Friday, October 14, 2011

Time to Check Gravity! (update on Nico's Hoppy Wheat Treat)

Well, it's been five days since I pitched yeast into Nico's Hoppy Wheat Treat, and it's time to check the gravity and see how things are going.  This is an exciting time, as I get to taste the beer for the first time (it's no longer wort!).  The beer "looks" good.  The Krausen has fallen, and there are clumps of yeast floating on the top of the beer.  Check it out.


Basically, I grab my thief, graduated cylinder, hydrometer, and StarSan sanitizer spray and head upstairs to the fermentation room.  In case you don't know, a thief is a tool used to take samples from a barrel or carboy.  It's ultra convenient and a must have in my book.  Check it out below.  I've sprayed it down with sanitizer inside and out, so it's ready to go. 
 All I do is place the thief inside the carboy and jiggle up and down.  There is a one-way valve pin at the bottom that allows it to capture liquids without releasing them.  Here's the thief in action.

Once I have enough beer for a gravity reading, I drain it into my graduated cylinder and place the hydrometer inside.  I'm expecting something in the 1.010 area given my mash temperature, ingredients, yeast, and experience.  Time to take a gravity reading!
The gravity is around 1.006.  A bit lower than anticipated, but no problem.  After all, this is "HAPPY BREW WITH NICO!"  This gravity reading tells me that fermentation is complete.  I'll let the beer sit on the yeast cake (yeast accumulated at the bottom of the carboy) for at least one week, most likely two.  This will ensure that the yeast clean up the beer and also drop out of suspension prior to kegging.  I am not sure if I will dry hop at this point (I'm out of Amarillo!).

The sample was delicious.  Despite the low gravity reading, the 3.5 lbs. of wheat have yielded a beer with good mouthfeel and some body.  The Amarillo hops have done their job, and there is a big grapefruit aroma and flavor.  Just a subtle lingering bitterness.  Spot on for what I was going for.  I can't wait to keg this one!

I've also taken this opportunity to remove the aluminum foil and place a rubber stopper with airlock in place.  This is not absolutely necessary, but it's good practice and I like to see the bubbles.  It's filled with sanitizer.  Here it is in place. 

Now I just have to finish one of my kegs to make room for this one!
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2 comments:

  1. AnonymousOctober 17, 2011 at 7:40 AM

    do you use sanitized foil instead of a blowoff tube or airlock? what is the advantage of that? Can I do a 5 gallon batch in a 5 gallon carboy for single fermentation?

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  2. Nico the BrewerOctober 17, 2011 at 9:54 AM

    My preferred method is to use a blow-off tube (tubing stuck into a rubber stopper). You will be kicking yourself the day the Krausen gets so high it blows the airlock off your vessel and makes a huge mess.

    I use a 6.5 gallon carboy for primary fermentation. I've only had blow-off with a few wheat beers and big stouts in that carboy. The aluminum foil is sanitized with StarSan. I replace it with an airlock after the Krausen falls. I can't say that there is an advantage to using the foil, but it's quicker and easier than sanitizing the blow-off tube (which wasn't necessary for this small beer).

    I used to do 5 gallon batches in a 5 gallon carboy routinely until I got my 6.5. Just make sure you use a blow-off tube because it will probably overflow with foam.

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