How far up the bottling bucket should you mount the spigot? Should the bottom of the spigot nozzle be flush with the bottom of the bucket, should it be lower the bottom of the bucket, or am I just thinking about this too much?
On another topic, I brewed my first batch July 4. The estimate OG range was 1.055 to 1.060. I got 1.034. Also, I couldn't get my wort cooler than 85 degrees before I pitched the yeast. While I was trying to cool the wort, the yeast sat rehydrating for more than an hour. Fermentation began after about six hours and the "blow-off" phase was over in the first 24 hours. Will any of this lead to a funky stout?
mounting a spigot
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Dregsucker...nice screen name LOL.
Yep, you're thinking about it too much. The spigot is placed to where it leaves 1 or 2 qts behind--I can't remember which, I haven't bottled in ages.
Congrats on your first brew. Here's some things to check/tips on gravity readings.....
-- If this was an extract batch, did you stir up the wort before taking your gravity reading? The syrup tends to fall straight to the bottom of the pot stratifying your wort.
-- Did you compensate for the temperature of your wort sample? Hot liquids will have lower gravity readings
-- Did you have the same volume as specified in the recipe?
-- Are your hydrometer and thermometer calibrated?
As far as your ferment, do you know what either the room temperature or liquid temperature was during this period? Higher temperatures will create more off flavors. If it gets too high, it could taste horrendous. However, stouts are good first brews because their strong flavor tends to mask off flavors. If the fermenter was in a cooler spot in the house, it may have had time to cool down. So, there's only one way to find out for sure. Give it a whiff/taste come bottling time. If it smells/tastes like beer, proceed.
You'll be miles ahead if you can arrange a way to keep your fermenter in the right temperature range--this'll get you your cleanest tasting brews.
v/r
Bill
Yep, you're thinking about it too much. The spigot is placed to where it leaves 1 or 2 qts behind--I can't remember which, I haven't bottled in ages.
Congrats on your first brew. Here's some things to check/tips on gravity readings.....
-- If this was an extract batch, did you stir up the wort before taking your gravity reading? The syrup tends to fall straight to the bottom of the pot stratifying your wort.
-- Did you compensate for the temperature of your wort sample? Hot liquids will have lower gravity readings
-- Did you have the same volume as specified in the recipe?
-- Are your hydrometer and thermometer calibrated?
As far as your ferment, do you know what either the room temperature or liquid temperature was during this period? Higher temperatures will create more off flavors. If it gets too high, it could taste horrendous. However, stouts are good first brews because their strong flavor tends to mask off flavors. If the fermenter was in a cooler spot in the house, it may have had time to cool down. So, there's only one way to find out for sure. Give it a whiff/taste come bottling time. If it smells/tastes like beer, proceed.
You'll be miles ahead if you can arrange a way to keep your fermenter in the right temperature range--this'll get you your cleanest tasting brews.
v/r
Bill
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mixed bag
BillyBock
Thanks for the info.
I didn't stir the wort before I siphoned the hydrometer sample. I probably should've shaken the carboy before taking the sample, right? (I did shake it for a solid two minutes to aeroate it before I put the blow-off tube on.) I didn't check to see if my thermometer and hydrometer are calibrated. I did compensate for the temperature of the hydrometer sample and use the same volume as listed in the recipe, however.
The fermenter is sitting in a spare refrigerator with the temperature set at 67 degrees. I used Safale S-104 dry ale yeast. Should I wait a full two weeks to bottle, or just two or three days after the airlock stops bubbling?
dregsucker
Thanks for the info.
I didn't stir the wort before I siphoned the hydrometer sample. I probably should've shaken the carboy before taking the sample, right? (I did shake it for a solid two minutes to aeroate it before I put the blow-off tube on.) I didn't check to see if my thermometer and hydrometer are calibrated. I did compensate for the temperature of the hydrometer sample and use the same volume as listed in the recipe, however.
The fermenter is sitting in a spare refrigerator with the temperature set at 67 degrees. I used Safale S-104 dry ale yeast. Should I wait a full two weeks to bottle, or just two or three days after the airlock stops bubbling?
dregsucker
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Here are some thoughts.
You should only rack 'bright' beer. The beer in the racking bucket should be very clear so your spigot can be placed so you can get the maximum yield. This assumes that you decant your beer off the yeast to a 'secondary' container. I use a bucket for my primary fermenter and have my spigot 3" off the bottom to leave the yeast behind.
You should transfer/decant the stout to a second container (carboy) cool it down to 45 deg. F or cooler to let it clear and mature for a week or two. If you can't move it off the yeast rack it now.
Your Starting gravity seems low. Make sure your terminal gravity is below 1.012 before you bottle. The yeast may have consumed all of the fermentables that were in the wort. In higher gravity beers you should pitch more yeast.
Good brewing,
Tom F.
You should transfer/decant the stout to a second container (carboy) cool it down to 45 deg. F or cooler to let it clear and mature for a week or two. If you can't move it off the yeast rack it now.
Your Starting gravity seems low. Make sure your terminal gravity is below 1.012 before you bottle. The yeast may have consumed all of the fermentables that were in the wort. In higher gravity beers you should pitch more yeast.
Good brewing,
Tom F.