I have a few questions about this kit.1- Im using the 1056 smack pack, whats the best temp for the best outcome. Im @ 64 . 2- I used the hops pellets that were supplied in the kit, should i have left them in the fermenter or use a hop bag and remove after the boil? 3- Should i move to secondary after a week or cold crash then keg? Any other info would be appreciated. I been having a stroke of bad luck with the last 3 brews.
Your fermentation temps look good, keep in the low to mid 60’s.
Everybody seems to do hops differently during the boil. I put them straight in the kettle and stain them out before cooling the wort because I use a counterflow chiller which used to get clogged up.
I brewed a 10 gallon all grain batch of this recently, split between two fermentors and keep one in primary for 3 weeks and kegged while transferring the other to a secondary container. It was my first time not using a secondary since I started brewing about 18 months ago. I was much happier with the clarity I got with the secondary, but very experienced folks will suggest otherwise, so it depends on your comfort level and sanitation procedures.
I would kind of like to know what the bad luck is that you have been having on your last three batches? This could be an indicator that something is wrong with your process, or sanitation. I have had to dump two batches that I totally screwed up so I know how frustrating it can be to do all the work and not have anything to show for it.
WELL i brewed a couple batches a while back ( red ale and brown ale) and both had bad bad lag time fermenting. Both batches where very bitter and not very drinkable. Sanitation is my number 1 priority, my mash temp is perfect everytime, my hops schedule is always right, my ferment temps are my number two priority. I brewed a budlight clone a month ago and i used 6# 2row and 3 # minute rice. The entire batch taste like rice and was bitter. I know now i used to much rice. I brewed a california common extract from TRUE BREW 3 weeks ago and it was a bit harsh bitter. on this boil i used the pellets that came with the kit and i didnt strain them out. I fermented for a week then cold crashed 2 weeks still in the fermenter. Yesterday i brewed the creme ale and i used a hops bag and removed before putting in fermenter. Well what u think lol ?
I’m no pro by any means, but my first batch nearly a year ago sucked. I fermented for like a week or so, cold crashed, bottled. Since then, i’ve learned a lot more just by doing it. I’ve graduated to all grain which is cool, but a whole lot more to learn. My first few brews all had something wierd going on. First one sucked, didn’t ferment long enough. Second brew was better, but didn’t aerate well enough. Third brew was great, but fermented at way too high a temp so it was boozy as hell. That being said, leave your beer in primary for at least three weeks. Had I left that first beer in primary for three weeks, i bet it would have been a ton better. I mean, the yeast is active enough to produce carbonation when you bottle, so it’s gotta be active after your gravity readings stabilize? I know that my beers all ended up way better after leaving them on the yeast a while…
Need some more info on your brews. Are you using city water? If the answer is yes, are you treating it to remove chlorine/chloroamine? Do you have a water report? My brewing water is very hard, and I’ve found that cutting my bittering addition in half makes for better beer.
More questions… Extract or All-Grain? How much yeast are you pitching (regarding the long lag times)?
J
I have brewed all grain and extract and had similar results. I just dumped a bud light clone this past weekend cause the rice taste was so bad. I know now that i shouldnt have used so much rice but thats what the recipe called for. Next time i will use corn. I been using bottled water like usual and 5.2 ph .Im fermenting a creme ale right now . It was a NB extract kit with special grain. I used wyeast 1056 @64 degrees. Im just throwing some things out there for u that i usally do and what im doing now.
