My first batch - questions/observations

Really the most important thing is to use the right amount of what ever priming agent you use. Several good calculators out there. Brewers friend. Northern Brewer. Etc.

 

1) According to that link, the SG is supposed to be 1042-1045, depending on the age of the yeast, you could skip the starter and just directly pitch the yeast. But, you might make better beer if you make a starter. If the yeast is less than a month old, I would probably skip the starter, others would not.

2) it is better to pitch low and then let the temperature rise vs. pitch high and hope to bring the temp down. I would wait until at least 65 to pitch, but low 60s would be better.

3) Some people worry about tannins, I think a gently squeeze would be fine. If you can suspend the grain sack above you pot, you can just let it drip. You could also pour some hot water over the sack as a kind of sparge.

4) 4 weeks in the fermenter is not a problem, especially if you can keep it in the mid-60s

 

1) Since the OG is supposed to be 1042-1045 just pitching the yeast should be OK. If making a starter will bring you piece of mind then you could go that route.

2) It is important to ferment the beer in the recommended temperature range for the given yeast strain. Lots of folks prefer to pitch low and then permit the fermentation to ‘free rise’ to warmer temperatures. That method ‘works’.

3) I do not squeeze the steeping grains but that is just my personal brewing practice. A gentle squeeze may be OK, I really don’t know.

4) 4 weeks in the fermenter will likely not be an issue. I personally package my beers in a shorter timeframe (e.g., 1-2 weeks of primary fermentation) but lots of BAs post about primary fermentations of 3-4 weeks with no reported bad effects.

Cheers!

 

It's important to ferment the beer at a temperature at which the strain will give the results the brewer wants. That may be within the manufacturer's recommend range, possibly within a narrow band within that range, or completely outside the recommended range.

For example, Wyeast 1056 and WLP001, i.e. the Chico strain...
Wyeast recommended range: 60F-72F
White Labs recommended range: 68F-73F

So which is exactly right? I'd say neither.

Fermenting with Chico at 60F is going to give a very different flavor profile than fermenting at 72F, and both of those temps are within Wyeast's recommended range. So which end (if either) should you ferment at? Depends on your goals. And White Labs says 68F-73F for the same strain. For pale ales/IPAs, I use this strain at 66F-67F, outside of White Labs' recommended range. So I would not agree that it's important to ferment within the manufacturer's recommended range. In some cases, it would be detrimental.

I suppose if you've never used a particular strain, and can't get any recommendations from knowledgeable brewers regarding appropriate temperatures given your goals, then you could go ahead and pick something in the manufacturer's recommended range and hope the beer turns out like you envision. It's a strategy, I guess.

 

I prefer to use US-05 which has a recommended range of 59 -75 degrees F. I have fermented with this yeast over much of that range: low 60's to low 70's. That yeast has produced a beer that I would describe as 'clean' over that broad of a fermentation range.

Cheers!

 

So what if you were to use WLP001? I know, not your preference, but let's say you won it as a door prize. Would you hesitate to ferment lower than WLP's recommended low end of 68F?

 

There's no magic formula. You could do trial and error, but if you know your goals, e.g. high esters or low esters, or phenols, or even a desire for some yummy diacetyl, you can ask people here what fermentation temperatures they would use to achieve them with a given yeast strain. Your goals could be fairly general, or could be as specific as "How do I get that Peach flavor from Conan yeast?"

To get some idea about what I mean, you might try reading some style descriptions in the BJCP guidelines. There's some variation within each style, and some of that can be yeast and fermentation temperature driven. Once you decide what you're looking for, there are scads of people here who can help you get there. That goes for pretty much any aspect of recipe or process, not just fermentation temps.

 

If you pitch 1028 at 64F and the internal temperature doesn't get above 70F during the first 5 days of fermentation, the result will be good. Fermentation can increase the internal temperature by 3-5F. Pitching at 80F is asking for trouble. Kit directions are sometimes bad advice.

That isn't a universal magic formula, but those temperatures will produce good results for most ale yeasts.