beginners' questions

[davidckahn]

As mentioned in another thread, I just brewed my first batch, which I bottled this morning--an amber ale using a recipe from Northern Brewing. I have a few questions where I could use some more experienced advice. When I drew out some beer to test the final gravity, I took a sip and it tasted pretty sour...not the point of being undrinkable, but more sour than I would like. I know that this is probably a result of my not having cleaned something properly during the brewing process, but I had cleaned everything as best I could and am wondering what are the most common ways I could have screwed that up.

A few other questions:

• Now that my equipment has been cleaned and will be sitting around for a while, what is the best method of completely drying the inside of the transfer tubing, bottler, and bubbling airlock? Air drying seems like it probably won't work the best and might invite mold.
• I somehow wound up only being able to fill 44 bottles instead of 48. I was perhaps too cautious when transferring to the bottling bucket, because I didn't want to get any of the trub. Should I have tilted the fermenter forward a bit to get more of the beer out of the spigot, or am I risking getting the trub by doing so?
• Should I remove the spigots from my fermenter and bottling buckets while they are not being used?

 

[Clint]

Right...
Cleaning AND sanitising is probably the most important bit...you now know this.
It's a learning curve.
I keep a spare bucket with a small amount of made up sanitiser in the bottom...NOT the oxi type,the Starsan/Chemsan stuff...this is where my pipes and tubes and bits and bobs live between brews. After they have been cleaned. When they're next needed I knock up a bucket of oxi type cleaner, Astonish in the pink tub,non perfume, clean them and then put in a fresh dip of sanitiser.
You'll now realise there's a requirement for a few buckets.
Yes you'll sometimes fall short on a batch depending on how much trub or hops or the flocculation (how sticky or powdery) the yeast you used was. Also as for volumes most buckets and jugs have markings that are totally inaccurate!

 

[pilgrimhudd]

I wash out my transfer tubing then leave to hang and air dry, not had a problem with mould. The bubbling airlock gets a little wipe and left to airdry too.

The place where I did have problems used to be the taps, a solution like Clints above would have sorted that.

I always fall short on a batch, I don't tend to sweat it, i'd rather a decent beer than a trubby one though so i'd leave it and be satisfied with a couple of bottles less than expected.

 

[davidckahn]

Thanks for the advice. So Clint, you just put the star san solution in a bucket and let things sit for weeks? I looked up star san, and it says contact with plastic should be minimized. This hasn't caused any problems for your equipment?

One other question--what is the best way to deal with bottles once you have drunk the beer from them? Is it enough just to wash them out with water, then set them aside to dry and sanitize them on the next bottling day?

 

[Clint]

I've kept stuff for a long time in sanitiser solution,Starsan and more recently Chemsan coz Starsan seems scarce.
The solution discolours as,I think, the ph might be a bit out but I never get issues with mould. I've never noticed anything dissolving or falling to bits either but the bits I keep soaked cost pence so I'm not bothered. My current blow off tubes are probably five years old!
As for bottles,a smaller amount...80?...2 batches,is quite easy to manage. I got to a couple of hundred at least which got out of hand!
Best advice for bottles..as you empty ,rinse in hot water to remove all residue then completely dry. Before filling you must clean AND sanitise before filling.

 

[RichardM]

Best advice for bottles..as you empty ,rinse in hot water to remove all residue then completely dry. Before filling you must clean AND sanitise before filling.

I wash and rinse mine after use and leave to dry.
When it comes to bottling the next batch I sanitise them. As I do this I have a look inside each one, if there are signs of yeast deposits they get set aside for another clean, but for the vast majority cleaning after use and sanitising before reuse is enough.

 

[davidckahn]

When washing after use, do you use any chemicals or soap? Or just wash with warm water and dry? I have a bottle brush I can run through them with, and was thinking that might be enough.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

I just rinse with water then allow to air dry, bottling day or the day before they get a bath in Milton, then rinsed and dried on bottle tree, sprayed with star san before use.