First time brewing - slight disaster

Hi,

I attempted to brew for the first time yesterday using one of the regular 23 liter home brew kits you find on ebay/amazon etc. Unfortunately I added the dried yeast when the the water/sugar/malt extract mix was way to hot (probably not far off boiling point!) as I thought it was the hop extract...

Presumably this yeast is completely dead? There was some yeast left over (about 20% of the sachet) so I added that once the temperature was around 20 celcius)

Is there anyway of salvaging the beer? I couldn't get more yeast for another 3-4 days unfortunately. Is it worth ordering some more and adding it then? I have baking yeast - or is that a bit extreme?!

Thanks for your help

I would not add bakers yeast. Put it in your sanitized fermenter with the air lock and get another pack of yeast asap.

I generally use liquid yeast, but I always have a spare pack of neutral dry yes in case of...

Just remember, it is only beer and it is meant to be fun. Good luck and have fun brewing.

Thanks for your reply.

Will adding the yeast a few days later make much of a difference?

As long as your wort stays clean, it will be fine. The biggest risk will be that of infection, but if you were sanitary and careful don't worry.

Well,since you say you added the last 20% of the yeast packet,it'll at least have some yeast to get things going. The lag time (reproductive phase) will be quite a bit longer till you get more yeast. But what yeast is in there will help overcome any nasties that may be present.

Okay, yeast ordered. Should be here in 3 or 4 days. Should I add the whole packet or just the 80% that is missing? Unfortunately I don't have a hydrometer so how should a gauge when to start bottling?

Add all the yeast, give it a 4-6 weeks and bottle.

EDIT: There are very few "disasters", I like to think of them as learning experiences.

4-6 weeks?! The instructions say 4-6 days.

scott_imunro said:

4-6 weeks?! The instructions say 4-6 days.

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Step #1-Throw the instructions away. Not to sound harsh, but if most of these kits came with better instructions you probably would not have put the yeast in at near boiling temps.



Many brewers in the beginning start with the 1-2-3 method.

1 week in primary
2 weeks in secondary (optional, you can leave in the primary for 2 additional weeks)
3 weeks in bottles to condition

As you grow your skills you will find out what works best to produce to pricuce the style of beer you like and with techniques that work the best for producing them. Since you don't have a hydrometer I would give it a MINIMUM of 3 weeks and recommend at least 4 weeks. It is hard waiting, but it is not a race.

While waiting, order your next kit and a hydrometer and if you have the space get your next one going.

Cheers! Thanks very much for your help.

scott_imunro said:

4-6 weeks?! The instructions say 4-6 days.

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Do you want to quick or do you want it good? You're not the first brewer to get one of those kind of kits where the instructions are ridiculously wrong.

I'll bet the same kit tells you that you can make beer in two weeks. Also wrong. It takes 6-8 weeks for a normal gravity ale you put in the the bottles.

BigFloyd said:

Do you want to quick or do you want it good? You're not the first brewer to get one of those kind of kits where the instructions are ridiculously wrong.

I'll bet the same kit tells you that you can make beer in two weeks. Also wrong. It takes 6-8 weeks for a normal gravity ale you put in the the bottles.

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I think(know) he's right! I've been following the recipes and instructions of Brooklyn Brewery kits. They taste great and are responsible for me getting into brewing, but I think their two weeks fermenting/one week in bottle is very...... Liberal? My beers have tasted and carbed well enough, but yesterday I had one that sat two weeks longer.....much more tasty! It was amazing to me the difference just two weeks made!

After about a week of fairly hefty airlock bubbling, it's not bubbled once in about 2 or 3 days. Does that suggest the fermentation has finished or stuck?

scott_imunro said:

After about a week of fairly hefty airlock bubbling, it's not bubbled once in about 2 or 3 days. Does that suggest the fermentation has finished or stuck?

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Probably finished but you need to take a hydrometer sample...wait another 3 days and test again. There's that dang waiting thing again!... Lol. If it is the same now as it is 3 days from now, you are probably done. That's also assuming you have hit your estimated FG as well or are close.

Just because the airlock has stopped bubbling, doesn't mean that fermentation has stopped. Example: when I moved my porter from primary to secondary after 10 days, the airlock had stopped bubbling after the 4th day, but you could see active fermentation going on when I popped the lid. (Shouldve left it another couple days now that I think of it) And the airlock on tje secondary barely bubbles, but I know there's still fermentation going on. Not very much since its off the yeast cake, but some. I learned pretty quick that the instructions are wrong when I made my first ever batch in a mr beer that got screwed up because it was first, mr beer, and second, not left long enough to develop. So, take your time, check out some of the recipes on here and elsewhere on the interwebs, and have fun!

I have no hydrometer How long should I leave it do you reckon?

scott_imunro said:

I have no hydrometer How long should I leave it do you reckon?

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Until you get a hydrometer and check it.