I Might Have Got A Bit Too Excited

[Mattress]

Hi Guys,
I brewed my 2nd batch a week ago. 1st brew I followed the instructions with the kit to the letter and didn't add anything. it is now bottled and sitting in a cupboard under the stairs for a few weeks.

I have been doing a bit of research since and decided to be a bit more adventuress for my 2nd brew, but I think I may have stuffed up and gone a bit too far.
I watched a utube clip (craigtube) on how to improve a beer kit and decided to follow some of his advice.

I ended up heating5 litres of water to 70 degrees and steeping 1kg of Crystal grain in a bag for 90 mins, sparged with hot water from the kettle and then boiled for 10 mins. During the boil I steeped 15g of POR hop pellets.
Once it was off the boil I added 1 can of Thomas Coopers Australian Bitter, 1 kg of Copper Tun Australian Bitter No. 42 brew enhancer and 500g liquid glucose (corn syrup).
Into the fermenter and topped up to 23 litres. Safeale US 05 11.5 grams (rehydrated) pitched at 20 degrees. Then into the cupboard under the stairs where it has been sitting at 18 degrees.

I had a look at the Utube clip and I noticed he didn't add any DMA or brew enhancer, which I unfortunately did. I should have paid a bit more attention to the clip.

My concern is that the brew has been in the fermenter for 7 days now and the airlock is still regularly bubbling away. OG was 1042. I took a sample yesterday and it was down to 1020. Had a taste of the sample as well and actually thought it was pretty good. (could say something about my tastebuds though).

Should I be concerned about the continuing activity in the fermenter?

Should I rack it to a secondary vessel, and if so, what is the best way to do this.

As they say, a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing, and I probably should have done more research before I started experimenting. Next time I won't get ahead of myself and make sure I follow a recipe to the letter.

Thanks for any advice.

Mattress

 

[woodwormm]

if it's sitting at 18, it's the perfect temp for US05.

don't start to question it til it's gone for 2 weeks.

i always us US05. Always at 18 (brew fridge) and always let it go at least 2 weeks.

test in a couple more days and wait for a constant gravity over 2 or 3 days - then it should be done.

 

[rendo]

Hey mate...dont stress. It sounds fine. YEs it sounds like u have added quite a bit in there, but that aside the best thing you cando now is to just 'let it brew'. So wait, wait and more wait. I would say you'd be well placed to let that brew for another 7 days, even if the airlock isnt bubbling the yeast will still be working away, cleaning up off flavours etc etc.

So, let it be, dont bottle until it you get a stable hydro reading for 3 days.

If it tastes good, then its a pretty good chance it will be good!!

Top marks for experimenting. Yes you should learn the basics, but well done for giving it a go.

Rendo

 

[Mattress]

Thanks for the advice, I feel a bit more relaxed now.

I'm sure you've heard it before but I'm finding that the hardest part of this hobby is the waiting. :blink:

Oh well, Mr. Cooper will get a few dollars more out of me yet.


Mattress

 

[stux]

My standard ale fermentation is 12 days for fermentation/conditioning then two days cold crashed before bottling/kegging

Yours should be too

 

[going down a hill]

1kg of Crystal sounds like a bit much. From what I remember with Crystal is that you use 300g for 23L. She might come out a bit sweet. Have a look at what is steeping and what is mashing. Crystal only needs steeping. You mashed, that will help you down the road

But hey, it's your second brew, all's good. Have a good rumage through this site, you'll find lots of great information.

 

[Morebeer4me]

My standard ale fermentation is 12 days for fermentation/conditioning then two days cold crashed before bottling/kegging

Yours should be too

Hi Stux,
What does two days cold crash mean ?
Cheers

 

[hoppy2B]

I think that may mean to stick your whole fermenter into your refrigerator. :unsure:

 

[stux]

I think that may mean to stick your whole fermenter into your refrigerator. :unsure:

Right, if you use an old fridge with a temp controller as a fermentation chamber then you just dial the temp controller to 1 degree or so

This basically helps to clarify the beer

If you're kegging this is extra beneficial because the beer is already cold when you start to gas it

Old fridge = free
STC-1000 + bits = 50$

But if you're maintaining 17-18c you're doing pretty well

The important bit is to leave your beer for about two weeks in the fermenter. The yeast will condition the beer after they finish fermenting it

 

[Morebeer4me]

Right, if you use an old fridge with a temp controller as a fermentation chamber then you just dial the temp controller to 1 degree or so

This basically helps to clarify the beer

If you're kegging this is extra beneficial because the beer is already cold when you start to gas it

Old fridge = free
STC-1000 + bits = 50$

But if you're maintaining 17-18c you're doing pretty well

The important bit is to leave your beer for about two weeks in the fermenter. The yeast will condition the beer after they finish fermenting it

Thanks Stux, I have set up an old fridge with an external thermostat, currently hatching a batch of little critters, I can easily drop temp a couple of days before bottling, would it still be ok to allow the second fermentation in the bottle at 18 or do I now have to keep the at lower temp ie 1 or 2 degrees. Cheers

 

[stux]

Thanks Stux, I have set up an old fridge with an external thermostat, currently hatching a batch of little critters, I can easily drop temp a couple of days before bottling, would it still be ok to allow the second fermentation in the bottle at 18 or do I now have to keep the at lower temp ie 1 or 2 degrees. Cheers

You have to do the second ferment at about 18, nothing will happen at 1 or 2

It might take slightly longer to carbonate after the cold-crashing, as there will be less yeast in the bottle, but on the bright side, you'll get a much finer coating of yeast on the bottom of the bottle than you would normally

 

[Bribie G]

Crystal Malt is malted barley that has been, basically, mashed inside the grain then kilned to dry it out and give a dark caramelly colour and flavour - however the sugars in the grain aren't totally fermentable and especially if using a large quantity such as a kilo, this would make the whole wort less fermentable and you'd expect it to finish at higher gravity. If by corn syrup you mean the dried stuff, then that also is not very fermentable.
So if your final gravity doesn't get below 1012 -1015 I wouldn't stress. It will probably end up as a dark amberish ale, quite drinkable.

US-05 can take a fair while to ferment out, in my experience so give it a bit longer.

 

[Morebeer4me]

You have to do the second ferment at about 18, nothing will happen at 1 or 2

It might take slightly longer to carbonate after the cold-crashing, as there will be less yeast in the bottle, but on the bright side, you'll get a much finer coating of yeast on the bottom of the bottle than you would normally

Thanks Stux, can't wait to taste my first brew

 

[Mattress]

Thanks everyone for the help and advice.

Received a package today which included some munich malt, cara munich malt, pilsner malt, some halartau hops, a large brew bag and some whirfloc tablets. I have a 21 litre pot on the way from ebay. Alrady have a can of Morgans Australian Draught and am going to try a recipe I found for an Oktoberfest Lager, but I will be using safeale us05.

This time I will stick to the recipe. I'm looking forward to brew day.

 

[rendo]

aint no holding u back mate....good on ya!

Rendo

Thanks everyone for the help and advice.

Received a package today which included some munich malt, cara munich malt, pilsner malt, some halartau hops, a large brew bag and some whirfloc tablets. I have a 21 litre pot on the way from ebay. Alrady have a can of Morgans Australian Draught and am going to try a recipe I found for an Oktoberfest Lager, but I will be using safeale us05.

This time I will stick to the recipe. I'm looking forward to brew day.

 

[Bubba]

Hi Guys,
I brewed my 2nd batch a week ago. 1st brew I followed the instructions with the kit to the letter and didn't add anything. it is now bottled and sitting in a cupboard under the stairs for a few weeks.

I have been doing a bit of research since and decided to be a bit more adventuress for my 2nd brew, but I think I may have stuffed up and gone a bit too far.
I watched a utube clip (craigtube) on how to improve a beer kit and decided to follow some of his advice.

I ended up heating5 litres of water to 70 degrees and steeping 1kg of Crystal grain in a bag for 90 mins, sparged with hot water from the kettle and then boiled for 10 mins. During the boil I steeped 15g of POR hop pellets.
Once it was off the boil I added 1 can of Thomas Coopers Australian Bitter, 1 kg of Copper Tun Australian Bitter No. 42 brew enhancer and 500g liquid glucose (corn syrup).
Into the fermenter and topped up to 23 litres. Safeale US 05 11.5 grams (rehydrated) pitched at 20 degrees. Then into the cupboard under the stairs where it has been sitting at 18 degrees.

I had a look at the Utube clip and I noticed he didn't add any DMA or brew enhancer, which I unfortunately did. I should have paid a bit more attention to the clip.

My concern is that the brew has been in the fermenter for 7 days now and the airlock is still regularly bubbling away. OG was 1042. I took a sample yesterday and it was down to 1020. Had a taste of the sample as well and actually thought it was pretty good. (could say something about my tastebuds though).

Should I be concerned about the continuing activity in the fermenter?

Should I rack it to a secondary vessel, and if so, what is the best way to do this.

As they say, a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing, and I probably should have done more research before I started experimenting. Next time I won't get ahead of myself and make sure I follow a recipe to the letter.

Thanks for any advice.

Mattress

Hey there, sounds like the guy on Youtube was making a Toucan, basically using 2 cans of goo instead of 1 can combined with fermentable sugars...all I can say is the 2 cans will be already hopped, so an addition of any hops (even 10min boill of POR) will make a pretty bitter beer.
1kg of crystal is a lot...I brew in 52lt worts and only use 300-400g of crystal and can notice the taste and colour in that amount.
Also, did you use corn syrup or glucose...they are different and the reason is glucose will attenuate (ferment into alcohol), shereas corn syrup will not attenuate anywhere near as much and is used to add "mouthfeel" instead of alcohol to a brew.

In any way, a home brew is a lot like a haircut. Even a bad one can become good ober time so if you don't like it at first wait a few months. Bitterness will mellow, flavours will blend, colour will clear and carbonation will settle...you might have made a really good beer. (although it will have a pretty high alcohol content) Just don't be dissapointed if initially it is quite bitter, thick and dark. As I said, give it time.