First brew- couple questions

[kinanik]

Greetings,

I decided to try homebrewing, and I think I prepared well. I read Papazian’s book (naturally, up to the advanced part) and began with his Elbro Nerkte recipe.

I just finished the creation of my first wort, and I had a couple questions:
1.) Are you supposed to cover the boiling wort? I started off that way, but it bubbled up and left a sort of crust along the sides of the pot inside. I re-mixed that in with the boil and left it uncovered the rest of the way.

2.) is there supposed to be a pre-yeast sediment? It’s cooling off now, and an inch or two has settled to the bottom. I filtered it rather well, using a mesh filtered funnel that required emptying about a dozen times before I got through with it. I used pelleted hops, and 3/4 lbs of grain malts which I mostly filtered out before adding the liquid malt extract, as well as irish moss and gypsum.

Is this normal? Am I worrying?

Thanks!
Ryan

[euge]

Yes. Yes. Don’t worry but it’s natural. We all do.

Edit. Extract is fine to partially cover. Fully covering can cause a boil-over.

[wingnut]

@kinanik

Greetings,

I decided to try homebrewing, and I think I prepared well. I read Papazian’s book (naturally, up to the advanced part) and began with his Elbro Nerkte recipe.

I just finished the creation of my first wort, and I had a couple questions:
1.) Are you supposed to cover the boiling wort? I started off that way, but it bubbled up and left a sort of crust along the sides of the pot inside. I re-mixed that in with the boil and left it uncovered the rest of the way.

Boil with the lid off, some of the stuff boiling off is stuff you do not want in your beer. Boiling with the cover off lets it evaporte away.  With the lid on, the stuff may condensate on the lid and drip back in.

2.) is there supposed to be a pre-yeast sediment? It’s cooling off now, and an inch or two has settled to the bottom. I filtered it rather well, using a mesh filtered funnel that required emptying about a dozen times before I got through with it. I used pelleted hops, and 3/4 lbs of grain malts which I mostly filtered out before adding the liquid malt extract, as well as irish moss and gypsum.

While boiling, there are proteins that settle out over time.  Letting the wort sit for a while after boiling and then siphoing the wort off the sedimet is the best way to leave it behind (less funnel emtying that way)  Splashing the wort thorugh the funnel screeen, however, is a great way to airate your wort!

Is this normal? Am I worrying?

Thanks!
Ryan

[kinanik]

Thanks guys! I pitched the yeast and now… the wait.