the absence of a hydrometer I think this is essential if you are going to bottle. Keep your brew at a stable temp (19-22c is good) and watch the airlock. No harm will come to your beer from an extra day or two in secondary under airlock. Once you are absolutely sure its finished fermenting crash cool it for a day or so and you will have some nice clear ale to bottle.
Yeasty
I've a few questions for you which may help me address your worries.
How far did you over shoot your target temp. I'm assuming you mean your mashing temp?
What type of beer are you making. what is the expected ABV.
What yeast did they supply you with. What temp are you fermenting at.
As you have the beer in secondary (not really necessary and an infection risk) I'd try to be patient and in the absence of a hydrometer I think this is essential if you are going to bottle. Keep your brew at a stable temp (19-22c is good) and watch the airlock. No harm will come to your beer from an extra day or two in secondary under airlock. Once you are absolutely sure its finished fermenting crash cool it for a day or so and you will have some nice clear ale to bottle.
Yeasty
Why is everyone talking about "Cheese"
-
- SVA Brewer With Over 50 Brews From Great Britain
-
Post #3 made 12 years ago
Thanks Yeasty. The target temp for mashing on the recipe was 150f, and it got up to 170f at one point. I need more practice with my stovetop, but will that release the tanins or something? Are digital thermometers better than the old fashioned glass tube type?
Thought a Brown Ale would be a good first try, and something I am quite fond of. OG should have been 1.052, but I have no idea what it was, since I didn't have a hydrometer. FG should be 1.010. I'm going to pick up a hydrometer before bottling day next Monday.
The yeast was a small packet of "Munton's Ale". There is a little head of foam forming in the bottle and lots of white-ish sediment at the bottom.
Thought a Brown Ale would be a good first try, and something I am quite fond of. OG should have been 1.052, but I have no idea what it was, since I didn't have a hydrometer. FG should be 1.010. I'm going to pick up a hydrometer before bottling day next Monday.
The yeast was a small packet of "Munton's Ale". There is a little head of foam forming in the bottle and lots of white-ish sediment at the bottom.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Last edited by TimFarAway on 16 Jan 2014, 07:16, edited 2 times in total.
Post #4 made 12 years ago
Hi Tim
170f (76.6666 c) is well on the high side for a mash, but thermometers being what they are you may have got away with it.I'm supposing that you left the pot on the stove top and latent heat caused the temps to rise over your target.
By the look of your pictures I think fermentation is still going on, I'd leave it until all activity stops then add another couple of days. Don't bother with your hydrometer as all you will be doing is wasting precious beer by taking a sample, unless you drink it.
AS to thermometers..
my advise would to buy a couple of traditional bulb type and a digital as backups are always a good idea.Go through the whole stock in the HBS and look carefully at each one. Discard any with a split bubble/gap in the capillary tube then pick a couple that are reading the same. They may not be totally accurate but they should both be consistent. As for Digital thermometers the world your oyster, I use one of these Babies.
Yeasty
170f (76.6666 c) is well on the high side for a mash, but thermometers being what they are you may have got away with it.I'm supposing that you left the pot on the stove top and latent heat caused the temps to rise over your target.
By the look of your pictures I think fermentation is still going on, I'd leave it until all activity stops then add another couple of days. Don't bother with your hydrometer as all you will be doing is wasting precious beer by taking a sample, unless you drink it.
AS to thermometers..
my advise would to buy a couple of traditional bulb type and a digital as backups are always a good idea.Go through the whole stock in the HBS and look carefully at each one. Discard any with a split bubble/gap in the capillary tube then pick a couple that are reading the same. They may not be totally accurate but they should both be consistent. As for Digital thermometers the world your oyster, I use one of these Babies. Yeasty
Last edited by Yeasty on 17 Jan 2014, 06:41, edited 2 times in total.
Why is everyone talking about "Cheese"
-
- SVA Brewer With Over 50 Brews From Great Britain
-
Post #5 made 12 years ago
That is a snazzy thermometer! Not sure I'm worthy of that just yet. Going to let it sit a few more days before bottling. Got my next BIAB kit in the mail yesterday. Think I'm going to try adding a touch of apricot extract. This will keep the wife happy and allow me to buy more & better equipment without protest. Then I plan to do 2.5 gallon batches. The math and equipment and process would all be managable. Thanks for the advice! I'll be reading and lurking around here a bunch.
