I started my first brew and have so much to ask, help!

[jkrevat]

Hello everyone,

I am a beer lover as I am sure everyone reading this probably isas well. I finally got the space to brew beer which was something I dreamed about ever since I visited a friend who had two 5 gallon kegs tapped with and ale and a stout. I took a dive right into this last week and motivated myself to get started by buying lots of equipment. I decided to skip bottles and go right to 5 gallon batches in kegs. I bought:

2- 5 gallon kegs
1- CO2 Tank
1- 8 gallon pot for boiling
1- tubes and taps for kegs, and instruments for kegs and CO2 tank.
1- Siphon and pump.
3- Beer Brewing Buckets 7.5 gallon, with lids and air locks.
1- Ingredients for a Saison (Bavarian Wheat, Malt, Hops, Belgian Yeast in a little liquid vial)
1- 50 gallon pot I filled with ice and used as a wort cooler
1- Thermostat
1- Burner and Propane tank
1- bottle of Star San, 2 spray bottles

My friend and guy at the store helped me with what to buy, 2 days ago I started the process.

1. I steeped some almond and honey smelling malts at 150f for 30 minutes in a gallon of water.
2. I mixed all the Bavarian Wheat and Gold Wheat together with 5 gallons of water and place on burner. I brought it to a boil and added the other gallon of steeped water. I boiled for 60 minutes. I used the Star San in every process on everything.
3. I put keg pot in giant pot filled with Ice and covered it when it cooled a bit and was no longer boiling.
4. At about 85 degrees I transfered wort into fermentation bucket. At 75f degrees I dropped the yeast and covered, then attached the Star San marinated air lock that had some water in it.
5. Its been 2 days and the air lock it calmly thumping up and down. I have not removed lid.

My plan it to transport wort into 2nd bucket after 7 days like instructed. Then wait another 7 days??? Then what? What steps come next?
My plan is to force carbonate slowly, I was told 7 days at 9 pounds of pressure. After 7 days in 2nd fermentation bucket, do I go into key and carbonate right away or am I missing a step?

Thanks/Cheers in advance for any advice and help!!

--Jeremy

 

[PD]

well done nothing like diving in at the deep end.
good luck on your brew

 

[jonewer]

1. I steeped some almond and honey smelling malts at 150f for 30 minutes in a gallon of water.
2. I mixed all the Bavarian Wheat and Gold Wheat together with 5 gallons of water and place on burner. I brought it to a boil and added the other gallon of steeped water. I boiled for 60 minutes. I used the Star San in every process on everything.

Welcome! You certainly have jumped in at ye olde deep end!

I'm confused here... Which malt did you steep for 30mins?

Just a bit concerned that A. You havent properly mashed your malts and that B. You seem to have boiled a lot of your malt.... or am I not reading it right? :wha:

 

[puravida]

I'd leave the beer two weeks in the first bucket before you move it anywhere. I don't even look at mine until 14 days and even then I may leave it another week.

Then you can very carefully syphon into a second bucket for another week or two to condition or you can just stick straight in the corny keg. I'm not a huge fan of using a secondary. It's just an one more chance of getting a bug or oxidisation in your beer and one more vessel to clean and sanitise. I'll use one sometimes on pale ales that I want really clear, or if I need my main fermenters for another beer.

Saisons are quite often a little cloudy so I'm not sure there is any benefit in moving your beer to a secondary bucket to clear.

Either way - make sure you pump some Co2 into the secondary or corny keg before you move the beer to help avoid any oxidation.

 

[evanvine]

Well done on jumping right in there. :thumb:
Like jonewer, I'm a little confused!
If you've done what you said, it's certainly a new approach.
Will be interested in your resuklts.

 

[pittsy]

hi and welcome , did you use grains or spray dried malt powder ?

 

[jkrevat]

Thanks for the responses. I mispoke or typed. I did not steep malt, I steeped something for flavoring, but everything else was added together and boiled. I tasted wort after boil and it felt like it had the characteristics of good beer.

Wow, I never thought of leaving it in one bucket, and for so long. I am not sure I understand how to put CO2 in a bucket and keep it pressurized while siphoring in the wort? I thought one week was stadard, then a new bucket. No? Thanks!

 

[RobWalker]

you don't keep it pressurized when you syphon it off, it's exposed to the open air. it's fine for a short amount of time because it's protected by a big cloud of co2. try to avoid splashing it around when you syphon, submerge the tube in the beer as soon as possible.

2 weeks lets it clean up like somebody's said, = better beer. You don't need to move to a second bucket unless a) you're fermenting again (on fruit, for example)/dry hopping etc, or b) you're adding all of your priming sugar into the batch and then bottling straight after.

 

[jonewer]

Thanks for the responses. I mispoke or typed. I did not steep malt, I steeped something for flavoring, but everything else was added together and boiled. I tasted wort after boil and it felt like it had the characteristics of good beer.

The stuff that you boiled, was it whole grains or malt extract?

 

[phettebs]

Yeah, the boiled stuff. Thick syrup? Dried powder? Grain? What did you actually boil?

 

[jkrevat]

I boiled the malt extract, dry powder that looks like flour. Bavarian Wheat. I did not start with syrup. I steeped the hops while I boiled. But he milled and gave me some other stuff to steep in 150 degree water (Barley?) Something that added flavor.

So I can leave it to ferment for 2 weeks in one bucket, then gently move it into the keg? Then carbonate right away with the CO2?

Thanks again, I really went into this knowing very little. But I did know to be careful of contamination. I used Star San the whole way through so far.

 

[RobWalker]

thats probably crystal malt. you can indeed steep it and get the full whack of its potential that way.

That's right. Ferment, give it a few days at least, syphon it into your keg, carbonate with co2. I suggest you blast it with co2, then open the lid, and close it again just before it runs out of gas. blast with co2 again, then leave it - that'll purge the oxygen out of your keg.

 

[jkrevat]

So I will let it ferment for another 10 days, being that I am 4 days in, and I will siphor it into the keg, blast it with CO2, open it and close before all the CO2 escapes, then carbonate at 9 pounds of pressure for 7 days, then I am good. Or should I keep it in the keg for a few days before starting the one week carbonation. Sorry if I am being overly detailed, I just really want this to work. Thanks! You are all so helpful and I really appreciate your patience.

 

[evanvine]

I boiled the malt extract

The penny begins to drop.

 

[jkrevat]

I boiled the malt extract

The penny begins to drop.

lol! I just had to ask my British friend what that meant. I thought it could mean I started to throw away the money I spent on the ingredients. In the U.S we would say, "and the light bulb has been turned on"

 

[evanvine]

we would say, "and the light bulb has been turned on"

Fair comment, but you don't give your location!

 

[jonewer]

I boiled the malt extract.

:rofl: I was thinking (and I think some others were thinking) that you had boiled actual grain, which would have been not good!

Good luck with your brew! :thumb:

 

[puravida]

You want to fill your keg with Co2 whilst empty then release the gas back out via the pressure release valve at the top.
Then repeat. This clears out all the air and replaces it with Co2

Now your keg is full of Co2 and depressurised, you can remove the lid and fill it with your beer.
This all helps eliminate your beer coming into contact with oxygen which will cause off flavours.

Once full of beer you carbonate as you want.

 

[jkrevat]

You want to fill your keg with Co2 whilst empty then release the gas back out via the pressure release valve at the top.
Then repeat. This clears out all the air and replaces it with Co2

Now your keg is full of Co2 and depressurised, you can remove the lid and fill it with your beer.
This all helps eliminate your beer coming into contact with oxygen which will cause off flavours.

Once full of beer you carbonate as you want.

Thanks. I think I got it now. Expectations for the 1st batch has not been set too high. If this is drinkable I will be thrilled, as I gain experience my demand for quality will grow. I chose a Saison because I was worried about the hot temperatures. My basement is holding under 74 degrees, but in case of a heat wave, I wanted a wort that could survive if it goes up a bit for a few hours during the day. I do not think I will go over 78f no matter how hot it is outside. In the fall I will focus on some brown ales.

 

[rich27500]

Well now we cleared all that up...congratulations nd welcome to the hobby. Never done an extract brew, I jumped from kits to all grain. I hope your beer is awesome!