Just doesnt look right

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Red53d

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Hey everyone, I am on my second brew and I am doing a chocolate stout. This is the tenth day. I went to open the fermenter and the brew was looked really gritty. It still had chunks of it looked like yeast in it. It smelled fine. I took a gravity reading and the thing sunk to the bottom. Should I just wait a little longer or is this batch done?
 
The first one or this one?

The first one on 1.070
I didnt get a reading because the gauge went to the bottom of the cylinder
 
Sounds like you need a new hydrometer. It shouldn't sink out if you've got enough volume in your tube.

You need to take a final SG reading to determine if it's finished or not. Starting at 1.070, I'd expect it to finish somewhere around 1.020 or so. If you're there, you're done.
 
What about the chucks of yeast? Can I go ahead and bottle? Or should I wait a bit longer?
 
Wait for sure. Idealy, you'd transfer it to a secondary and leave it there for 2 weeks.
 
I have a 2nd fermenter. Do I just syphen it into the fermenter or do I need to do anything else?
 
Just siphon it over taking care to avoid any splashing. Leave the trub in the bottom of your primary fermenter. Then put an airlock on your secondary.

It won't hurt to leave it in the primary for a full week before doing this. Just let it sit for a few more days and then transfer it to the secondary. This will do a lot to improve your brew.
 
Sorry, I missed something in your initial post. It's already been 10 days then go ahead and transfer it to the secondary. You don't need to wait any longer.

Glad to help.
 
I have a few more basic questions that I can not seem to find the answers to; During the boil should I be sturring it? After I strain the wort into the primary and let it cool should I stir in the yeast or what?

Again Thanks for the help....
 
Red53d said:
I have a few more basic questions that I can not seem to find the answers to; During the boil should I be sturring it? After I strain the wort into the primary and let it cool should I stir in the yeast or what?

Again Thanks for the help....
If you have a sufficiently raucous boil you shouldn't really need to stir. Also, I want to clarify that you should cool your wort before straining it into the primary, at least to around 85F. Aerating (which straining does in this case) hot wort may cause oxidation (don't worry about it this time if that's what you did). You do want to aerate your wort once it is cool and before you have pitched the yeast. I don't usually stir my yeast, but I also dump in a liquid starter. It certainly wouldn't hurt anything at that point if you did stir.
 
Just like BeeGee said, you want to cool before any aeriation takes place. Cool it in your kettle before straining it to the primary. Yes, stir your yeast in wether it's a starter, or dry.
 
Thanks for the help...I just put it into the secondary and it actually looked pretty good. I smelled great. Really thick.

So cool the wort in he boil pot first....did not know that.
That would speed up the cooling.

What is a starter?
 
Now that I have it in the secondary do I need to add anything or just let it alone?
 
Wrap it with a beach towel or something to keep the light off of it... :)

or a paper grocery sack, just cut a hole big enough for the neck of your carboy, flip the back upside down and drop it on.
 
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