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First time making beer / wine. Hope it works.

Started by 21incher, August 19, 2014, 07:46:27 PM

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21incher

A couple of weeks ago my sister gave me a beer making kit for my birthday and today I got started


 
It was a complete kit that contains all the stuff you need to make beer.


 
She also got a couple of complete kits with all the ingredients to make the beer. I chose the pale ale because it is a top fermenter that ferments at about 70 degrees. So today I spent the morning sanitizing everything, reading the instructions and boiling up my first 5 gallon batch.


 
Here it is after cooling, transferring to the fermenter, and adding yeast this morning. Right now it is starting to bubble like crazy and in a couple of weeks I should be bottling it. It said to place it in a dark place with constant temp so I placed it in my den next to my computer desk and now am thinking it was a mistake because it is starting to smell like a brewery now. Looking for a few brave souls to test it when done. 8) 8)
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

hackberry jake

A friend of mine used to be pretty big into brewing his own beer. His beer was always excellent! I liked his homemade porter the best. I would sure test it for you if you were closer!
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sawguy21

Don't cap too soon or you will have a real mess to clean up. My dad's buddy found that out the hard way. Mama put an end to his brewing career. :D
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

21incher

Quote from: sawguy21 on August 19, 2014, 11:54:08 PM
Don't cap too soon or you will have a real mess to clean up. My dad's buddy found that out the hard way. Mama put an end to his brewing career. :D
They warn you about that in the instructions. They also say wear safety goggles when opening your first batches. I guess it must be a mistake many beginners make.
Anybody know how tough it is to grow hops?:)
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

Raider Bill

I like pale ale send me a sample or 6 ;)
The First 70 years of childhood is always the hardest.

LeeB

I'd be willing to try it. Send me a bottle also. The one you're making it in looks about the right size.  :D
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

LeeB

'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

Magicman

Quote from: 21incher on August 19, 2014, 07:46:27 PMthat ferments at about 70 degrees. 
You would never find 70° here!   :D
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21incher

Quote from: Magicman on August 20, 2014, 03:11:20 PM
Quote from: 21incher on August 19, 2014, 07:46:27 PMthat ferments at about 70 degrees. 
You would never find 70° here!   :D
Dig down 4 feet in the ground and it should be about 70. :) May have to turn the AC on the next couple of days to keep it from overheating with temps in the 80's moving in later this week. :)
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

thecfarm

Hops are easy to grow. The wife has 4-5 plants. No not for beer,just for the looks of the plant. She planted them,I maintain them. They do need a trellis to climb on. I have some 12 foot long cow panels that will be replacing the baling twine. Also you might want to look up a beer forum. Not all hops make good beer,it's all in the taste. Kinda like a WM,Baker,Hudson, sawmill. Some like one kind over another.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Banjo picker

I make a little beer from time to time... need to put up a batch soon.

 
Keeping a constant temp. is important... I bought a little device from amazon for less than 25 bucks and wired it up.. set the temp I want... if it gets too hot the freezer cools it down... if it gets too cold the little heater warms it up.  Banjo
Never explain, your friends don't need it, and your enemies won't believe you any way.

21incher

That looks like a great setup Banjo picker. What do they call the device you installed? Do you know if it will work with a refrigerator also? After reading more on line I think I may have messed it up because the instructions did not say to boil the tap water I added to the wort to make 5 gallons, but I found posts online that say you must boil it first. Time will tell.
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

Delawhere Jack

You're going to want to put a catch pan under the carboy. A vigorous fermentation will send foam up through the airlock and down the side of the carboy.

21incher

Quote from: Delawhere Jack on August 21, 2014, 08:44:36 AM
You're going to want to put a catch pan under the carboy. A vigorous fermentation will send foam up through the airlock and down the side of the carboy.
It did get pretty vigorous for about 24 hours and had me a little worried. I placed a towel around the carboy, but now it has basically stopped fermenting and only blowing off the airlock about once a minute so I think the worst is over. Next time I will follow your recommendation and place it in a plastic tub to be safe. Thanks.
I guess I will have to start checking the specific gravity soon to see if it really is done.:)
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

21incher

Quote from: thecfarm on August 20, 2014, 08:51:11 PM
Hops are easy to grow. The wife has 4-5 plants. No not for beer,just for the looks of the plant. She planted them,I maintain them. They do need a trellis to climb on. I have some 12 foot long cow panels that will be replacing the baling twine. Also you might want to look up a beer forum. Not all hops make good beer,it's all in the taste. Kinda like a WM,Baker,Hudson, sawmill. Some like one kind over another.
I guess if they will grow in Maine they should grow at my house. Are 12 foot tall trellises tall enough for them? Your cattle panel idea sounds like it would be sturdy and long lasting. I read you should put up 20' tall poles with rope hanging down to support them which doesn't seem like it would last that long. :)
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

thecfarm

20 foot would be better,if doing it for beer. Hers grow up to the top of the horse run in and than the support runs out and then tops fall over. Japanese beetles like them too. They take about 3 years to really get going too.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Banjo picker

The device will work fine on a fridge....it is called a stc-1000.  Its a microcomputer temperature controller....you can google it and see how to wire it up... I'll try to get a pic. if I can remember how...It works good, holds the temp to within about a degree or so....Banjo
Never explain, your friends don't need it, and your enemies won't believe you any way.

Banjo picker

 

  

 

Thought I would get a pict. of my wort. chiller as well while I was at it.  Ales are pretty forgiving .... you should be fine.  Give it time to age after you get it bottled.  Keep every thing as clean as you can.  enjoy.... smiley_beertoast  Banjo
Never explain, your friends don't need it, and your enemies won't believe you any way.

21incher

Thanks Banjo picker. I just ordered one to play with from Amazon for $16.48 with free shipping. I was also looking for a device like this to control opening and closing the vents and turning on and off the fan in my root cellar to keep it from freezing in the winter so the first one will be for that. Just going to have to get used to converting to degrees Celsius. In the meantime I will look for a used freezer like yours to setup for beer. Did you use external relays to protect the built in relays? For chilling the wort I was thinking about making a belt to wrap around the pot with several thermoelectric modules that would pull the heat away. My first batch will probably taste somewhat like beer, but hopefully the next ones will taste like good beer.
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

Banjo picker

Not really sure what you are asking about the relays.  If it is concern about the compressor kicking on an off with out sufficient time in between the cycles, you can remedy this by having a larger control range....but I use .5 Celsius and haven't burned out the freezer yet.  Your post motivated me to put up a batch yesterday evening.   

     I took the pic this morning, as you can see its already doing its thing.  I use what is called the better bottles....made for beer making.  not as classy as the glass ones, but I would hate to think about dropping a glass carboy.  I did have a glich yesterday evening , the pump I reculate the ice water in the wort chiller would not come on...I didn't find that out till I was ready to cool it off....just set it in the cooler of ice water....took a little longer...keep us posted on your progress...  Banjo
Never explain, your friends don't need it, and your enemies won't believe you any way.

LeeB

I use the better bottles carboys for wine making also. 1/3 the price and not nearly as heavy as the glass carboys.
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

21incher

Banjo picker I was talking about the internal contact rating of the STC-1000 is 10 amps max according to the specs and my fridge draws 15 amps at compressor startup  and requires a 20 amp breaker so I was thinking about adding a external 20 amp relay to be safe. I got the shipping notice from Amazon and it shipped yesterday but delivery is not expected until Sept 28 - Oct 6 so I guess it is coming by boat from China. My batch looked like your new batch for about 3 days, now the foam is gone and there are mustard colored chunks floating on the top bubbling. I hope they sink soon as they don't look to appetizing. Thanks for the info on the plastic carboys as I am getting ready to buy a 3 gallon one to try making a small batch of hard apple cider next.
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

Banjo picker

To be honest, I didn't even check the amp rating for the device, but the freezer is well under 10 amps anyway.  My bottles are 6 1/2 gallons, that way I don't have to be as concerned about bubble over....My mom use to make wine, but I prefer beer.  Banjo
Never explain, your friends don't need it, and your enemies won't believe you any way.

21incher

Today was the big day


 
Took over the laundry room to bottle my first batch. Everything is sanitized and ready to go.


 
Transferred the beer to the bottling tub and then primed it with sugar


 
I filled 48 bottles with a great tasting, but flat beer. Now just have to wait 3 weeks to carbonate. Looks like it is only 3% alcohol from the hydrometer readings, but at least it tastes good.  ;D
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

LeeB

It should pick up a little more percentage from the additional sugar.
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

Banjo picker

Never explain, your friends don't need it, and your enemies won't believe you any way.

21incher

While :) waiting for the beer to age my carboy was empty. So yesterday I picked about 50 pounds of Concord, Niagara, & Red grapes from vines I had planted 4 years ago.


 
I had no plans for them so I headed off to the brew store and picked up the chemicals and test kits to make wine. Ran all the grapes thru my wife's juicer and placed everything in a fermenter with some SO2 to kill the wild yeast.


 
I now have 6 gallons of must that I will adjust the sugar, acid, and PH tomorrow and start fermenting with wine yeast.
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

LeeB

Is that straight grape juice? I would have thought it would make more than that. I've made plenty of wine, but never any grape wine, always fruit wines.
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

21incher

Quote from: LeeB on September 10, 2014, 07:35:52 AM
Is that straight grape juice? I would have thought it would make more than that. I've made plenty of wine, but never any grape wine, always fruit wines.

It is the juice, pulp, chopped skins, and seeds from everything in the wheelbarrow. I was hoping for more to wind up with a 5 gallon batch, but after pressing there will most likely only be 4 gallons. I am starting to realize that making wine is a lot tougher then making beer. Next fall I will try using my elderberries for fruit wine. I also picked up another carboy and some yeast to start a batch of hard apple cider in a couple of weeks.
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

LeeB

By the time you add sugar it will likely be 5gal or more. If not top up with a little water. You might want to use a fruit bag next time so you have less pulp to settle out later when you start racking it off. You will lose some volume every time you rack it off. Someties I top it back up wtih a little water or maybe some juice, or some already finished wine. It will be better if you can stay out of it and rack several times, letting it age for a year or so. Some of mine makes it that long, some doesn't.  ;D
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

21incher

LeeB I added the sugar and a bottle of red wine and it is now at 7 gallons so that should be fine. I did get a giant nylon bag for the pulp

 
It was tied up and put inside the bucket while killing the natural yeast in the previous photo. I plan on putting the bag in a pot with a hole in the bottom and placing a piece of wood on top of it and put it in my 20 ton shop press to squeeze the juice out after a couple of days fermenting. Never make it a year if it is good.
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

LeeB

Let us know how the cider goes when you start on it. I've always wanted to try some.
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

21incher

LeeB a quick question for you. Today the brix went to 0.1 from the 25.0 that I started with. I pressed the skins and transferred it to a carboy. Tasted a little and it is extremely dry, tart, and I think it has enough alcohol to run my car on. Does the tartness go away as it ages and gets racked off a couple of times? My wife calls it pucker up wine. I used a test kit to adjust the acid before fermenting and it seems like the tartness must have come from the skins.:)
Thanks Ed
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

LeeB

I've never made grape wine. Can't help you on this one. If you like a tasting wine, you can put some non sugar sweetener in at he end. Or you can add sugar until it no longer restarts the ferment, but that is a tricky game. Think busted bottles. I've got some blueberry that restarted after setting for over a year. Now I have sparkling blueberry, and several busted bottles.
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

21incher

Well the pale ale is ready. Been tasting one each day for the last week with each one getting better tasting and more carbonated. Today it was just perfect and one of the best flavored ales I have ever had.


 
There was zero yeast in the bottom of the bottle and it has a little kick. Placed it all in the fridge to get it ready for tasters. @Banjo picker thanks for the temp control info. Got my control box built and hooked up to a chest freezer to ferment a Lager batch that I started yesterday and it is so nice to know it is at the proper fermentation temp as it uses a bottom fermenting yeast that requires cooler temps. One thing I am finding out is you can never have enough carboys as next week I will start the cider and the 5 gallons of wine are aging. I think I am hooked:)
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

Banjo picker

Looks like you got a nice head on those two.  I will have a batch ready to try by the week end, if I rush it a bit.....its hard to know just exacty when a brew is going to be at the absolute best.  A couple of weeks difference in the aging can make for a very different beer.  In rummaging around for bottles, I found two cases that were bottled in 1997....they were vastly over carbonated when they were fresh and got put aside and forgotten... when I put the batch up the other day, I opened all of them and put them in a carboy added some more sugar and put in a pound of dried apples ....poured all that in on top of the left over yeast in the bottom of the carboy I had just transferred the fresh brew into the secondary fermenter....I then let it set for two weeks and bottled it as well.....That may be an experience.....Another brewer told me not to waste my time, but I just had to see what it would do...I'll let you know...Banjo
Never explain, your friends don't need it, and your enemies won't believe you any way.

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