Ok so i am VERY new to brewing! I recently bottled my first batch and have amy second batch fermenting. I am trying to learn all i can about the process and it seems like the mor ei read the more confused i get. I came up with several questions that if anyone could help with i would greatly appreciate.

1. Will it ruin my beer if i don't strain out the hops from the wort before adding it to the fermenter?

2. Can i use muslin bags for hops like you do with grains?

3. Should all Ale Yeast be added to the wort once it gets 70-75°? Or does it vary with types of yeast?

4. Should i keep a lid on the pot that i am boiling the wort in?

5. Do i cool the wort before i add it to the water in the fermenter or can i pore the wort into the fermenter that has water in it to cool the wort?

6. I bottled my beer 12 days ago. I decided to taste it after 4 days just to see what it was like. It tasted like beer that wasn't done. So i waited until 10 days went by and it tasted slightly sour. So now it has been 12 days and it has a very dry taste and a lack or carbonation. Does this mean it needs to sit longer? Is my beer bad?

7. I just brewed an Oktoberfest with ale yeast. When i added the hops to the boiling wort they caused it to boil up and coat the sides with hop residue (lots of it). Is this bad or normal? If this happens should i scrape the mush back into the wort right away?


I am really sorry that i have to ask all these questions. I am new to brewing and to the forum. I have noticed that there are a lot of veteran brewers here and i know if my questions can be answered it will be here. Thanks in advance!

Welcome to the Forum!

1. Will it ruin my beer if i don't strain out the hops from the wort before adding it to the fermenter?

Most definitely not. When I use hop pellets most of them make it into the fermenter with no ill effects.

2. Can i use muslin bags for hops like you do with grains?

Yes. I often dry hop using muslin bags.

3. Should all Ale Yeast be added to the wort once it gets 70-75°? Or does it vary with types of yeast?

Yes. As long as you are using an ale yeast 70-75° is good temperature range to pitch at.

4. Should i keep a lid on the pot that i am boiling the wort in?

No. There are some volatile compounds present in wort which should be driven off during the boil. Leaving the lid on the kettle the entire time can impede that process.

5. Do i cool the wort before i add it to the water in the fermenter or can i pore the wort into the fermenter that has water in it to cool the wort?

You can add the wort directly to the cold water in the fermenter but if the wort ends up still being too hot it may be difficult to quickly cool it further. Also if you are using a glass carboy there is potential for thermal shock and resultant breakage and lost wort. If I were doing this I'd cool the wort some before adding it to the water. However, in general, I believe either procedure can work okay.

6. I bottled my beer 12 days ago. I decided to taste it after 4 days just to see what it was like. It tasted like beer that wasn't done. So i waited until 10 days went by and it tasted slightly sour. So now it has been 12 days and it has a very dry taste and a lack or carbonation. Does this mean it needs to sit longer? Is my beer bad?

I hate to say it but I suspect your beer is contaminated and will likely not improve with further aging. Without actually tasting the beer it is difficult to say for sure but it certainly sounds that way. Sorry.

7. I just brewed an Oktoberfest with ale yeast. When i added the hops to the boiling wort they caused it to boil up and coat the sides with hop residue (lots of it). Is this bad or normal? If this happens should i scrape the mush back into the wort right away?

It sounds like you added hop pellets though whole hops will do this as well. The hops provide nucleation sites for bubble formation. It is kind of like seeding clouds to make it rain. At any rate, this is quite common. Nearly every batch of beer I make I usually end up scarping the hops back into the kettle.


I hope I answered your questions. Anyways feel free to ask additional questions.

Cheers,

Scott

Scott. You have no idea how much you just helped me!
THank you so so so so so much.

As for my beer I am assuming it is bad also. As much as that sucks to admit, it is only my first batch and it's a learning process.

THe only other question i have at this time is if i add the yeast before it drops to 70-75 will that mess up the beer and how will i know?

Thanks again!

Yeah, I would agree with the initial responses. I also try to wait until my wort temperature is more in the 68-73 range, only because I don't want the yeast to start at too high a temp and impart an off flavor to the beer further down the road.
Best of luck in the new hobby! The amount of information our there can be quite daunting, even to people that have been at it for some time. The best things to consider at all times are:

Cleanliness
Temp Control
Patience
Attention to Recipe Specifics

Of course, there are a lot more factors to keep in mind, but they'll all come in time. Once you get through your first couple of batches, you'll find out what works best for you and your specific set up. Focus on the basics at the start, and get comfortable with them. A lot of people invest a ton of time and money on procedures/equip that, in my opinion, have a minimal impact in the finished product. Folks have been making damned good beer for a damned long time, without fancy, expensive gear or an advanced scientific understanding of the underlying chemistry and biology behind it all. They just knew that drinking beer was fun, and it wasn't hard to make your own. They also knew that beer went quite well with grilled animals, which is a point that I agree with!
Have a blast, and drop by the links below for help with the calculations or instructional videos.

Thanks for all the help everybody it will no doubt help me in my quest to make a good batch of beer!