beer My First Homebrew

[UnNatural]

At my local hydroponics store (homebrew too), they had kit with 6.5 gal plastic fermenter, 6.5 gal spigoted bottling bucket, airlock, rack and fill kit, hydrometer, thermometer and capper + your choice of extract recipe kit for $100. I've been thinking about this for a while and have been reading up on it but never got around to it. Was just there picking up some coco and decided eff it, i just gotta commit to it.

I picked the IPA kit. It came with 2 cans of amber LME and the stuff shown below.

Steeped the 1 lb. crushed crystal for 30 min. in a 22qt stock pot.

Brought it back to a boil, turned off the heat and added the LME and the UK Pilgrim Hops.

Brought it back to a boil and left it for 45 min. Added the rest of the hops for the last 2 minutes of the boil.

 

[UnNatural]

To the icebath then into 3 gallons of cold water in the fermenter.

Waited till it cooled to 72F then sprinkled the dry yeast on top and let it sit for 10 minutes. Gently stirred it in.

Here it is in its final resting place.

5 hours later i noticed the first bubbles coming out of the airlock.

Talked to my local beer distributor, he said i can take as many empties from him as i want and just pay the $0.08 deposit. Woo Hoo! Pickin up 96 bottles today for $7.68.

 

[Steve973]

Nice job. Let us know how it all works out.

 

[cheezydemon]

That does look like a good set-up!

It will be the best beer you have ever had........just about.

Have your eye on the next recipe. (I recommend a mini mash with some base grains)

You will have a yeast cake ready when you rack (syphon) that stuff on to it's next destination.

NEVER SUCK.(on the syphon hose that is)



PS be PATIENT!!!!!!!!IT WILL BE A MONTH BEFORE YOU ARE DRINKING THAT.

 

[UnNatural]

That does look like a good set-up!

It will be the best beer you have ever had........just about.

Have your eye on the next recipe. (I recommend a mini mash with some base grains)

You will have a yeast cake ready when you rack (syphon) that stuff on to it's next destination.

NEVER SUCK.(on the syphon hose that is)



PS be PATIENT!!!!!!!!IT WILL BE A MONTH BEFORE YOU ARE DRINKING THAT.

Can't wait! I can smell the hoppy goodness out of the airlock. I'm gonna let this sit in the primary for 2 weeks and just rack it into the bottling bucket and bottle. Let it condition for 2 weeks before cracking and tasting the first one.

I've already got everything ready for my second brew. Picked up a 6 gal better bottle to use as the primary, and i'm going to rack it into the bucket i have my IPA in right now as the secondary. Gonna brew this on Friday.

3 lbs light LME
3 lbs amber LME
2 lbs light DME

1 lb. CaraMunich
1 lb. Aromatic

1 oz Chinook 60 minutes
.5 oz Chinook 40 minutes
.5 oz Chinook 20 minutes
1 oz Chinook 2 minutes
.5oz Cascade 0 minutes

.5 oz Cascade Dry hop in secondary

White Labs California Ale yeast

 

[cheezydemon]

..........Rack your first brew to the better bottle.....

Primary in the bucket, a bottle is a bitch to clean out.

 

[UnNatural]

..........Rack your first brew to the better bottle.....

Primary in the bucket, a bottle is a bitch to clean out.

That was my first instinct but i wanted to watch it ferment. Guess the joy of watching it ferment isn't worth the pain of cleaning the bottle out?

 

[cheezydemon]

OK, but then the PITA will make you think twice about doing it again!

The neck of a bottle is prohibitive to scrubbing.

 

[UnNatural]

hmmmm... I'll have to ponder on this. I have till friday to decide.

You always use a bucket as primary and carboy/better bottle as secondary?

 

[cheezydemon]

I used a bottle once..........once.........

Do as you will.

With that dark of a beer, you won't see much.

Beer is a lot darker in bulk, more of it for light to pass through.

But hey, do it once if you want!

 

[UnNatural]

Nah. I think i'll follow your advice. LOL. Thinking about trying to scrub that neck clean has convinced me. I have a lid and airlock for my bottling bucket so i think i'll rack my IPA to my bottling bucket and let it sit there for another 2 weeks and bottle straight from there. Use the bucket as my primary and rack to the better bottle as a secondary for my Chinook Ale.

Thanks Cheezy.

 

[imaguitargod]

COngrats! You are on your way to beer!

 

[cheezydemon]

Secondary beer 1 in the bottle NOT THE BOTTLING BUCKET. Use the same bucket for a primary again, you can bottle the first batch, and then secondary the 2nd batch in the bottle too.

 

[UnNatural]

COngrats! You are on your way to beer!

Thank you sir!

Secondary beer 1 in the bottle NOT THE BOTTLING BUCKET. Use the same bucket for a primary again, you can bottle the first batch, and then secondary the 2nd batch in the bottle too.

Cool. That's what i ended up doing. Just out of curiosity, whats wrong with using the bottling bucket as the secondary?

 

[origamiRN]

I like the clear bottle carboy, and don't waste time thinking about cleaning them. My secret?
I get bottled water delivered on an as needed basis from the local water company, then I have pure H2O, no chlorine/chemicals,etc, and when I'm done with the bottle, I exchange the dirty bottle for a new bottle filled w/ fresh, pure H2O ready for the next batch.

Let us know how the beer turns out.

 

[UnNatural]

I like the clear bottle carboy, and don't waste time thinking about cleaning them. My secret?
I get bottled water delivered on an as needed basis from the local water company, then I have pure H2O, no chlorine/chemicals,etc, and when I'm done with the bottle, I exchange the dirty bottle for a new bottle filled w/ fresh, pure H2O ready for the next batch.

Let us know how the beer turns out.

I was considering that, i actually get water delivered already. I ended up not because the water i get comes in #7 plastic (other, probably polycarbonate) bottles. I was reading only PETE and HDPE are suitable for brewing. I'm in the process of finding a service that uses PETE bottles but have had no luck so far.

Are the bottles you get #1? Am i misnormed in my belief that #7 bottles are not good for homebrewing?

 

[UnNatural]

Bottled them all up yesterday. Bottled one up 5 days ago and drank it while i was bottling up its siblings. It was good. Nothing spectacular but definitely very happy with the results of my first homebrew. It was an all malt IPA kit. Tastes similar to Saranac IPA. Nothing complex but very drinkable.

Next thursday i'm going to rack my Chinook Ale to secondary and dry hop with .5 oz of cascade for 2 weeks before bottling. I'm considering getting a C-keg system, the only thing holding me back is that i have no idea where i'd put another fridge...

 

[fineexampl]

..........Rack your first brew to the better bottle.....

Primary in the bucket, a bottle is a bitch to clean out.

if anything, bucket first, followed by the better bottle.

I used just buckets for my first brew and it ended up fine.

That was my first instinct but i wanted to watch it ferment. Guess the joy of watching it ferment isn't worth the pain of cleaning the bottle out?

I too want to see the fermentation process. that's why i moved to 2 glass carboys. and yes, they're a bitch to clean. the trick that worked just fine for me was hot (not boiling, just very very warm) sanitizer and a carboy brush immediately after racking. It came out spotless.

hmmmm... I'll have to ponder on this. I have till friday to decide.

You always use a bucket as primary and carboy/better bottle as secondary?

as i understand it, the people who use buckets, use them just for the primary and than into a carboy. not entirely sure why, but it might just be for cleaning purposes.

good job though. you appear better prepared than i was for the first brew. did you figure the abv you got out of it?

 

[UnNatural]

if anything, bucket first, followed by the better bottle.

I used just buckets for my first brew and it ended up fine.

I too want to see the fermentation process. that's why i moved to 2 glass carboys. and yes, they're a bitch to clean. the trick that worked just fine for me was hot (not boiling, just very very warm) sanitizer and a carboy brush immediately after racking. It came out spotless.

as i understand it, the people who use buckets, use them just for the primary and than into a carboy. not entirely sure why, but it might just be for cleaning purposes.

good job though. you appear better prepared than i was for the first brew. did you figure the abv you got out of it?

For now, i'm going to stick with primary in bucket and secondary in better bottles. Might get another one at Brewer's Apprentice next time i'm down in that area, if i do i might give primary in a bottle a shot.

The wifey broke my hydrometer and didn't tell me about it so i couldn't get the FG measurement. It had potential abv of 5% but i don't think i got great attenuation as the airlock stopped bubbling after 36 hours. I'll let you know in 2 weeks after i down a couple

 

[Steve973]

Oxyclean works great for cleaning gunk out of glass carboys. I don't use Oxyclean for pre-brewing sanitation, but I don't mind using it to clean out gunk when I can't (or don't want to) scrub.