Rapscallion Jones
Member
I'm fairly certain that I followed the Mr. Beer instructions to the letter. The only thing I question is when I put the yeast in (which I think is called pitching, is that right??) I immediately mixed it and then re-read the directions which told me to let them sit on the surface for a few minutes before I mixed them in. Also, my basement, the only place my wife will let this chemical reaction happen, is pretty chilly and may be below the temperature threshold for fermentation. So the last couple of days have been spent wondering if I screwed up.
It's been a couple of days since I mixed it up and decided to pop open Mr. Beer and have a look to see if anything was happening. I wasn't sure if this was a kosher move, but I was pretty sure that this was a bunk experiment and I might have to dump it and try again with the fermenter in a warmer spot in the house.
When I opened it, I noticed only a small spot on the surface where there were some bubbles. From what I've come to understand, 48 hours later should have had some kind of noticable foam collection on the surface. I leaned in and took a whiff. At first I smelled nothing. A second, stronger whiff almost knocked me to the floor. I was assaulted by what smelled like strong hard cider. It was definitely a fermenting apples scent. The other notable characteristic was that it burned my nostrils. There's clearly some kind of chemical reaction happening there.
Is this what's supposed to happen?
It's been a couple of days since I mixed it up and decided to pop open Mr. Beer and have a look to see if anything was happening. I wasn't sure if this was a kosher move, but I was pretty sure that this was a bunk experiment and I might have to dump it and try again with the fermenter in a warmer spot in the house.
When I opened it, I noticed only a small spot on the surface where there were some bubbles. From what I've come to understand, 48 hours later should have had some kind of noticable foam collection on the surface. I leaned in and took a whiff. At first I smelled nothing. A second, stronger whiff almost knocked me to the floor. I was assaulted by what smelled like strong hard cider. It was definitely a fermenting apples scent. The other notable characteristic was that it burned my nostrils. There's clearly some kind of chemical reaction happening there.
Is this what's supposed to happen?