I'm a N00b - help with brewing my first beers

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by Slate_Belt_Brew, May 8, 2013.

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  1. Slate_Belt_Brew

    Slate_Belt_Brew Initiate (0) May 8, 2013

    Brewed one of those substratum Mr. Beer things my brother got me for Christmas. It actually turned out all right. So I decided to go get a big boy kit, came with pretty nice-sized pot for mixing the wort, all the other necessary equipment. My old man bought me an "ingredient kit" which I didn't object to since I'd have no way to know what ingredients I'd want unless I just copied someone else's recipe anyway.

    That said, a friend of mine and I brewed, following the directions very very carefully, last Thursday night. It was a recipe containing a good amount of Breiss malt, I think a 3 lb bag, and then two smaller bags that were supposed to be a caramel malt. An ounce of Northern Brewer hops and an ounce of Hallertau hops. I saved a half-ounce of the Hallertau for aroma hops, which were added a little later. The yeast that came with it was two packages of dry yeast, which instructed me to rehydrate which I did.

    We got everything into the nice glass carboy that came with the kid, and our OG was 1.060. Sealed it with the airlock and put it in my basement. Here we are, almost a week later. I don't see much going on in the airlock. Whatever fluid was in there seems to be gone, and there isn't a whole lot of bubbling. I didn't take the stopper out, but through the airlock I can smell beer. I wouldn't say the layer at the top is at all thick, but there does appear to be a pretty heavy amount of sediment at the bottom of the carboy.

    Temp in my basement is holding steady at 62 F. Is this normal? I would have expected this part of the fermentation to take around 12 to 18 days with a batch that size, like the instructions said.
     
  2. koopa

    koopa Initiate (0) Apr 20, 2008 New Jersey

    If your airlock is dry then it can't bubble. An airlock without liquid in it also isn't keeping your beer sanitary. Get that airlock refilled asap. Sounds like your beer has already fermented and the yeast has already flocculated (settled on the bottom). Try taking a gravity reading now to see how much sugars have been fermented by the yeast so far. Your fermentation should probably be at least 80% complete at this point if you didn't make any major mistakes.
     
  3. TriageStat

    TriageStat Initiate (0) Sep 20, 2012 Pennsylvania

    The only way your gonna tell if anything is happening is by taking a hydrometer reading.
     
  4. AlCaponeJunior

    AlCaponeJunior Grand Pooh-Bah (3,452) May 21, 2010 Texas
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Other than taking a SANITIZED hydrometer reading and filling the airlock with SANITIZER*, do nothing for at least another week. At that temperature, make it two weeks. You're probably fine. Patience.

    Mr beer will come out fine if the ingredients aren't too old and you follow directions and your water doesn't totally suck. The Mr Beer keg will come in handy later in your brewing career, so don't throw it out!

    *Properly mixed starsan, not straight sanitizer! :rolling_eyes:
     
  5. Slate_Belt_Brew

    Slate_Belt_Brew Initiate (0) May 8, 2013

    Just added ratio-accurate Starsan to half-fill the airlock. Probably take a hydrometer reading tomorrow morning, but I think patience is probably a good tip. I kept the old Mr. Beer keg for when I want to brew some experimental flavors later on. This batch is all about trying to follow the directions and get the process down. If I am lucky, a couple weeks from now that gravity will have dropped a good .050 or so
     
  6. AlCaponeJunior

    AlCaponeJunior Grand Pooh-Bah (3,452) May 21, 2010 Texas
    Society Pooh-Bah

    There is no need to rush, ever. Beer is a slow jog over a long distance, not a fast sprint over a hundred yards. If in doubt, wait.

    At 62F most ales should be good by three weeks or so (depending on the yeast, what yeast was it?). Check gravity to make sure. Two successive un-changed gravity readings mean fermentation is done. But always leave at least two weeks total for the yeast to "clean up" the byproducts of primary fermentation.
     
  7. inchrisin

    inchrisin Pooh-Bah (2,013) Sep 25, 2008 Indiana
    Pooh-Bah

    62F is really good for most yeast strains. Which one did you say you were using? Refill your air lock to the line and give it some more time. I'd recommend you wait for 3 or 3 1/2 weeks before you even crack the lid for the first time. You'll want to grab a gravity reading after that, and then three days later. If you get the same number both times you're done. Make sure you're sanitary. Take your hydrometer beer and drink it down. Don't put it back in the fermenter. Use lots of Star San or Iodaphor to sanitize anything near the beer, including your hands. You're supposed to be paranoid until you know you can make good beer. :slight_smile: Bottle by week 5 and you'll be fine for not having to repitch unless you use a super flocculant yeast.
     
  8. HerbMeowing

    HerbMeowing Maven (1,295) Nov 10, 2010 Virginia
    Trader

    Why would you consider MrB to be a 'substratum thing' especially since you said it turned out all right?

    And...WTF's a 'substratum thing' anyway?
     
  9. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    I agree he'll be fine if bottling by week 5. But I'll be danged if I can think of a yeast strain that is so flocculant that there wouldn't be enough left to bottle carbonate.
     
  10. inchrisin

    inchrisin Pooh-Bah (2,013) Sep 25, 2008 Indiana
    Pooh-Bah

    I'm leery of Wyeast's Scottish and WLP007. I was also nervous about my lager yeast.
     
  11. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    I think the fastest floccers look like they have completely dropped out by then, but I don't think they really have.
     
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  12. inchrisin

    inchrisin Pooh-Bah (2,013) Sep 25, 2008 Indiana
    Pooh-Bah

    Tell that to my flat 6er of 60 shilling ale. 4 weeks at 58F and a week at ambient temp (68F). I bottled the top gallon of the fermenter. I waited three more weeks at 70F and got no bubbles. I went back and recarbed with more yeast and a touch more sugar. Now I rouse the fermenter and I draw from deeper down in the fermenter. Trub be damned, I don't want flat beer. :slight_smile:
     
  13. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    I'm a little surprised to hear this. But why add more sugar?
     
  14. inchrisin

    inchrisin Pooh-Bah (2,013) Sep 25, 2008 Indiana
    Pooh-Bah

    I just ballpark priming sugar with a measuring spoon. It's not really sanitary, but it's quick and they're drank within a month by friends. I add the sugar right after I sanitize the bottles. Some comes out with the Star San when I fill because the sugar is in the bottle, rather than the beer as when you use a bottling bucket. I'd rather have over carbonation than under carbonation. I think next time the sugar will be the last addition to each bottle.
     
  15. epk

    epk Pundit (849) Jun 10, 2008 New Jersey

    I can only guess he meant it as being a foundation to build upon. Never really heard the word used that way though.
     
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