First Brew

[ozdevil]

Gday All

Well today i did my first ever brew being a stellas pride (belgian lager) with hopped pale malt extract

I am a bit concerned that i havent brewed it right i spose time will tell

as my starting temp was 34 degrees

is this a big concern or am i just worrying over nothing :unsure:

anyway i am looking forward to racking it when fermentation is finished its just a pitty i cant cc as i dont have a spare fridge...

anyway i am glad i have the first brew in the lined shed fermemting

cheers
ozdevil

 

[Trev]

OD,

Try to keep the temp down. I'm not sure what ingredients you used but assuming it was based on a kit with some extras, then you're probably using the yeast that came with it.

By and large it's best to keep these at about 20 - 22 deg, unless it's a real Lager yeast in which case you want to go even lower, down to 12 - 16 deg. Brewing at too high a temp will give some peculiar flavours :blink: , and lead to some nasty compounds called 'fusals' which supposedly contribute to hangovers.

If where you've got it is too hot, maybe you can put it in a sink or other container (I use one of those cheap plastic storage cubes) with some frozen water bottles around it. Some other folks drape a wet towel around it and even use a fan to blow air across it to help evaporative cooling.

never let any of it cause you grief. Relax, Don't Worry, and Have a Homebrew (apologies to Doc & Papazian)

Trev

 

[ozdevil]

Trev

yes i was using the yeast what came with it

thanks for the advice i have got my brew in the square tub with cool water and cool towels over it to drop the temp right down and checking on it every so often..

I think i really choose a difficult brew to start with which is my own fault as i was told a god starters brew and my stubberness told me to go the way i did which is my down fall

i spose in the end these are things ya learn along the way

and i just hope i havent totally ruined my first brew

Hangovers hmmmmmm i have to ask what are these i can vaguely remember them when i was about 18 but these days for some uncanny reason i wouldnt know what one is mind you i touch wood on this

cheers
od

 

[sosman]

The good thing about your first kit is that you have shit loads ahead of you. This one will probly still taste better than a bought mega brew.

Try to aim for 20-25 to pitch the yeast (or even lower with a lager yeast).

 

[Jazman]

oz the yeast u Had with the grumpys kit and can would of been safale ale 33 so its not a bad yeast

 

[ozdevil]

Well i have kept a pretty good eye on my first brew even thou i thought my starting temp was to high

I think i have killed the yeast..

I went out in the shed this morning to check on it. found the yeast floating on the surface

My suspicions are that i will lose my first brew.

is it still worth me waiting till end of fermentation (prolly a silly question) or am i just better of ditching it and starting on a new brew


cheers
ozdevil

 

[Linz]

Dude ....

Thats where its supposed to be, sort of. Its what is called the "krausen". Does it look all fluffy..like a head on a beer= OK. If its really flat and slimey looking you might be right and its dead


And the excess heat may have caused it to ferment REALLY fast. Can be done in 24 hours at the pitching temp you mentioned earlier.

 

[Linz]

One rule I was told "Give the beer a year". If it isnt rancid when you go to bottle, go ahead and let it mature in the bottle. You'll never know what might happen. Usually you can tell fairly quickly though!!!

 

[Jovial_Monk]

45C and up is yeast killing temp

Have you taken any hydrometer readings, Oz?
And yes, ferments can go FAST at higher temps

Jovial Monk

 

[Gout]

Dont throw it away,
sounds like with the high temps it has finished quick and hence would have created a great big "head". This most likly is now a bad sign

if you can get a pic of it for us even better. Does it smell rotten - i mean really bad?

even a small sample(taste) through the tap once you take the gravity reading will let you know. remember its warm and flat so wont taste as nice as it will when its cold and gassed up

(dont return any of the samples to the fermentor, throw it away as it can introduce germs otherwise)

sounds like it will be ok.

your brewing will only get better from here!

 

[ozdevil]

i did a hydrometer reading this morning and was around 1026 i also had a taste of it and there was no sourness to it

So i am going to wait till friday and then drop it to the secondry and let it ferment for another couple of days before i bulk prime and bottle it and see how it all turns out

thanks for the info here guys and will keep everyone posted on how it goes

cheers
ozdevil

 

[SJW]

Should get down near 1010. Sounds like your away to a great start in Craft Brewing, just remember to never give up and that there is always a new brew to do just around the corner.

 

[ozdevil]

well just did a sg reading yesterday and it stated 1015 and tasted it and i was able to drink the flat warm beer there was no real sourness to it either

cheers
ozdevil

 

[Hoops]

ozdevil

you're certainly off to a great start, you're using great yeast and racking to a secondary all on your first brew! It took me a few brews to learn some of these valuable lessons. You're bound to get a few stuffed brews in the future but stick with it if you do, it's worth it in the long run.

Hoops

 

[ozdevil]

i am pretty well prepared to get a few stuffed brews in the future i was really expecting my first brew to be one of them stuffed up brews

as i see it thou spending a near to 40 bucks a box of beer and spending say 10-15 bucks on good a good homebrew that is going to make the equivallent to 30 block box i can afford to lose a brew not that i want to thou.

the great thing thou that has probably helped me on my first brew is reading forums just like this and listening to other guys who have a few brews under there belt

I would have hated to think with out the help of this site and other sites where my first brew would have headed

i still have a lot to learn about brewing and now that i have the first 1 under the belt i have the hunger to learn and learn more about brewing

anyway thanks for all the advice so far guys it really is very much appreciated

cheers and beers
ozdevil