# 1st batch is on - Deutsche AltBier



## coyote-1 (Jan 13, 2010)

I'm cooling the hopped wort right now. The whole house smells like a brewery!

My wife, who recommended her sister get me this kit for Xmas, seems to be having second thoughts now


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## DanMcG (Jan 13, 2010)

Cool home made beer, let us know how it progresses


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## coyote-1 (Jan 14, 2010)

Progress is slow. The literature says I should expect to see some fermentation activity by now, but at 30 hours after adding yeast it's hardly moving the one-way release valve.

All the conditions specified in the instructions were met, and the bucket is in a dark place at 64 degrees. If there's no movement by the time I return home tonight, I have to call the store and ask whether there's a problem with the yeast.


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## upnorth2000 (Jan 14, 2010)

I have home brewed about 50 batches. Sometimes the yeast is slow to start. Did you pitch the yeast in dry, or mix with sanitary warm water first ? I have had to add yeast a second time after getting an inactive pack. Just remember to be sanitary if you have to pitch yeast a second time.
Marte


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## coyote-1 (Jan 15, 2010)

Pitched it dry. The guy at the shop said that's the better option for this particular recipe.

So now, almost 48 hours in, it's starting to ferment a bit. I moved it to a place a couple degrees warmer, and that seems to be helping.


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## coyote-1 (Jan 15, 2010)

6:30am today (Friday), 54 hours after pitching... it's starting to rumble. I can now safely say that, good or bad, at least I'll have something that resembles beer when it's done


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## DanMcG (Jan 15, 2010)

cool. looking forward to some Beer-view


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## benjaminr (Jan 19, 2010)

Yeah that yeast is some funny stuff. I just cannot seem to get it down to my level of understanding but I am learning a lot on it. From what I have gathered is that liquid yeast seem to take the longest amount of time to kick in. Dry is usually the quickest especially if you make a starter.

I just brewed up 10 gal yesterday. 

Are you going to rack to a secondary?


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## the iceman (Jan 19, 2010)

That would be... Brew-View.


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## tlzimmerman (Jan 19, 2010)

Another here that would love to see pictures.  This has been something I have thought about doing before, just looks like a blast and I enjoy doing and making everything myself if I can.


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## coyote-1 (Jan 19, 2010)

It's a darkish beer so I don't see where a secondary will benefit me on this batch. So long as I'm careful about my siphoning into the bottling bucket I should be fine.

But first it has to stop fermenting. Once it kicked in (about 50 hours after the yeast was pitched), it's just been going strong. I don't foresee bottling until at least Saturday or Sunday.

Meanwhile I'm beginning to look forward to summer and sharing my brew. Don't want to hand out bottles so I'm looking at ways to re-use minikegs. I'm thinking about a mini-CO2 bike pump, a valve, and some HomeDepot pipe fittings for a very low-profile tap that will fit in a cooler.


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## coyote-1 (Jan 22, 2010)

Bloggish update: As of last night (Thursday, 9 days after pitching), the ferment seems to have stopped. So either tonight or tomorrow morning I'll check the specific gravity... if it's good I'll rack and bottle.


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## coyote-1 (Jan 26, 2010)

Another update: Mon Jan 25 - bottled (finally!)

Now we wait a few weeks and see how it came out  :)


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## bob g (Jan 28, 2010)

Howdy,

 Definately post a pic. 
 I brew in my garage. My wife likes the malty smell of the wort but as soon as the hops are added she wrinkles her nose up and she's done! Me, I think it smells wonderful.
 What was your FG?

 Cheers,
 Bob


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## coyote-1 (Feb 1, 2010)

SG= 48
FG= 01

:)


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## bob g (Feb 6, 2010)

1.001 or 1.010?

.001 would be dry as all get out!


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## coyote-1 (Feb 6, 2010)

Started 1.048
Ended 1.001

BTW, I just cracked another bottle. It's darn good. Kudos to those who create these beer kits!


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## kmmuellr (Feb 9, 2010)

Don't drink and post.  This is the third time I've attempted this.  I keep pressing the "back" button while trying to go from one IE tab to another when I'm grabbing my links!

I've been brewing for 14 years and smoking since my bro bought me a smoker for Christmas.  I'll gladly offer brewing advice, but you'll be hard pressed to find me offering advice for smoking!

Liquid vs. dried:  Back when I started brewing, the difference was in favor of liquid.  Dried yeasts just didn't have the quality to make good beer every time.  Shortly after I started brewing the quality of dried yeasts improved dramatically.  Now the main difference is that liquid yeast have a greater variety of pure strains, while dried yeasts have the advantage of a lower cost for more cells.  The key to a quick start is a higher yeast cell count.

http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter6-5.html

http://www.whitelabs.com/beer/homebrew_information.html:Each vial is equivalent in cell count to a pint starter, or 75-150 billion cells. One vial will usually start fermentation in 5 gallons in 5-15 hours at 70°F. If a faster start is desired, or if initial gravity is over 1.070, we recommend a 1-2 pint starter be made. 

Decent info here: http://koehlerbeer.com/2008/05/23/dr...-liquid-yeast/

My recommendation?  For specialty beers like an Alt, use liquid w/ a starter.  For "common" beers, use dried.  The quality that the dried manufacturers are using now is great, there's no reason other than variety not to use dried.

re: racking to secondary:  I usually don't.  If I'm lagering, I will, but otherwise I give it two or three weeks in the primary, then bottle or keg.

Kevin


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## coyote-1 (Feb 23, 2010)

Started a Red Ale last Monday. The ferment went furiously from Monday night into Tuesday morning, at which point it fizzled. Turns out the yeast is part of a recalled batch. So I added different yeast last night; we'll see tonight or tomorrow morning whether it's any good.

Meanwhile, the Altbier turned out just about perfect! Problem is I'm already down to nine bottles remaining  
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	









  Meanwhile, my collection of minikegs is increasing. A Spaten, a DinkelAcker, and a Bitburger sit empty and clean and waiting for the red ale. I tapped a Dab last night. I need to get to a point where I'm turning out a batch per week, and have at least 2 minikegs (preferably 3) available per batch.


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## bob g (Feb 23, 2010)

Coyote,

 If it took off well and then settled it's probably just fine. You could have roused it a bit too. 
 Was it Nottingham? If it was, I've had it do the same thing but a hydo test will be the final answer. It's a fast worker.
  Funny how you look around at your beer reserves and know you need to brew more. haha!

 Prost!


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## coyote-1 (Feb 23, 2010)

Yeah it's Nottingham.

But the SG isn't right, it's still high. I did try rousing the yeast, and that worked for a couple hours then it fizzled again. So another packet for free is worth it, worst that can happen is it too settles out.

Tomorrow I'm gonna pick up a case of Belgian beer that was given me for Xmas but forgotten at Dad's house. So that will fill the gap a bit, as well as provide more bottles for future bottling.

Odds are I'll be getting a secondary fermenter (likely a carboy) in the next week or so. Beer consumption really escalates during summer, and I need my production and reserves to be geared up properly to handle it  
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






  The best part of that is the minikeg system means I'll no longer be carting bottles out there.


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