fermentation trouble?

Hey guys! First post here, and well awaiting my first batch of beer.

Been wanting to get into homebrew for quite a while now (even though I've only recently turned 21) but after taking a tour of a local brewery it really gave me the drive.

I've been reading a lot for the past couple weeks, and I seem to get a lot of mixed opinions on certain things -

I wish I would have come on here before I started my batch, but I only just now got my internet turned back on =(.


Anyways, here's my situation -



I bought a very basic kit with plastic buckets - and wanted to make the "Elbro Nerkte" Brown ale. I ended up with some slight variations in the recipe (the guy who sold me the stuff was not a brewer himself) but here's the jist.


6.6 lbs Dark malt extract

1/2 lb crystal malt
1/2 lb black patent malt (the recipe called for only 1/4 but the guy had already ground it up for me. I'm hoping it doesn't make it too dark)

2 oz fuggle hops (boiling)

1/2 oz sterling hops finishing ( weren't in the recipe but that's what i ended up for)

and 1 packet of Muntons yeast (the 6 gram kind)


I had major bubbles coming out of the little lock thing about 24 hours in, and up to about 36 hours later even. But now coming day 3 there isn't any bubbling whatsoever.

After searching on this forum I've seen some people say that the Muntons pack is not enough for 5 gallons - or even isn't sufficient for Malt extract brewing.

Although upon going back to the store today, I was told that it usually works out fine. But he recommended I pitch some more yeast (This time he sold me safale 05 which came in 11 grams) and some yeast "Food?"

Opened it up and dumped the yeast and generously sprinkled the food in with it. Closed it up and gave it a nice shake -

It's only been a couple of hours, so I'm not expecting results yet -

But I wanted to get some opinions on what might have went wrong, if anything did at all. And to ask if what I did would be alright - I sorta remember reading that adding 2 different types of yeast could result bad,

Also, being sort of an online forum junkie wanted to join the community! A forum about beer? this has to be a great place.

hehe, sorry for being long winded

Anyways, thanks for any help in advance!

your guy is the ultimate salesman. most of the extract kits i've brewed came w/muntons and i've never had a problam. your fermentation sounds about right. i'm a nube too, but i've probably brewed about six extract batches with muntons with similar fermentation and the beer turned out great!

the only way you can be sure about fermentation is to use a hydrometer. Airlock activity is a very very very crude means of checking fermentation activity. That 6g muntons pack should be enough to ferment the 5 gallon batch assuming you aerated your wort and had good temps prior to pitching. A hydrometer is fairly cheap and very easy to use

thanks for the help guys!

I have a hydrometer, but have been a little worried about opening the guy up. (paranoid about exposing it to the air in my room)

Well, maybe I should have just let it be - I've already added another 11grams of a different type of yeast, and some of the yeast enhancer stuff. Will this cause any problems?

I'd really hate my first batch to be a flop -

Also, what do you guys think about the extra 1/4lb of black patent malt? I am kind of a 'session' brew guy - don't really like the extremely dark stuff.

First thing I would do is find another LHBS to shop at... ONLY go to ones where the people running it also brew, and do so more than just once in a great while. You want someone that's brewing often, and keeping up on the more current best methods (not just what's in books from a 7-10, or more, years ago)...

Read up here about long primaries, as well as the recipes people have posted (either in the database, or are asking for feedback on).

One item that throws up a rather large red flag on the person behind the counter when you got your recipe is that he's sloppy in measuring the grains. Doubling something like black malt is not a good thing...

"Dark color and dry roasted flavor characteristic of Stouts and Porters
Use for: Coloring in small amounts, or flavoring of Stouts and Porters in larger amounts."

You sure you want twice the contribution the recipe called for of that? I don't think it will be a brown ale now, more like a porter or stout.

For yeasts, most of us here use either safeale, white labs, or wyeast brands (or a combination of them depending on what we're brewing and what's available/good at the time).

I hope you took a hydrometer reading before you pitched the first yeast into the wort. Without that baseline, you'll only be guessing as to what's going on. You won't have an original gravity (OG) for the brew, so you won't know if it will come out as you expected/hoped it would.

Among the other equipment you should have, or will need to get at some point (some sooner than others) I would pick up a small measure (digital) scale. Something that can be used to measure in grams (at least to one, if not two decimal, points of a gram) for measuring yeast nutrient out. You'll also want a scale that you can use for measuring out other things in ounces and pounds. Get one that can do small fractions of an ounce, for measuring hops, as well as goes to a decent point in pounds, for measuring grains. I have one that goes up to about 11 pounds, and measures in 1/8th ounce increments. It's digital, so it's easier to read, and zero out. You'll want that, also, to measure your priming sugar amount...

Opivy said:

thanks for the help guys!

I have a hydrometer, but have been a little worried about opening the guy up. (paranoid about exposing it to the air in my room)

Well, maybe I should have just let it be - I've already added another 11grams of a different type of yeast, and some of the yeast enhancer stuff. Will this cause any problems?

I'd really hate my first batch to be a flop -

Also, what do you guys think about the extra 1/4lb of black patent malt? I am kind of a 'session' brew guy - don't really like the extremely dark stuff.

Click to expand...

How much, and what kind, of nutrient did you add???

Just be gentle with the hydrometer... Or pick up a spare for when you break it (when not careful with it)... Air won't effect it.

Get yourself some StarSan one step sanitizer too, if you don't already have some. Get a decent sized bucket to mix it up in, and keep some on hand for when you need to take a hydrometer reading (sanitize whatever is going to touch the wort post boil). If you plan on putting the sample back into the fermenter, you need to sanitize EVERYTHING that touches it. Otherwise, drink it, or toss it, your choice.

Thanks so much for the post Golddiggie!!!

I was worried about the stout/porter thing. I read that the recipe might turn out that way already, but with the extra black malt ehh..

The shop seems nice, but it also doubles as a "Hydroponics" store, and the guy who sold me the brew-kit with ingredients probably specialized in that. (the other guy who I talked to today was their brewer)

I really wanted to ask him to get me a new batch of grain, but sometimes I think I'm overly polite and think asking for something like that might seem rude. Especially because he added "Ah, dont' worry I won't charge you for the extra black malt - it's one of those good accidents."

And for the scale - Already got it Since I was using hop pellets I used 15% less than the recipe called for. (as the book I have states)

I really appreciate the help - and I did take a hydrometer reading before I pitched the yeast, it was 1.042 (at 75 degrees F)

Anyways, I'm still wondering if adding this extra yeast (which this time was safale) could be a problem. And even more if it was necessary at all.

Thanks again Gold,

Sorry for the double post -

It says "Yeast Energizer" and it's from LD Carlson company.

I used about 2 tbsp I'm guessing -

The kit I bought came with "Easy clean" Which says it's no rinse. I've been using it in a very anal matter.

I even sanitized the scissors/yeastpacket and lid before putting it back on when I added more yeast today.

I'm more paranoid about the air touching the wort actually, - am I worrying to much?

thanks again for the help! I really appreciate it - I feel really lost with all the mixed information. (and the guys from the store seeming unsure of their answers)

Your fermentation was fine. I've only made 3 beers but every one has had vigorous fermentation that slows by the 3rd or 4th day. Just because the airlock isn't bubbling, doesn't mean its not fermenting. I bet if you checked it with a hydrometer, you'd find that it was mostly done by this point. You could transfer to a secondary in a day or two, or wait until its been a week and bottle it, but you'll have better results if you leave it in the primary for at least two weeks before bottling (if you don't use a secondary). Your LHBS misinformed you.

hehe, I had a feeling of that. (misinformation) and I don't have anything to secondary ferment in.

anyways, this recipe I used said it was very quick fermenting (bottling within 5 or 6 days)

Since I've added more yeast, will I have to wait longer then that?

I added the yeast on monday around 3am. So, I assumed bottling would go down on sunday?

Will the yeast I've added prolong the period? Or does it even matter at all?.

Because you added more yeast, you should wait longer. But even if you hadn't, don't listen to the recipes that say you can bottle in a week. Your beer with almost always be better if you wait an extra week before bottling. So 2 weeks in the primary minimum if you don't use a secondary. I'd wait at least a week from now to bottle, two would be even better if you can hold off that long.

Get a turkey baster or something similar and sanitize it. Use it to extract some wort from your fermenter and fill the tube the hydrometer came in with it. Do you know what the FG is supposed to be? I'd guess that you are now within 0.005 of what you are aiming for.

Don't worry about air touching the wort. It's not something you really have to worry about. Just don't let anything fall in it or sneeze in it or anything and sanitize anything that touches it.

I also recommend star san for santizing. The easy clean you have is a cleaner, not a sanitzer. You actually need both. My LHBS says that easy clean actually sanitizes too because it produces peroxide ions but isn't labeled as a sanitizer because of the additional regulations sanitizers require. To be safe, I use a sanitizer (star san) in addition to easy clean. You are probably ok so far, but if you continue to brew star san is the way to go. It seems expensive but a bottle goes a long way.

thanks a bunch gio!

So even though I'm not seeing bubbles it's probably still going to work? (I'm not seeing any tonight, but I was thinking maybe tomorrow because of the extra yeast)

The Hydrometer I bought didn't come with a tube.

Will it be alright to just open the top of my ferm bucket and dip it straight in?

And I think I'm going to invest in some star sans. I keep hearing so much good stuff about it!

Opivy said:

thanks a bunch gio!

So even though I'm not seeing bubbles it's probably still going to work? (I'm not seeing any tonight, but I was thinking maybe tomorrow because of the extra yeast)

The Hydrometer I bought didn't come with a tube.

Will it be alright to just open the top of my ferm bucket and dip it straight in?

And I think I'm going to invest in some star sans. I keep hearing so much good stuff about it!

Click to expand...

Usually you dont want to do that since you are risking contaminating the whol batch. But if you believe in your sanitation abilities then go ahead