top_jimmy44
Apprentice
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2013
- Messages
- 13
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So I got a Beginner brew kit for Christmas and brewed Caribou Slobber recipe on New Year's Eve. Pitched yeast at 6:30 pm and when I woke in the morning, the airlock was bubbling like crazy. No foam coming into it or anything but was moving fast. About mid day yesterday, the bubbling had slowed to one every 4 seconds and when I went to bed around 11pm, it was bubbling about once every 12 seconds. When I woke this morning, I did not watch for long because I had to leave for work, but I didn't see any bubbles.
It is tough to tell my exact temp when I pitched the yeast because my stupid thermometer was bouncing back and forth between 65-75 (electronic type). It was at least in range, maybe a tad high. The directions with the kit said to just dump the yeast in the fermenter but the back of the package said the rehydrate so I mixed it with warm water and let it sit for 15 minutes then added a 1/4 cup of water and some malt extract. After a half hour, there was a good bit of bubbles on top, but it didn't look like I had put in enough extract so I added another 1/4 cup water and more extract (LME this time). It was definitely working when I pitched it.
So did I get a vigorous fermentation since I did the rehydrate/proof part? I wish my kit came with a hydrometer but I'm going to get one, hopefully this weekend. How long should I wait to test gravity though? I was thinking of letting it sit for at least 10 days and then test.
ugh, there are so many different ways to do this that I wonder who to listen to. I am one to follow directions, but when they are confusing, I don't know what to think. For example, I followed John Palmer's directions in "How to Brew" to proof the yeast. The kit directions did not explain this. Also, I followed the directions to steep the grains until the water reached 170 deg, but the directions did not say to rinse the grains. I got that from somewhere else and rinsed them in a colander with 170 deg water.
Also, I was reading The joy of Homebrewing and they mentioned using a strainer and pitcher to strain out the hops when pouring into the fermenter. I had already added two gallons of cold water, per the instructions, but I also shook up the gallon jugs of cold water to help aerate. Then, the straining of the hops actually helped aerate more. The top of the wort was foamy when I pitched the yeast. I did not close and shake the bucket before I pitched the yeast because I aerate already. Should I have done more to aerate or did I do enough?
The brew was fun though...looking forward to doing it again. I was actually kicking myself yesterday for not buying another extract kit that was on sale on Black Friday.
Thanks in advance.
Jim
It is tough to tell my exact temp when I pitched the yeast because my stupid thermometer was bouncing back and forth between 65-75 (electronic type). It was at least in range, maybe a tad high. The directions with the kit said to just dump the yeast in the fermenter but the back of the package said the rehydrate so I mixed it with warm water and let it sit for 15 minutes then added a 1/4 cup of water and some malt extract. After a half hour, there was a good bit of bubbles on top, but it didn't look like I had put in enough extract so I added another 1/4 cup water and more extract (LME this time). It was definitely working when I pitched it.
So did I get a vigorous fermentation since I did the rehydrate/proof part? I wish my kit came with a hydrometer but I'm going to get one, hopefully this weekend. How long should I wait to test gravity though? I was thinking of letting it sit for at least 10 days and then test.
ugh, there are so many different ways to do this that I wonder who to listen to. I am one to follow directions, but when they are confusing, I don't know what to think. For example, I followed John Palmer's directions in "How to Brew" to proof the yeast. The kit directions did not explain this. Also, I followed the directions to steep the grains until the water reached 170 deg, but the directions did not say to rinse the grains. I got that from somewhere else and rinsed them in a colander with 170 deg water.
Also, I was reading The joy of Homebrewing and they mentioned using a strainer and pitcher to strain out the hops when pouring into the fermenter. I had already added two gallons of cold water, per the instructions, but I also shook up the gallon jugs of cold water to help aerate. Then, the straining of the hops actually helped aerate more. The top of the wort was foamy when I pitched the yeast. I did not close and shake the bucket before I pitched the yeast because I aerate already. Should I have done more to aerate or did I do enough?
The brew was fun though...looking forward to doing it again. I was actually kicking myself yesterday for not buying another extract kit that was on sale on Black Friday.
Thanks in advance.
Jim