I like Pale Ales, IPAs (like Bell’s Two Hearted), and Brown Ales - Sierra Madre, Dead Ringer and Caribou Slobber were kits I enjoyed.
If you like saisons, Saison au Miel is another kit to consider. Belle saison yeast ferments at higher temperature range than either US-05 (Sierra Madre, Dead Ringer) or Windsor (Caribou Slobber) - so Saison au Miel would be a more ‘forgiving’ kit as you start working on temperature control during fermentation. (I brewed and enjoyed this kit).
For my 6.5 gal glass carboy, the hose is so tight I typically just leave it on the entire time. My 6.5 gal big mouth bubbler, the hose is somewhat loose in the opening on the lid so I replace the blowoff hose with a bung and a bubbler after active fermentation is over just to make sure nothing can get in.
Rad
I have done about 7 One gallon batches and have used a blow off tube for every one of them. I recommend starting with a blow off hose for at least the first 4-6 days of fermenting, then switch to a airlock afterwards.
I have done the Saison au Miel kit and enjoyed it very much, and I also enjoyed the White House Honey Ale Kit as well.
Hey guys i recently bought a 1 gallon starter kit of the double ip legacy beer everything went very smoth until i had the same problem the foam went into my airlock like this guy but i right away replaced with a blow off tube they gave me into a jar of clean water the thing im worried about is the sanitizer water i had in the airlock getting into the beer and also if the blow off is in just water if that will affect anything my temps are on point and its been a week there has been very little action since ive added the tube ive shaken the jug lightly and that produces a nice head of foam and good bubbles in the blow off water but im worried i messed up and it wont be drinkable please respond its my first time brewing
No need to worry about the sanitizer that was in the airlock. It was heading away from your beer. If you had Star San solution in the airlock and it went into the beer still nothing to worry about. Would not hurt the beer or you.
Active fermentation like you are experiencing can go on for several days depending on the yeast used. Keep the temperature of the beer stable and you will have good beer.
You can replace the airlock when the krausen begins to fall to make the fermentor easier to move if you need to.
Welcome to the forum.
If i replace the air lock would the air that gets in the hole when i teke the blow off valve affect the beer? Should i taste it before i bottle and condition? How much longer should i wait till bottle
No worry about air getting into the beer if you replace the airlock. If you replace it when the krausen height begins to recede the fermentation will still be active producing CO2.
Oxidation is not to much of a concern unless you shake the beer to cause quite a bit of splashing. The force of splashing can force air into the beer.
After fermentation is complete you will see the beer begin to clear from the top down. This will begin about two weeks after the fermentation had begun. This is about the time to take the first SG reading. Take a second SG reading a few days later. Taste the hydrometer samples. It will be like beer, but remember it is very green beer and uncarbonated. If the readings are the same final gravity has been reached. You can rack from the fermentor to the bottling bucket when the beer looks clear. This will minimize the amount of sediment in the bottles.
I usually leave my beers in the fermentor for three weeks before bottling. I’m in no rush to bottle though. More time in the fermentor will cause no harm
Thank you so much huge help il go ahead and leave for three weeks then and il replace the airlock tomorrow also wondering the best way to get beer out to take my readings should i maybe use a turkey baister? I just dont wanna rish contaimination and tell me more about using a bottling bucket? The paper says rack straight from the fermenter into bottles but id like a clear beer in bottles so whats the best technique to do it your way with my equiptment?
A turkey baster will work for pulling samples for SG readings. Be sure to sanitize the top of the fermentor, inside and outside of the turkey baster, and your hands.
I don’t normally say this, but you may be able to take only one SG reading if you wait long enough to take the reading. FG will often be in a certain range for styles of beer. This will increase the amount bottled. This requires making sure the beer has had enough time in the fermentor for the fermentation to completely finish. A completed fermentation can be judged by when the excess yeast drops out and the beer is clear.
Racking to a bottling bucket simplifies bottling. The priming sugar is dissolved in boiled water and added to the bottling bucket. The beer is racked in mixing with the priming solution. The bottling wand is attached to the spigot on the bucket for filling the bottles. One problem is that the last 4 ounces will not flow through the spigot. For a 5 gallon batch this is insignificant. For a one gallon batch this may seem a major volume loss.
I think I’ll stop here until I hear back from you on these two questions. Do you have someone to hold the siphon in the fermentor while you fill the bottles? What equipment was in your kit for bottling and carbonating?
@Donovanbrannen
I’ll be back in about an hour. Critical point in brewing. Don’t worry you’re beer is coming along okay.
You will be able to continue posting.
Ok i look forward to it happy brewing!
Ok thats what il use also whats a good container to use my hydrometer in? I also have a refractometer and i can do multiple readings if needed as i am very cautious with sanitizing but i just dont wanna introduce oxygen into it and it go bad…so you think if i leave it the 3 weeks it will just turn clear? I thought there had to be some sort of filtering mine is really cloudy and the kit i got is pictured below thank you for all your time its been a huge stress relief and im doing it to impress my owner at the resturant i bartend at he helped with the brewing and was so interested hes been talking about brewpubs ever since so i want it to thrn out amazing
Since you have a refractometer you can use it for the SG readings and save ounces of beer for the bottles. Refractometers are not accurate when alcohol is present though. You will need to use a conversion calculator. This is one of the online calculators available. Refractometers work by refracting light. If you were to take one sample while there is still a lot of yeast suspended and a second sample without suspended yeast, the conversion will be skewed. In a week to a week and a half you will see your IPA clearing. It is very noticeable.
You may be able to successfully bottle from the fermentor with another person to hold the siphon above the trub layer. Not terrible to suck up some of the trub when working alone, but it means you will be pouring less from each bottle to avoid the extra sediment in your glass.
My previous advice about tilting the fermentor before bottling may not work with a one gallon jug fermentor. The small sized mouth of the jug most likely will not allow angling the siphon all the way to the bottom edge. Time in the fermentor will allow the yeast/trub layer to compact allowing the maximum to be siphoned.
Don’t worry about introducing oxygen to take a sample. Splashing will force air into the beer resulting in oxidation. Just don’t pick your fermentor up and shake it.
Plan for three weeks in the fermentor. Your beer will most likely be ready to bottle by that time. Take your first SG reading about day 15. Take a second a few days later. Let us know what the readings are.
Beer can be filtered, but requires a bit of equipment and a CO2 atmosphere. something to consider when you start brewing multiple barrels at a time. Most craft breweries don’t filter.
Over the next couple of weeks you can read The Complete Joy of Homebrewing by Charlie Papazian. It is a very good book on brewing.
Welcome to the NB forum. Any question is a good question.
Thank you ive never used a refractometer so it will take getting used to and i changed the airlock today everything looks ok the foam decreased a ton il take the hydrometer readings in a week at day 15 like you said and post those im really excited to see how it is and when i bottle do i just drop in the primmer after i fill the bottle?
@Donovanbrannen: My experience with bottling from a gallon carboy is that @flars approach does work: the angles will allow the siphon to get ‘close enough’ to bottom edge of a gallon carboy - so you won’t leave any beer behind and generally won’t pull up any trub.
edit: forgot to add a “+1” for the Papazian book recommendation.
Follow up to my original post:
First, thanks to everyone here helping me make my first batch of (Irish Red Ale) beer!
Since my original post, my 1 gallon of red ale sat for 2.5 weeks in the fermenter (around 70 degrees), then I bottled and let it sit for another 2-3 weeks before storing it in the fridge.
I drank the first bottle after about 12 hours in the fridge. It tasted ‘ok’ but had a slight bite to it and highly carbonated like a cola drink. After 2-3 days in the fridge, I drank the second beer and the carbonation was acceptable and the taste had mellowed out. I used the Fizz Drops that came with the kit, I’m not sure if that had a part in the carbonation.
Overall, I’m happy with the batch and have learned quite a bit!
I’ve already started my second batch, this time it’s 2 gallons of Dry Irish Stout in a 3 gallon carboy (with blow off tube!). After learning that temperature is key, I went with a swamp cooler and have successfully kept the temps between 60-65 degrees for a week now.
Which brings up a question: Is it better to keep the carboy around 60-65 degrees for the duration of being in the fermenter (2-3 weeks), or is it just critical for the first few days; After which, sitting at 70 degrees would suffice?
On deck, is 2 gallons of the White House Honey Ale, brew day to come…
Thanks for everything!
Cheers!
-Andy
After a few days, you can let the temp rise gradually. This might let the yeast finish a bit dryer, too. Congrats on the first beer! Sounds like you’re on your way to great beer. You’re asking the right questions…
I usually hold the fermentation temperature for four to five days just to make sure the flavor profile is set. It is longer than necessary, but I still do it. I’ll then let the temperature of the beer free rise to the ambient temperature. Ambient during the winter is 68°F in the brew room and 66°F during the summer. I keep the fermentor in the swamp cooler water, but no wet towel or fan. This will prevent the temperature of the beer from rising or falling if their would be ambient temperature swings.
I have about five gallons of water in the swamp cooler. I add about two tablespoons of bleach to the water to prevent the slime growth.
I was so glad to find this post. I brewed the Red Ale as my first solo project and had almost the same experience. I bottled just over a week ago. I’m glad to read that all worked out for you. I’ll give mine another week and hope for the best. Happy brewing.
yes had it happen once did make my wife happy noooot did atach now a blowover hose for the first week once active fermenting stops switch to a regular air lock and i use a concreet bucket with ice to cool my worth so it stays at the right temp for fermentin. but the bucket as well in case it spills over it does end up in the bucket. i did learn the hard way lots of cleaning and paint my brewing room
