My first batch, NB Irish Red Ale extract ptched with Nottingham dry yeast has been in the primary for 8 days now. Fermentation didn’t start for almost 60 hours and only after pitching a second packet of Notty. Had a pretty nastly little blow off 24 hours later, cleaned it put as well as I could and replaced the airlock with blow off tube. The beer smelled great at this point. It’s been fermenting in a swamp cooler to keep ferm temp in low 60s. Fermentation seems to be slowing down so I put the airlock back on yesterday. I’ve been really careful about sanitation all along. Nothing got near the wort/beer that wasn’t star san’d first.
I’m anxious to move to secondary and start another batch but I’ll likely let it stay in the primary for the full 2 weeks to be safe.
First concern is the current aroma. It doesn’t smell great. Has a sort of rottten fruit odor. Some of the blow off went into the swamp cooler of course and around the exterior of the carboy so there’s that… Still I’m concerned something has gone wrong.
Second, since fermentation has slowed should I go ahead and get a hydrometer reading? This would also give me a chance to more closely check the aroma and taste, so I’d get more evidence as to the viability of the brew right?
Third, I’ve read about cold crashing ales but also have seen mention of allowing temps to rise as fermentation subsides to allow the yeast to clean up. Should I keep the temp steady in the low 60s to finish up AND in the secondary. Room temp is pretty consistent 70.
I don’t know that kit, but it sounds like a fairly high gravity beer, so it might need some time. Sounds like you’ve done pretty well - I wouldn’t worry much about the smell. You can raise the temp any time after active fermentation. There won’t be enough sugar left for the yeast to produce a lot of funk. When you check the gravity you’ll get a sample to taste - may not taste great at this point, but you’ll know if it’s infected. I doubt it. Sounds like you need to pick up a few more carboys.
Don’t worry about the smell. Sometimes beer doesn’t smell that great during fermentation. Take a hydro reading in a few days, then taste and smell then. It still may not taste that great, though. The reason most of us leave the beer for a few weeks is for off flavors from fermentation to get reabsorbed by yeast, so don’t worry if it doesn’t taste what you’d like.
Letting the temps rise to around 70 is a good idea once active fermentation is complete. It helps the yeast clean up.
Putting the beer in secondary isn’t necessary, but if you need the fermentor for another batch, then wait 2 weeks before you transfer, as you mentioned. Cold crash the beer for a couple days before you bottle/keg to help it clear up, but you really don’t have to do it if you don’t want to.
I was just considering getting at least one more carboy. Considering whether it should be a 6.5 or 5…
The red ale is a 1.04 OG initially but we added a couple pounds of turbinado sugar to it and hit an OG of 1.058 for target 1.061. I wouldn’t have done this on my first batch but a buddy who is a more experienced brewer thought it was an ok idea when i asked about raising the ABV. I’ve since been told it may make the beer more dry than normal.
I was just considering getting at least one more carboy. Considering whether it should be a 6.5 or 5…
The red ale is a 1.04 OG initially but we added a couple pounds of turbinado sugar to it and hit an OG of 1.058 for target 1.061. I wouldn’t have done this on my first batch but a buddy who is a more experienced brewer thought it was an ok idea when i asked about raising the ABV. I’ve since been told it may make the beer more dry than normal.[/quote]
I just looked at your to brew list and thought, man this guy must be oirish. Then I thought about your user name - doh. No s**t. Nothing wrong with honoring your heritage, but keep in mind that the Brits and Germans make some nice beers too. Some say the Belgians as well. Not me. I kid the Belgians. Seriously, I hear that nasty wort infection they’ve been fighting the last few hundred years is gonna clear up soon…kidding aside, I’m sure it’s going to turn out fine.
Get a 5 gallon carboy or better bottle that you use exclusively for the times you decide to secondary. 5 gallons will fill it to the next with very little oxygen.
Get either another 6.5 gallon carboy or an Ale Bucket so you can have two batches in primary at a time. Then you will need a third, a forth and so on because it is, after all, an obsession.
I was just considering getting at least one more carboy. Considering whether it should be a 6.5 or 5…
The red ale is a 1.04 OG initially but we added a couple pounds of turbinado sugar to it and hit an OG of 1.058 for target 1.061. I wouldn’t have done this on my first batch but a buddy who is a more experienced brewer thought it was an ok idea when i asked about raising the ABV. I’ve since been told it may make the beer more dry than normal.[/quote]
I just looked at your to brew list and thought, man this guy must be oirish. Then I thought about your user name - doh. No s**t. Nothing wrong with honoring your heritage, but keep in mind that the Brits and Germans make some nice beers too. Some say the Belgians as well. Not me. I kid the Belgians. Seriously, I hear that nasty wort infection they’ve been fighting the last few hundred years is gonna clear up soon…kidding aside, I’m sure it’s going to turn out fine.[/quote]
Haha…yea the user name is a tip off… I do plan to expand my styles. Just brewing the things i like best first. I’m actually thinking of doing a ‘steam beer’ in there somewhere soon.
