Question on my first batch

Northern Brewer General
1

I ordered the Essential Starter Kit with Irish Red Ale.
This Saturday (25 April) will be the end of my 2 weeks in the fermenting bucket. It is still showing bubbling in the lock but longer duration between bubbles so I presume it will end soon.
Here is my question. I got two buckets with the Essential Kit. (Fermenting and bottling bucket).
Instruction says after fermenting ends approx 1 - 2 weeks (bubbling in lock ends of slows to a stop) transfer beer to secondary fermenter. Does this mean transfer beer to the Bottling Bucket with 1 inch hole for spigot?

The reason why I ask this is because the instruction says on Bottling day (about 1 month after brewing day) sanitize siphoning equipment and bottling equipment and then mix priming solution and siphoning beer into bottling bucket. (I already have beer in the bottling bucket.) Do I need to get another bucket for conditioning?

Is there a tutorial on how to siphon beer? I am not sure of the instructions and presume you cannot just pour the beer from fermenter bucket to bottling bucket.

Thanks for the help.

2

Just leave it in there for a whole month unless you have a hydrometer to measure the gravity?

3

You will want to place your racking cane (auto siphon) into the beer, and stay above the layer of yeast sediment on the bottom. This will give you a clearer beer. If you were to dump all the contents into your bottling bucket, all of the dead yeast and trub (and dry-hop material when you add such) will get into the bottles, which you do not want. Once the larger end of the siphon is in the beer take the smaller tube with vinyl hose attached and pump it up and down 2-3 times to get it started. If you have the bucket of beer setting higher that the bottling bucket (like on a countertop) gravity will take over and transfer all of the beer into the bottling vessel.

Welcome to your new obsession!!! I’ll bet that once you have waited it out, got it bottled and carbed, you’ll have made a very tasty beer. :cheers:

4

With some starter brewing kits a five gallon glass or plastic secondary vessel is included. These had often been used for clearing the beer. The beer will clear just as well in the primary, given enough time. Three weeks is the typical amount of time for my beers in the primary before bottling. I will take a specific gravity reading about day 12 to 14 after active fermentation had begun. I’ll take a second SG reading about day 18. The second specific gravity reading almost always indicates final gravity has been reached.

The first SG reading will have CO2 in the sample. The CO2 also suspends hop particles and proteins, keeping the beer hazy. The second SG sample will have very little CO2 in solution and the beer will have cleared. The SG samples are also your first tastes. The beer will be unfinished and flat, but will will give you an idea of how much the beer changes with time.

A hydrometer is an essential tool for finding when your beer is at final gravity or if the fermentation has stuck at a high SG.

5

Not too clear from answers above, but it’s not good to use the bottling bucket as a primary or secondary fermenter. The spigots can leak a little. Siphon into bottling bucket adding priming solution only when ready to bottle.

6

Actually, there is quite a bit of CO2 in “flat” beer, post-fermentation.

Source:

This is why the priming sugar calculators ask you to input the current temperature of the beer when you are determining how much priming sugar to add at bottling. If you don’t factor this in you will either over carbonate or under carbonate your beer.

Using the bottling bucket for a secondary vessel is probably not the best option. Most will tell you to let it ride in the primary until it’s done. The best way to know when it’s done is to use a hydrometer to measure specific gravity. Your other option is to buy another fermentation bucket, lid and airlock to use as a secondary vessel. While most will tell you that secondary is unnecessary, it is okay to do it, provided you follow proper sanitation and handling techniques. I will usually secondary for several reasons. One is to free up my primary for my next brew before the first is ready to bottle. Another reason is because I want to dry hop in my 5-gallon Big Mouth Bubbler, and since I like to put my dry hops in a muslin bag, it is easier to do this in my Big Mouth. A third reason is that I’ll usually secondary a beer that ends up with a lot of fine, easily disturbed trub in the bottom of the primary. In my opinion the rule should on secondary vs. no secondary is Do Whatever Works Best For You.

7

I do not have a hydrometer and will probably order one for my next batch of dead ringer. I think this dead ringer kit calls for having a conditioner bucket. If so I will have to order this and might as well order the hydrometer.

Yesterday was week 4 in the fermenter bucket. Since I do not have the hydrometer is it safe to assume that all is done and I can now transfer the beer (via siphoning) to the bottling bucket with priming sugar add to the bottling bucket now? Or should I wait another week? Reason why I ask this is because the Irish Red Ale calls for 6 weeks but maybe this is when you use another 2 weeks in the conditioning bucket which I do not have.

Do first move the beer to the bottling bucket and then add the priming sugar to the bottling bucket (or vice versa?). And when filling the bottles do I leave the bottles in my basement for example for another week or two before putting in the fridge and let it get chilled? When the priming sugar is added do I need to stir the bottling bucket to mix the sugar well (or put the lid on and shake the bucket?)

I am excited to see how this turns out. But at the same time I attempted to sanitize everything that came in contact with the yeast so this should turn out ok. Let me know if I should start this next step after 4 weeks in the fermenter.

8

[quote=“bluridge”]I do not have a hydrometer and will probably order one for my next batch of dead ringer. I think this dead ringer kit calls for having a conditioner bucket. If so I will have to order this and might as well order the hydrometer.

All of the NB instruction sheet call for the use of a secondary vessel In my opinion a secondary vessel is only needed for bulk aging more than a month.

Yesterday was week 4 in the fermenter bucket. Since I do not have the hydrometer is it safe to assume that all is done and I can now transfer the beer (via siphoning) to the bottling bucket with priming sugar add to the bottling bucket now? Or should I wait another week? Reason why I ask this is because the Irish Red Ale calls for 6 weeks but maybe this is when you use another 2 weeks in the conditioning bucket which I do not have.

I dry hop my Dead Ringers in the primary, for one week, after a full three weeks from the start of active fermentation. I’ll sometimes wait longer if there is still a lot of CO2 off gassing. The CO2 off gassing will scrub hop aromas from the beer.

Do first move the beer to the bottling bucket and then add the priming sugar to the bottling bucket (or vice versa?).

The priming sugar is added to the bottling bucket and then rack the beer. Have the siphon tube flat and coiled in the bottom of the bottling bucket to create a circular movement as the beer is racked. This will mix the priming sugar solution better. I rack half the beer, from the primary, before slowly adding the priming solution. (The siphon clip holds the end of the siphon tube away from the trub/yeast layer.)

And when filling the bottles do I leave the bottles in my basement for example for another week or two before putting in the fridge and let it get chilled?

Optimum temperature for bottle conditioning is 70°F to 75°F. I bottle condition for at least four weeks before chilling one for a few days and the first taste. I bottle condition at 67°so the cooler temperature may take a bit longer. I find DR does not taste really good until about week five or six. Most of NBs’ recipe sheets give generic time frames.

When the priming sugar is added do I need to stir the bottling bucket to mix the sugar well (or put the lid on and shake the bucket?)

[color=#0040BF] Shaking the bucket will oxidize your beer.
I will also stir the beer in the bottling bucket, but very little. Do not create any sort of whirlpool or the beer will be oxidized.[/color]

I am excited to see how this turns out. But at the same time I attempted to sanitize everything that came in contact with the yeast so this should turn out ok. Let me know if I should start this next step after 4 weeks in the fermenter.[/quote]

Let us know how your DR turned out. Happy brewing.