Noob second beer attempt feedback

[Mrhandsome]

Hi guys,

I've got a few mead homebrews under my belt so I'm already a little familiar to homebrewing. I have now transitioned to beer brewing after getting a starter kit bought for me.

So I've already got one beer finished (making a few mistakes) which turned out pretty good considering. It was a Belgium style all grain beer kit:

1680g malt (unknown malt)
12g nugget and saz hops at 60mins
150 glucose at 45min
5g saz at end of boil

I had a hydrometer but I didn't use it for this one as I just decided to wing it for my first try ... The bottles didn't explode so all good, right?!

Anyway, that one turned out OK so I've jumped straight into my second one and have used my own recipe. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated as I'm still very much a noob at this stage.

Here's the recipe I've made:

Makes 5 litres
1kg Belgian pale, 250g caramalt mash at 65°C for 75mins
Chinook hops
Start 3g 60mins
Mid 8.5g at 15mins
Finish 8.5g at 0mins
Mangrove Jack's US West Coast yeast M44

Dry hop 10g for 1 week before bottling

OG 1.050
SG 1.010 after 1 week
FG…

The brew day went a lot better than my first one, keeping the temperature stable is a bit of a challenge as I just have a 10l stock pot and a glass thermometer but I kept it between 63°C and 65°C for the mash.

The boil was fine but I have a problem cooling the wort fast enough atm, it took about 90mins to cool to 20°C. Is this OK? I will be purchasing a wort chiller in the future of course.

Three days in and the fermentation stopped. I've left it till the 8th day to transfer to a 5l carboy and dry hop. The SG is 1.010 does this sound about right?

I've kept the trub for further batches, it's stored in the fridge in a swing top kilner bottle.

 

[An Ankoù]

A fine bit of freestyle, unrestrained brewing. Excellent. The bottles didn't explode, I didn't poison anybody so great. Nothing like trial and error.
90 minutes to cool your wort is fine. Some leave it to cool overnight!

Do use the hydrometer though, to check your beers safe to bottle.

 

[Rodcx500z]

The airlock may not bubble but it doesn't mean its done as An say use your hydrometer, I leave mine for 2 weeks in the fv

 

[Mrhandsome]

Yeah I've used my hydrometer for my second brew, I wasn't completely sure how to use it for the first one.

 

[Mrhandsome]

OG 1.050
SG 1.010 BTW

 

[Mrhandsome]

OK, so I tried my Chinook today....

I'm never drinking shop bought beer again.

 

[Irishwizard]

funny ol forum