assistance sought ....

Hi, I have posted this in the Fermentation thread.

I am a Novice making first brew. my first mistake l bought a kit that came with a Lager !!

Next Mistake l forgot to take the SG after stirring i the yeast. Yet another mistake, the lid was not properly sealed but was corrected after 24 hrs.l didn't notice any foam but there is a scum.*The starter pack came with a beer enhancer pack so I didn't use dextrose however l later noticed that it expired 4 months ago.

.In The first 2 days the the air lock was producing a regular stream of bubble (after tightening the lid) however the rate slowed down considerably after the 4th day.

The temperature in the basement is about 50F night and 61F day. The temperature of the container is noted to be about 12 C c (54F) in the morning and 15 C (59F) in the afternoon.

I took a SG reacting today (day 7) and the reading is 1150. The Sample has Sediments
doesn't smell or taste bad either .*What should I do now? Advise please! Thanks in anticipation,

The only thing you need to do is wait.

Stop opening the fermenter to sample or take readings or whatever.

If it was a kit, the SG is usually listed somewhere in instructions, but if not, do not worry about it.

Your fermentation temps are fine, even for a lager.

I will guarantee there is no way that your Gravity is currently 1.150, maybe 1.050, but don't worry about that either.

The lid be on wonky is no big deal. During fermentation the yeast are kicking off a lot of CO2 so there is more pressure inside fermenter, and very little chance that anything got it. Unless you left the lid off completely it is a nonissue

Kits are notorious for old ingredients, it's not the end of the world.

Just let it ferment out for 3-4 weeks total as is, then bottle and enjoy.

It may not be the best beer you have ever had, but it will still be beer, and will most likely be highly drinkable, as long as you stop opening it and increasing the risk for contamination.

I agree with the above. It sounds like you're off to a good start. Enjoy!

+1 Let it do it's thing for a few weeks,bottle and drink. And then start another batch.

Thanks ! I draw the sample via the tap on the bucket. I have another look at the gradation on the hydrometer. 3 to 4 weeks fermentation? Golly I thought it was only 1 week! Duh, I am learning much from all of you. Thanks for the support

CUrchin said:

+1 Let it do it's thing for a few weeks,bottle and drink. And then start another batch.

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Start the next batch as soon as your fermenter is free. Otherwise you will run out of beer before the next batch is done.

Brew on

I'll certainly do that. Planning on a light ale. Can I use the same bucket for Apple cider?

Update! I think it had finished fermenting because the water on the air lock is equal level. Is that correct or I shouldn't read too much into this?

freshie said:

Update! I think it had finished fermenting because the water on the air lock is equal level. Is that correct or I shouldn't read too much into this?

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Airlock inactivity is not a reliable test for a finished fermentation. Take gravity readings each day for 3 days straight. If those readings stay the same, it's ready to bottle.

Doh. I had a look at the gradation on the hydrometer, I read it incorrectly, it should be 1015SG. Thanks for correcting me, the panic stricken state I was in....

What should I do now? Leave it alone for another 3 weeks and then bottle?

Update:
Hi, I took a reading this evening and it is 1018SG. See pic. It is cloudy is that normal?

Taste like flat beer...

Seemed to clear up a little after an hour

Your beer is getting there. The cloudiness is yeast in suspension. Fermentation is still going, just in the slower finishing stage. I would estimate another 4 points off this hydrometer reading by the time it is done. Leave the beer in the fermentor for the three weeks and it will clear like it did in your glass.

Nice looking beer, congratulations.

Thanks flars. That is very reassuring, I wasn't sure if I was doing it correctly.

flars said:

Your beer is getting there. The cloudiness is yeast in suspension. Fermentation is still going, just in the slower finishing stage. I would estimate another 4 points off this hydrometer reading by the time it is done. Leave the beer in the fermentor for the three weeks and it will clear like it did in your glass.

Nice looking beer, congratulations.

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I've a pack of finings that came with the kit. How do I apply it?

The Instructions say to mixed powder with brew prior to bottling, is that correct as I've read about about sitting it in cold water for an hour and then bring it to a boil, mixing with the brew then letting it sit for 2 days prior to bottling. I'm confused.

freshie said:

I've a pack of finings that came with the kit. How do I apply it?

The Instructions say to mixed powder with brew prior to bottling, is that correct as I've read about about sitting it in cold water for an hour and then bring it to a boil, mixing with the brew then letting it sit for 2 days prior to bottling. I'm confused.

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Sounds like that may be gelatin. Never use it. Three weeks primary produces a crystal clear beer without taking extra steps.

flars said:

Your beer is getting there. The cloudiness is yeast in suspension. Fermentation is still going, just in the slower finishing stage. I would estimate another 4 points off this hydrometer reading by the time it is done. Leave the beer in the fermentor for the three weeks and it will clear like it did in your glass.

Nice looking beer, congratulations.

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I've a pack of finings that came with the kit. How do I apply it?

The Instructions say to mixed powder with brew prior to bottling, is that correct as I've read about about sitting it in cold water for an hour and then bring it to a boil, mixing with the brew then letting it sit for 2 days prior to bottling. I'm confused.

finings are useful if your impatient. They are used to help clear the haze out of the beer. Time will do that for you. Just let that baby sit for say 3ish weeks once primary is done and try to keep it as cold (but not freezing) as possible. This is called cold crashing and it helps the beer become clear. Also cloudy beer is still totally drinkable....just not as pretty.

Oops. Apologies for multiple posts, mobile phone went mad.

Hi another update!

Took another reading today sg 1.016. Close to the indicated SG1.015 on instruction manual.

I intend to bottle on Friday 21 days since the start. I will take another reading on Friday to confirm fermentation had stopped prior to bottling.

Still cloudy. Taste bitter. Temperature of the fermentation barrel is between 60F to 68F or 16C to 20 C

Am I going in the right direction?

looks like your going in the right direction. Since this is a lager I would transfer to secondary (another sanitized bucket is fine) and let it sit for another month in the coldest spot in the basement. It will clear up and improve the flavor significantly.

Drawing from the spigot may be clouding your samples. My guess is you have clear beer in the fermenter above that spigot.
Establish finished gravity, bottle (so you can free up the fermenter), age in the bottle for a couple months (some of my extract lagers where best six months after bottling), refrigerate for a week and enjoy.
Aren't lagers fun?

sky4meplease said:

Drawing from the spigot may be clouding your samples. My guess is you have clear beer in the fermenter above that spigot.
Establish finished gravity, bottle (so you can free up the fermenter), age in the bottle for a couple months (some of my extract lagers where best six months after bottling), refrigerate for a week and enjoy.
Aren't lagers fun?

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Should I age it in the coolest part of the basement or room temperature currently 22C?

Yes! I do want to free up the fermentation tank for an apple cider I'm starting to enjoy brewing despite the lack of confidence and knowledge. Thanks to everyone who has been reassuring me. I'll post updates as I progress.

freshie said:

Should I age it in the coolest part of the basement or room temperature currently 22C?

Yes! I do want to free up the fermentation tank for an apple cider I'm starting to enjoy brewing despite the lack of confidence and knowledge. Thanks to everyone who has been reassuring me. I'll post updates as I progress.

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You want them at about 70 F for 3 weeks to carbonate, then put them in the coldest part of your basement (unless you have a refrigerator to put them in).

Brew on

Ok final SG 1.016. Going start washing and sterilizing bottles now ;-)

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21 days after starting first attempt at brewing I bottled them today. Broke a bottle when it slipped off my fingers while transferring it to a chilly bin for storage.

As you can see from the pictures the bottom was quite cloudy after I shook it prior to washing.

Washing the bottles took a better part of 1.5 hour, bottling took an hour with the help of my daughter who help put the sugar into the bottles. Thank goodness for her help, I forgot to insert the sugar on many occasion but got reminded.

Thanks everyone for your input and reassurance. Can't have done it with your input.

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Your beer will carbonate faster if you keep the bottles warm, about 70°F to 75°F for two to three weeks.

Congratulations, you have bottled beer.

Thanks flars, you have been a source of encouragement all along. The bottled beer are kind of cloudy but I gather they will settle soon. I didn't use the finings at all. Right now in my mind I'm hoping I haven't made bottle bombs.

The beer will clear in the bottle. With some yeast strains, the sediment will remain compacted in the bottom of the bottle, with a smooth pour. Sometimes you will need to leave a bit in each bottle to avoid pouring the yeast. However, some like the flavor the yeast imparts and always pour it into the glass.

Yeast is vitamin rich.

Forgot. I don't think you will have bombs, but you can check the carbonation pressure of a bottle every couple of days. Unscrew the cap a slightly, listen for escaping CO2. If the CO2 pressure shows signs of decreasing, on this one bottle, you will be okay.

Cheers for that,

1 week after bottling. Cleared up substantially. I noticed that I could still tighten the cap of the pet bottle a wee bit. the bottle is still airtight though i could feel the pressure when I pressed the sides. There was also had escaping when I loosen the cap. What do you think?

Can't wait to taste it.

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Can't resist opening it. Now there is a half bottle left can I leave it to continue the carbonation?

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Taste quite good. malty taste not enough CO2.

This is obviously green beer. ..

Not enough carbonation..

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You will have to finish the bottle you opened, to much head space to carbonate. Wait another week to sample the next one, then chill it for three days to force the carbonation into solution. Waiting two weeks would be better.

Good looking beer.

Cheers! :beer:flars :beer: first home brew and it sure does taste good

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I checked the bottles daily They are coming along nicely, the bottles are firm from the pressure and they are very clear. Can't wait to taste them again

Beer looks great.... Congratulations!

Just a suggestion brother..... The spigot on your fermenter is very close to the bottom and is probably sitting very close to, if not below, the trub line. You will probably get a much clearer beer in the bottle if you will rack off the top with a racking cane or if you would transfer to a bottling bucket (racking from the top) and add your priming sugar into your beer into the bottling bucket before bottling. Adding to the bottling bucket is easier than adding priming sugar to each individual bottle and it helps prevent over priming and under priming bottles. You can grab a bottling bucket for less than $20....