First homebrew/Hefeweizen questions

Internal temperature for a sub 7% beer can be 2-5F higher than ambient.

Take a gravity reading at 10 days and 14 days. If the two readings are the same and near the anticipated FG, the beer is done fermenting.

 

Yes, it very likely fermented in the low 70s. You should have plenty of banana. If the beer gives you a headache after a few pints, you fermented too hot.

 

The answer depends on what your internal temp is. The temperature boost lasts about 3-4 days. Measure the internal temp, if it's hotter than 72, then consider moving it.

 

I wouldn't. I wouldn't do a secondary and just go straight to bottling. Transfering will cause oxygen pickup and exposes your beer to risks. I would rather wait until the beer is ready to bottle and not rush it. Once you confirm fermentation is complete wait a few days for the yeast to clean up.

Headspace doesn't matter in the primary. I used my 6 gallon fermenter to brew 2.5 gallons all the time. Headspace is important if you are doing a secondary.

Many of my 5% - 6% beers go from primary to the keg in 10 - 14 days, many fActors can change that timeframe though.

Whenever I let the beer mature and condition properly it always returns better beer. Patience is a very important attribute in homebrewing.

 

If you go glass, get a 6.5 gallon carboy rather than 6. The extra half gallon of headspace will often be the difference between having blowoff and not. Plastic carboys like Better Bottles are AFAIK not available in 6.5 gallons.

 

You can get Northern Brewers Big Mouth Bubbler at 6.5 gallons and that is available in plastic.

 

Why do you want to go glass? It obviously has its followers, but for primary I think more people prefer not to use glass than prefer to because of it's drawbacks.

 

Breakable, heavy and harder to clean.

 

I haven't used a big mouth bubbler, so take this with a grain of salt, but I have heard people complain about the lids on them not being very airtight.

That's really the only drawback. I treat glass carboys as if they will break (use a brewhauler, handle with gloves), and haven't had one break. But if one does, I should be safe enough.

 

Another option is a 7.9 gallon bucket. It has plenty of head space; I have never had to install a blowoff tube with my buckets.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/7-9-gal-fermenting-bucket

Cheers!

 

I have a big mouth bubbler, the lid seals fine and the large opening makes it much easier to clean. ALTHOUGHHHH, the person that thought it was a good idea to make those dimples all over the carboy, should try using the product first before mass producing it. The dimples make it harder to clean, with a cloth easily gliding over the dimples without removing everything found inside them. A smooth surface is easier to clean, it's that simple. Just don't let beer sit in your carboy too long if you can, the harder it is stuck to the sides, the harder you need to work in those dimples. They suck.

 

I would recommend glass, for its oxygen impermeability and because you can get it in a 6.5 gallon size. But only if you take proper precautions.