BrewDemon 1st Batch results & questions

[DeBus]

Made my first batch about 3 weeks ago in the 2gal BrewDemon using the Pilsner mix and also made up the Hard Cider mix.

Fermented for a week, bottled, and then drank some 1 week after that. I may have bottled and drank too soon, but for first try came out well and still have some of both left. Chalk it up to excitement of wanting to have it done for Fathers day.Currently have the IPA in the fermenter and probably will give it some more time.

I did ferment the cider in a 5 gallon bucket, but then did resanitze and use the fermenter to bottle the cider.

Couple of questions:

The cider I bottled in 12oz pot bottles and it seemed to have carbonated by the next day. Turned out ok, but sure seems like it carbonated fast. The bottles were rock hard almost the same day Should I have fermented longer? Or did I make a mistake fermenting in a 5 g pail?

Next, if i wanted to do a 1 gal batch using the 2 gallon fementer, am I overthinking it that is should be as easy as dividing all of the water requirements in half?

[John Sand]

Hi Debus, welcome!
I generally ferment for three weeks, or at least until the brew settles clear.
If your bottles carbed in a day they may not have been finished, unless you were using a really fast yeast at warm temps.
When I make half batches, I use half the ingredients. If I'm doing an extended boil (45 minutes or more) I have to account for boil off loss at the same rate as a bigger batch.

[DeBus]

I did a taste test to see if it was done and it tasted like flat beer, which to me indicated ( by way of the directions) it was done.
The bottles that I did drink ( some I didn't do a good job of capping) did have a excessive head on them being poured. Maybe that's from it not being 100% fermented as well.

For most of the fermentation process I did have the LBK out in my garage which may have been too warm. It was in the 80s so probably too warm. I did eventually move it inside to my basement.
I also had the filled bottles in the garage that again may have been too warm.

I've had the IPA 100% in my basement fermenting for about a week and looks to have cleared. I plan to buy a hydrometer eventually to eliminate the guesswork.
Since I am at the newbie / experimentation stage, I may bottle half this batch and let it go another week and then bottle the rest. Then let it condition and then taste test.

Thanks for the input on the 1/2 batch.. Seems easy enough but I tend to overthink things.

[John Sand]

We all do, especially early on. At some point all of this will seem routine, but it's still fun!

[TonyKZ1]

Congrats on your first brew! Yeah, I generally ferment for 3 weeks and then bottle and carbonate/condition for 4 weeks. That seems to work out good for me.

[skelly]

Hello, my first time home brewing, using the Brewdemon and making the Twisted Monk Witbier. Got a Tilt hydrometer so I can compulsively check SG all day long. Started dropping from OG 1.039 after 4 hours. Now on day 6 and FG has been stable at 1.013 for 36 hours. Temp has been 71F.
I see some recommendations that Wheat Beers should be drunk “young”. Should I still go 3 weeks total in the fermenter and 3 weeks conditioning in the bottle, or something else? Thanks.

[mashani]

Hello, my first time home brewing, using the Brewdemon and making the Twisted Monk Witbier. Got a Tilt hydrometer so I can compulsively check SG all day long. Started dropping from OG 1.039 after 4 hours. Now on day 6 and FG has been stable at 1.013 for 36 hours. Temp has been 71F.
I see some recommendations that Wheat Beers should be drunk “young”. Should I still go 3 weeks total in the fermenter and 3 weeks conditioning in the bottle, or something else? Thanks.

My fermentations are typically done in 3-5 days, but I leave it in my fermenter for at least 10-14 days. So, if it was me right now - I would leave it there for 4 more days (day 10) and then bottle it. That should be enough contact time with the yeast cake to "clean up" the things I do not want to end up in my bottles (acetaldehyde, etc.). These things clean up faster in the fermenter if left like this then they would in the bottles. So if you want to open the bottles at a young age, it is highly suggested by me that you still wait a bit. (that said I am a super taster of some of those things so YMMV).

And as long as you WARM condition (keep your temps 70+) for 2 weeks, you should be able to pop one of those in the fridge and open it a couple of days later if you want to. 3 weeks or 4 weeks in the bottle is still fine though. "Young" is relative, that is still "young".

[John Sand]

Hi Skelly, welcome aboard!
I generally ferment for three weeks, unless I'm running out of beer!