From Extract to Fermentation - Day 1

I'm happy to say that today the first steps (and arguably DEFINITELY the hardest) were taken to produce the very first Upship! Brew. Henceforth called "New Home Brew!" Admittedly, before actually undertaking the  brewing process it did seem mildly intimidating. However, I'm happy to confirm that it's pleasantly simple-even more simple I would bet if you have all the stuff you need!

The first Upship! brew is an all-extract wit beer. Meaning that it was produced using only malted barley extract - as opposed to taking malted barley, mashing it, then boiling it to create my own "extract"; some other grains were added to the extract during the boiling of the "wort" to add flavor and additional sugars.

Wort!

Hops added to wort using a steeping bag.

The hops were also added to the wort during heating. After the heating process the wort was added to the carboy (which was already filled with 3 gallons of "cool, clean water"*) and allowed to cool to below 78-degrees (F) before taking a specific gravity reading with the hydrometer and "pitching" in the yeast. After pitching the yeast I capped the carboy with the fermentation lock and set it in a dark corner to sit for approximately two weeks.
*-quoted out of The Complete Joy of Homebrewing; my chosen text for directions during this first brew.

Pre-fermented beer, the "brewing" phase is over, now comes the waiting phase...

"waking up" the yeast - prior to pitching

And that's that - good "First Home Brew" beer is soon to come!
 
....or the simplified story anyway...in reality:
-wanna learn from my mistakes? -just read the highlighted segments

I made a HUGE mess! As promised when this little outfit was founded, you can now learn from my failures...and hopefully some success yet. First things first --> make sure you have EVERYTHING you need! In my particular case, a FUNNEL. And in case you are thinking, "I don't need no stinkin funnel!"...you absolutely do need a "stinkin funnel". Really. For the following reasons: 1) you will make significantly less of a mess than I did - that's guarantee, or I owe you a beer; 2) wort is hot, no s*** huh?, you boil it for an hour and then have to pour it into your carboy - without a funnel this is dangerous, and it hurts; 3) cut up one-gallon water jugs don't work, they also deform under the heat.

One other thing you definitely need is a thermometer so that you aren't left guessing when your wort is ready to measure the initial specific gravity, or cool enough to pitch the yeast - I guessed both of these using the trusted "back-of-the-hand" method, not suggested. Make sure you GET A THERMOMETER, and use it.

This hardcore mess was caused by a boil over in the first 5 minutes - which was caused by putting the lid on the pot, "just for a second, and I'll be watching". I literally read not to do this exact maneuver like five or six times, there's a good reason they told me not to; so take their word for it, and my picture, and don't put a lid on your wort. (On a side note: I JUST started moving into this house today, and that is a brand new, never-used stove - broke that sucker in!)

Lastly, get something to take your specific gravity measurements in. I didn't and ended up having to use this large pint glass (this "potential" beer took one for the team) as it was the only vessel I had in my new, yet-to-be-furnished house tall enough to allow the hydrometer to float freely and allow for an accurate specific gravity reading. I'm not sure what to suggest but I bet there are one or two of you out there who could comment on this as a suggestion - Doug Zschoche of Zschoche Cellars, for example, is a perfect candidate as I know he just did this, a few times! Anyway, I suggest trying to find something so as to brew more good beer and waste less!

 That's the real story! I'll post an update tomorrow as to how the initial fermentation is going - cross your fingers that it IS going.

-Jack

And here are a few bonus shots:

Wort is ready for the carboy - notice the three gallons of cold water already in the carboy and the cold water in the wort basin to begin cooling it.

My failed attempts at a makeshift funnel - REMINDER: buy a funnel.

Look at all that sediment - honestly I don't know if it's good, bad, or neither...but I bet it'll be okay.

A shot of the just-sanitized carboy, stopper, and fermentation lock.