From: mark@verdix.com (Mark Lundquist)
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.brewing
Subject: Re: More Questions on my first batch
Date: 4 Jan 93 20:49:09 GMT
Article-I.D.: verdix.9275
Organization: Verdix Western Operations, Aloha  OR

In article <1i2fa2INN8ei@master.cs.rose-hulman.edu> goddard@NeXTwork.Rose-Hulman.Edu (Bart E. Goddard) writes:

>
>This batch is from a pre-packaged recipe for "Dark Lager".
>
>My fermentation lock quit bubbling, and the foam cleared off the top of the
>wort in the bucket..er.. primary fermentor, so I assumed it was time to
>transfer the stuff to the bottle..er.. secondary fermentor.
>
>Question 1:  When does the wort cease being the wort, and what do we call
>             it then?
>

We call it beer.  After you've pitched, it is no longer wort but
"fermenting beer".  When it is done fermenting, you drop the qualifier
and drink the beer. :-)

>After sanitizing all the equipment, I boiled and cooled two gallons of water
>for topping off the bottle.  I siphoned the wort into the bottle and then
>the water.  I needed to add yet another gallon of water to get the level
>up into the neck of the bottle, so I boiled it, cooled it and siphoned it 
>in.
>
>Question 2:  I think I have about 7-8 gallons of stuff now.  Will I get
>             a watered-down batch?

Probably.  Call it a 'Lite'.  :-)

You're not really trying to get it "up to the neck".  It's OK to use
the larger carboy (I use 7 gal carboys to brew 5 gal. batches), just
only top up to 5 gallons!  Measure 5 gallons of water into your large
carboy sometime, and then use a piece of masking tape or something to
mark the 5 gallon level for future reference.

>
>Question 3:  In my impatience surrounding the addition of the last gallon
>             of water, I could have rushed the cooling.  I am sure the 
>             tempurature was less than 90 degrees F, but the directions say
>             70 degrees.  Could I have killed my yeast?
>

No.  You shouldn't pitch warm, but if it's less than 90'F then you
won't kill the yeast.   You have said that the beer threw a head of
foam, so you certainly didn't kill the yeast.

>Question 4:  After all, what is the purpose of the second stage of 
>             fermentation?

The yeast is finishing its work: fermenting some more complex sugars
like maltotriose, and getting rid of undesirable by-products like
diacetyl.  The beer is also clearing out.

The purpose of racking into another vessel during this stage:

For lagers, the purpose is to take the beer off of the "spent" yeast
while it is being conditioned ('lagered') for an extended period of
time, so that the "spent" yeast won't impart off-flavors.  The vessel
should IMHO really be called a "lagering vessel" rather than a "secondary
fermenter", and this phase of brewing referred to as "lagering" rather
than "secondary fermentation".

For ale brewing, the purpose of this same practice is a mystery to
me.  I put it in the same category as rain dances and waving dead
chickens.  I never bother with it.  (No, I don't have any
clarification problems this way -- my ales come out brilliantly
clear).  It's just one more hassle, and one more chance to contaminate
the beer.

Happy brewing!
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.brewing