First all grain beer help

[laxation]

Once it is done fermenting, it's good to go into the bottles (assuming an ale and not a lager)

You can put it in the fridge for a few days (called a cold crash) to drop out the yeast etc. and clear it up a bit, but that isn't necessary.

Once it's in the bottle, it'll be carbed up and good to drink after a week or two, but will keep getting better for a while (a month is OK for reg beers, but for something like a 10% stout you could keep it for years)

Lagers have the lagering stage (second fermenter for a month or whatever, but colder) that isn't necessary for ales.

 

[Rocker1986]

A few days after FG is reached is generally recommended. You can bottle it straight away but it conditions quicker in the fermenter, so less time in the bottles before it's at its peak. Also the extra time gives more certainty that FG is indeed reached.

I employ a week long cold crash for my ales. They normally reach FG after 5-6 days, and another few days I drop the temp to 0°C and keg a week later. Without the cold crash they'd just be kegged instead of dropped to zero after the 9-10 days.

Sent from my Agora 4G+ using Aussie Home Brewer mobile app

 

[2cranky]

For Ales I've been fermenting for 3 days at 18c
then ramping up 0.5c every 12 hours to 21c
then dry hoping for 3 days at 21c
on the 4th day drop to 14c
then drop to 5c Gel about 12hours later.
keg the day after.
just under 2 weeks total.
All my brews seem to be mostly done after 3 days, at least gravity wise. They still make CO2 but I don't see any drop in gravity.

 

[laxation]

whats the purpose behind ramping up the temp like that?

 

[SnailAle]

Please don't mention kegs, my wife has said I've spent enough money on gear for a while and talk of this stuff will get me a few nights in the spare room when I buy one

 

[Hermies]

Correct me if I am wrong .It will be a faster ferment by ramping up the temp.Just got to be carefull about unwanted flavours .

 

[Hermies]

Please don't mention kegs, my wife has said I've spent enough money on gear for a while and talk of this stuff will get me a few nights in the spare room when I buy one

Hahahahahahaa I hope you have deep pockets and an understanding wife . Maybe make a brew that she would like

 

[Tony121]

whats the purpose behind ramping up the temp like that?

It encourages the yeast finish the job.

The idea is to ramp a couple of degrees on the last 3rd of ferment as it is slowing down to keep it going that last little bit.

 

[2cranky]

I used to sit and wait it out but a few of my brew just stopped. so now I ramp it up - morning and night. finishes quicker and more reliably.
I drop it down in 2 stages just to give the dry hopping the extra time. maybe its not needed.

 

[Rocker1986]

whats the purpose behind ramping up the temp like that?

As the others have said. I don't bother doing it in steps every 12 hours though, I don't really see the point. I just raise the temp 3C on the controller and let the brew rise by itself. It stays up there until the cold crash. You shouldn't get any off flavors doing this, for one the temp rise isn't a lot and also it's done towards the end of the fermentation. Most off flavors are generated by beginning the fermentation too high.

 

[2cranky]

Please don't mention kegs, my wife has said I've spent enough money on gear for a while and talk of this stuff will get me a few nights in the spare room when I buy one

it will free up quality family time instead of washing bottles.

 

[2cranky]

As the others have said. I don't bother doing it in steps every 12 hours though, I don't really see the point. I just raise the temp 3C on the controller and let the brew rise by itself. It stays up there until the cold crash.

I use an upright freezer if i go from 18 to 21 it will be there in an hour! don't know if that is good.
ramping works for me.

 

[SnailAle]

Hahahahahahaa I hope you have deep pockets and an understanding wife . Maybe make a brew that she would like

Haha yeah she's usually pretty good, we're trying for our first pup at the moment so she's keen to squirrel away a bit.
She asked at lunch if I could make her a cider, that's justification enough for me to get some more bottles and another fermenter.

 

[evoo4u]

Can I ask follow on this.

When my first beer has finished fermenting, say after consecutive days on the same FG, how long do I need to leave it in the fermenter before bottling?

I assumed itd just be a couple of days for yeasties to settle down then leave in the bottle for a month or two but the more I read the more confusing it is as it seems to be very variable (days up to months).

Some HB-ers 'cold-crash' the brew before bottling. That is dropping the temp down to just above freezing for a couple of days to help the yeast drop out and clarify the beer before bottling. I usually wait for the finished FG to be steady for 3 or 4 days, then bottle-o. (As long as the FG is reasonable of course). As a rule of thumb, yeasts attenuate down to about 25% of the OG. So a wort at 1.048 OG would come down to around 1.012. However if you allowed an unwanted stray wild yeast into the FV, sometimes they can keep on chomping after the wanted yeast has stopped, leading to bottle bombs, or at best, gushers.

As for secondary fermentation, generally three weeks is the minimum time in the bottle before cracking the top and enjoying.

Cheers!

 

[laxation]

Hahahahahahaa I hope you have deep pockets and an understanding wife . Maybe make a brew that she would like

if anyone knows how to make a strawberry cider that is 90% sugar lmk...

 

[Rocker1986]

I use an upright freezer if i go from 18 to 21 it will be there in an hour! don't know if that is good.
ramping works for me.

Why? If the freezer is off without any artificial heat then the brew would just rise naturally. It normally takes mine about 24 hours to get up there.

 

[2cranky]

Why? If the freezer is off without any artificial heat then the brew would just rise naturally. It normally takes mine about 24 hours to get up there.

Sorry I got heat as well, but yeah you are right.
I'm OCD okay!

if i do it 0.5c in morning its pushing the upper limit of the controller by the time i turn it up again at night.

 

[Rocker1986]

Well in that case you have two options. Carry on as is or unplug the heater during the ramp up. Lol. I don't really need heating where I am so yeah no issue for me to just let the fermentation heat bring it up.

 

[2cranky]

Well in that case you have two options. Carry on as is or unplug the heater during the ramp up. Lol. I don't really need heating where I am so yeah no issue for me to just let the fermentation heat bring it up.

hey - like I said, it works for me. It's not an issue, it's how I make my beer. I'm happy with my process.

 

[Rocker1986]

hey - like I said, it works for me. It's not an issue, it's how I make my beer. I'm happy with my process.

I wasn't having a go, sorry if it came across that way, all good mate