Please advise on my SECOND brew. Stout without much flavor. - Page 1

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Please advise on my SECOND brew. Stout without much flavor.

Posted: 10/15/2017 11:25:12 AM EDT

I started a batch of extract, 5 gallons, on Oct 10. It initially bubbled quite fiercely, but it is down to about 1 bubble per 10 second this morning, on oct 15. It was my understanding that it should have fermented for at least a week, maybe 2 weeks. I may not have aerated the wort properly. Is it okay to start secondary fermentation today?

Edit for a new question:

As my first brew was such a success, I brewed another batch, this time a Stout. Midwest Supplies, their Beer, Simply Beer recipe. It turned out to have a good solid 6.2% alcohol (much better than my first batch's 4.2%), but it doesn't have a lot of stout flavor. I was expecting chocolate, coffee, and malt, but I'm not getting much of that. Are there ingredients I can add during the boil to this cheap recipe, or should I just move on to a more expensive, specialized recipe?

Posted: 10/15/2017 11:52:30 AM EDT

[#1]

Quoted:
I started a batch of extract, 5 gallons, on Oct 10. It initially bubbled quite fiercely, but it is down to about 1 bubble per 10 second this morning, on oct 15. It was my understanding that it should have fermented for at least a week, maybe 2 weeks. I may not have aerated the wort properly. Is it okay to start secondary fermentation today?

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Its fine to do so. Fermenting, like cooking cant always be tied to a set time. The best way to decipher the rate of fermentation is to take a gravity measurement with a hydrometer before pitching the yeast and then taking another reading when your estimated fermentation period has passed. Based on the attenuation rate of the yeast (listed on the package or manufacturer's site) you should have an idea of the estimated final gravity of the beer. Airlock activity just means the gas pressure is exceeding what the water/alcohol in the airlock can hold back and isn't a 100% guarantee of a complete fermentation.
Since you are going to secondary and not bottling i think its fine. You can always skip secondary and leave it in primary to further clear up, and then go to the bottling bucket from there. I am guessing you used a kit so taking a gravity reading and comparing it to the instruction sheet will give you a good idea on whether or not there is additional fermentation to go. After secondary fermentation or just waiting some additional time, if you are within range of the final gravity, its ok to bottle. The beer doesn't always hit the listed final gravity and its difficult to measure the actual attenuation without knowing the starting gravity.

Posted: 10/15/2017 12:02:14 PM EDT

[#2]

I should have mentioned, I did take a gravity reading before yeast pitching. 1.039 if I read it properly.

Posted: 10/15/2017 12:31:50 PM EDT

[#3]

Airlock activity is/is not a sign of fermentation.

Trust your hydrometer exclusively.

Posted: 10/15/2017 12:34:43 PM EDT

[#4]

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Airlock activity is/is not a sign of fermentation.

Trust your hydrometer exclusively.

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Is it safe to open the fermenter repeatedly to take readings? I thought that would permit microbe access?

Posted: 10/15/2017 12:46:29 PM EDT

[#5]

Take a hydrometer reading.

Low ABV beers can finish quickly, but it's better to let them sit and chew down the last few points. Often times extract won't finish as low as all grain brews though and it just might not happen.

Personally, I rarely secondary. I just leave them in primary for a couple of weeks and keg unless it's something that's not clearing well.

Posted: 10/15/2017 12:53:29 PM EDT

[#6]

I won't be kegging, I'll be bottling. Stand by, I'll take a reading. What should I be shooting for, with an OG of 1.039?

Posted: 10/15/2017 1:10:13 PM EDT

[#7]

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I won't be kegging, I'll be bottling. Stand by, I'll take a reading. What should I be shooting for, with an OG of 1.039?

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Depends.

What does the recipe say it should finish out at?

I'm at my cabin and don't have my brewing software on this laptop. But light, low ABV beers should finish out pretty dry. I'd be looking for below 1.010, but extract sometimes won't do that.

Best thing is to just give it time and don't watch the airlock. Most new brewers get in a hurry. Taking it off the yeast too soon just makes it take longer as you're relying on the remaining yeast suspended in the beer to try to chew down those last few points in secondary.

Posted: 10/15/2017 1:21:28 PM EDT

[#8]

The recipe doesn't show a target gravity. I got hung up for a bit, I'll check the gravity later today.

Posted: 10/15/2017 1:29:25 PM EDT

[#9]

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The recipe doesn't show a target gravity. I got hung up for a bit, I'll check the gravity later today.

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I'd just let it sit for 10 days-two weeks before checking. To get an accurate reading this early you're going to have to knock the suspended CO2 out of the sample anyway.

Let the yeast do it's job.

Posted: 10/15/2017 1:30:50 PM EDT

[#10]

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I'd just let it sit for 10 days-two weeks before checking. To get an accurate reading this early you're going to have to knock the suspended CO2 out of the sample anyway.

Let the yeast do it's job.

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Quoted:

Quoted:
The recipe doesn't show a target gravity. I got hung up for a bit, I'll check the gravity later today.

I'd just let it sit for 10 days-two weeks before checking. To get an accurate reading this early you're going to have to knock the suspended CO2 out of the sample anyway.

Let the yeast do it's job.

Ok.

Posted: 10/15/2017 3:33:25 PM EDT

[#11]

My auto siphon seems to be broken, I'm testing it on a bucket of water.

Can I start a simple tube siphon with my mouth without introducing bacteria? Do I have to keep the tube out of the rising liquid? How do people without auto siphons rack their beer?

Posted: 10/15/2017 4:50:17 PM EDT

[#12]

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My auto siphon seems to be broken, I'm testing it on a bucket of water.

Can I start a simple tube siphon with my mouth without introducing bacteria? Do I have to keep the tube out of the rising liquid? How do people without auto siphons rack their beer?

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You have have an elevation difference, fermenter above secondary.

My fermenters haves spigots, except for the glass carboy.

Keep the hose submerged, otherwise you will have splashing, which introduces oxygen that you do not want.

As has been noted, I rarely, rarely use a secondary. Two weeks in the primary works fine, even longer if I can't get to it for whatever reason.

I have had beers that I never saw a bubble in the airlock, they went so fast. Overnight. Still let them sit two weeks.

I also rarely check gravities with kits. Relax, give it two weeks, proceed.

Posted: 10/15/2017 5:56:47 PM EDT

[#13]

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Quoted:
My auto siphon seems to be broken, I'm testing it on a bucket of water.

Can I start a simple tube siphon with my mouth without introducing bacteria? Do I have to keep the tube out of the rising liquid? How do people without auto siphons rack their beer?

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All depends on what kind you have. Sometimes the gasket on the plunger dries out. Try soaking it in some warm water for a while and try again. Sometimes the little foot valve gets jammed up or breaks or falls off

Posted: 10/18/2017 4:36:19 PM EDT

[#14]

I wouldnt start it with your mouth, that could very likely put some bugs in your beer.
~2 min in this guy shows how to do it

Racking Beer without a Auto Siphon - Moving beer and getting Tipsy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Rjuqbpbu24

Posted: 10/19/2017 12:28:07 PM EDT

[#15]

First off, airlock activity is only the indicator of the initial phase of fermentation. Your yeast will keep doing stuff for 2 weeks+ - even months inside the bottle (bottle conditioning).

Second, with extract brews there isn't a huge need to transfer to secondary. It introduces more risk of contamination and more oxygen into your brew. My first 4 homebrews were primary > bottling bucket. They were plenty clear with a little time in the bottle.
A general rule of thumb for brews under 8% is 14 days in a fermenter and 10-14 days bottle conditioning and they are ready to drink and fully carbonated.

For sanitation I use starsan, I got a 32 oz sprayer from lowes and I spray down everything 30 sec before it touches any beer. I even spray down the neck of my fermenters before I open them up. And I sanitize the bung before I put it back in the fermenter.

Posted: 10/31/2017 11:38:26 PM EDT

[#16]

Bottled today.

Posted: 11/1/2017 1:24:47 AM EDT

[#17]

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Bottled today.

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Good luck! I bet it turns out fine. I bottled today also. Brewers Best Mexican Cerveza, again. Nice kit. I have a blond ale in another fermenter.

Posted: 11/1/2017 8:53:03 AM EDT

[#18]

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Bottled today.

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So what gravity did it finish out at when you bottled?

Posted: 11/1/2017 9:07:10 AM EDT

[#19]

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So what gravity did it finish out at when you bottled?

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Quoted:
Bottled today.

So what gravity did it finish out at when you bottled?

I forgot to measure it, so I cracked one of my bottles this morning to test. Came out to 1.004. OG was 1.039. If I have measured and calculated correctly, that should give an ABV of 4.6%, which seems a little low, but at least it's in the beer range. If it were 2%, I'd be very disappointed.

Posted: 11/1/2017 11:56:46 AM EDT

[#20]

And with my fermenter available again, I brewed a Stout this morning. OG was 1.058. Hopefully this one will be in the 7% ABV range.

Posted: 11/1/2017 12:06:30 PM EDT

[#21]

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I forgot to measure it, so I cracked one of my bottles this morning to test. Came out to 1.004. OG was 1.039. If I have measured and calculated correctly, that should give an ABV of 4.6%, which seems a little low, but at least it's in the beer range. If it were 2%, I'd be very disappointed.

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That's pretty good for extract. I rarely ever had them go below 1.010 when I was brewing with it.

Posted: 11/1/2017 12:13:00 PM EDT

[#22]

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Quoted:
That's pretty good for extract. I rarely ever had them go below 1.010 when I was brewing with it.

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Quoted:

Quoted:
I forgot to measure it, so I cracked one of my bottles this morning to test. Came out to 1.004. OG was 1.039. If I have measured and calculated correctly, that should give an ABV of 4.6%, which seems a little low, but at least it's in the beer range. If it were 2%, I'd be very disappointed.

That's pretty good for extract. I rarely ever had them go below 1.010 when I was brewing with it.

Thanks! After I graduate, I'd love to get into all grain.

Posted: 11/1/2017 12:16:05 PM EDT

[#23]

This is why I make wine and not beer. Heck, I fermentation with only a towel over top of my buckets. There's enough alcohol not to have to worry about bugs or germs in wine.

Posted: 11/1/2017 12:22:07 PM EDT

[#24]

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This is why I make wine and not beer. Heck, I fermentation with only a towel over top of my buckets. There's enough alcohol not to have to worry about bugs or germs in wine.

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Okay...

Posted: 11/6/2017 11:17:52 PM EDT

[#25]

Sipping on my very first homebrew. Hot damn. It's as good as a Pale Ale that costs 11 bucks per six pack.

Posted: 11/7/2017 2:32:48 PM EDT

[#26]

Yessir, some very good beer can be brewed with good kits. I do kits, partial extracts, mini mashes and all grain. The only drawback for me and all grain is I have to find better water than my tap, and more than RO. If I do kits, RO water is fine, as the water chemistry in the extracts is true to beer type, or so I have read.

Posted: 12/9/2017 11:07:18 PM EDT

[#27]

Bump for a new question in OP.

Posted: 12/10/2017 1:21:12 AM EDT

[#28]

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Bump for a new question in OP.

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What is the newest recipe? Only then can we tell you what might work.

Posted: 12/10/2017 9:17:53 AM EDT

[#29]

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Bump for a new question in OP.

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I'm not a stout drinker or brewer, but I looked up that kit and I'd say it's light on the specialty grains compared to a lot of other stout recipes. And when you consider the fact that the grains are pre crushed (you have no idea how old those kits are), that may be an issue too.

Maybe a stout brewer will chime in.