Help this Newbe

[Buzzahm]

So,I'm new in home brewing and I was just trying to make ginger ale...so I followed the recipe then left it for fermentation with an airlock,at first it was working nicely,the airlock was bubbling so good and then I had to move the container a little,a little bit air lock water went to the container.after moving the container the pressure bubbles slowed down then stoped...I waited whole night to see if it bubbles again,it wasn't bubbling,I checked leaks,none!
then I was like,"things gone ****,so **** it".I opened the container cap and I saw the yeast was bubbling inside!
now left it as it was. So, should I drop this project?
help this newbe,please ...

 

[IslandLizard]

Welcome to HBT!

It's fermenting, close the container (fermenter) and let it be.
Often CO2 escapes along the lid seal, they're notoriously imperfect.

Rule #1: Don't judge fermentation by lack of bubbles in an airlock!

 

[Buzzahm]

thanks bro,
how will I know my batch is ruined?

 

[slayer021175666]

If it has spores on top after fermentation or smells and tastes bad, it's infected. Just leave it be and let it ferment out before you chuck it needlessly. Most new brewers worry way too much.
Tip:
Fill the airlock with star-san. Not, water. This way, if any gets into your beer, its just harmless star san which kills microbes but, will not hurt the beer.

 

[IslandLizard]

thanks bro,
how will I know my batch is ruined?

Why would you think it's ruined?
The little bit of water that spilled out of the airlock and leaked inside? Nah!

Fermentations are robust, the yeast knows what to do, it's hard to stop her.

You could take a sample, but best is to let it be.

What kind of fermenter is it in, a bucket with a tight fitting lid? How big (volume)?
How big a batch is in there?

Did you sanitize everything, and with what product?

 

[odie]

thanks bro,
how will I know my batch is ruined?

when you drink it. it will either be great or gag-worthy...

don't sweat it. it will be what it be.

 

[Buzzahm]

Why would you think it's ruined?
The little bit of water that spilled out of the airlock and leaked inside? Nah!

Fermentations are robust, the yeast knows what to do, it's hard to stop her.

You could take a sample, but best is to let it be.

What kind of fermenter is it in, a bucket with a tight fitting lid? How big (volume)?
How big a batch is in there?

Did you sanitize everything, and with what product?

5L plastic water container,2L batch,I tried to tight the lid as far I can,then taped it.every single thing is sanitized as far as I could,I put a ginger and sugar syrup with activated yeast in fermentation

 

[Buzzahm]

when you drink it. it will either be great or gag-worthy...

don't sweat it. it will be what it be.

Like the way you think it bro

 

[IslandLizard]

every single thing is sanitized

Sanitized with what?

 

[Buzzahm]

Sanitized with what?

umm..hand sanitizer

 

[Buzzahm]

If it has spores on top after fermentation or smells and tastes bad, it's infected. Just leave it be and let it ferment out before you chuck it needlessly. Most new brewers worry way too much.
Tip:
Fill the airlock with star-san. Not, water. This way, if any gets into your beer, its just harmless star san which kills microbes but, will not hurt the beer.

Thanks Man...
It's my first batch,so I'm kinda worried like other newbies

 

[IslandLizard]

umm..hand sanitizer

Jeez, that's the first time reading that!

I hope you rinsed it out/off well, before your ginger ale touched it!

Let this ride for now.
But next time, use something (more) appropriate and better.

The preferred sanitizer to use is StarSan, (made by Five Stars Co.). Exactly that product under that exact name!
Do not settle for some other san or some other star, OK?

Starsan is truly non-rinse and surfaces that remain wet with it, remain sanitized. An 8 or 16oz bottle of concentrate can last many years. It won't go bad.

Before using a sanitizer, your equipment needs to be clean, first. Cleaners remove dirt, grime, biofilm, etc.
Use Washing Soda, or (generic) Oxiclean. 1 tablespoon a gallon is plenty, warm is better than cold, but not critical. That stuff needs to get rinsed off well, before applying Sanitizer (Starsan).

A Starsan working solution can last weeks, months even, if kept clean. You can make a gallon at a time. Put in a small bucket and/or spray bottle for next use.

 

[Nokie]

umm..hand sanitizer

im with I.L. Never heard that one before.
I bet you’ll be fine tho. But I agree with IL. Chlorine/bleach free OxyClean or the generic form and then starsan.
mix your star San in a gallon jar and use a spray bottle.
it works good for spraying stuff down,ie.. if you set a spoon or your lid down. Spray it when you pick it back up and no worries.

 

[Buzzahm]

Jeez, that's the first time reading that!

I hope you rinsed it out/off well, before your ginger ale touched it!

Let this ride for now.
But next time, use something (more) appropriate and better.

The preferred sanitizer to use is StarSan, (made by Five Stars Co.). Exactly that product under that exact name!
Do not settle for some other san or some other star, OK?

Starsan is truly non-rinse and surfaces that remain wet with it, remain sanitized. An 8 or 16oz bottle of concentrate can last many years. It won't go bad.

Before using a sanitizer, your equipment needs to be clean, first. Cleaners remove dirt, grime, biofilm, etc.
Use Washing Soda, or (generic) Oxiclean. 1 tablespoon a gallon is plenty, warm is better than cold, but not critical. That stuff needs to get rinsed off well, before applying Sanitizer (Starsan).

A Starsan working solution can last weeks, months even, if kept clean. You can make a gallon at a time. Put in a small bucket and/or spray bottle for next use.

and this makes me feel like an extra terrestrial

 

[IslandLizard]

and this makes me feel like an extra terrestrial

As long as you're not Martian...
Nah, you just got a crash course in cleaning and sanitizing.

One thing to remember:
You can only sanitize something that's clean in the first place. IOW, you can't sanitize dirt (or dirty equipment).

 

[bracconiere]

you can't sanitize dirt (or dirty equipment).

pressure cooker!

 

[Buzzahm]

im with I.L. Never heard that one before.
I bet you’ll be fine tho. But I agree with IL. Chlorine/bleach free OxyClean or the generic form and then starsan.
mix your star San in a gallon jar and use a spray bottle.
it works good for spraying stuff down,ie.. if you set a spoon or your lid down. Spray it when you pick it back up and no worries.

Welcome to HBT!

It's fermenting, close the container (fermenter) and let it be.
Often CO2 escapes along the lid seal, they're notoriously imperfect.

Rule #1: Don't judge fermentation by lack of bubbles in an airlock!

It's the 3rd day,
My homebrew looks like this is it ok?

 

[IslandLizard]

It's the 3rd day,
My homebrew looks like this is it ok?

It looks too quiet. Perhaps it's mostly done already?

Was it foamier before?
I see chunks of something underneath the surface. What are they, ginger root?

Is this in a glass carboy?
How large is the batch?
Can you post the recipe?
What was the original gravity?

At what temp was it fermenting?
Are you controlling ferm temps?

 

[bracconiere]

i don't get much krausen in my sugar washes, or ciders. is it effervescent? how bout a pic of the side, if it's glass.

 

[Buzzahm]

i don't get much krausen in my sugar washes, or ciders. is it effervescent? how bout a pic of the side, if it's glass.

it ain't glass...plastic container, vaporized water makes it blurry

 

[Buzzahm]

It looks too quiet. Perhaps it's mostly done already?

Was it foamier before?
I see chunks of something underneath the surface. What are they, ginger root?

Is this in a glass carboy?
How large is the batch?
Can you post the recipe?
What was the original gravity?

At what temp was it fermenting?
Are you controlling ferm temps?

5L plastic water container,2L batch,It just foaming this way;
recipe is simple syrup of grated ginger and sugar which boiled first then left it to cool down,when I poured it into the containter I strained the liquid only,added some sugar then poured activated yeast;
This is my very 1st batch,so I don't have any brewing kit,meaning I didn't messure the og and I ain't controling the temps,it is still bubbling though,very slowly.
what I'm supposed do with it now?

 

[IslandLizard]

5L plastic water container,2L batch,It just foaming this way;
recipe is simple syrup of grated ginger and sugar which boiled first then left it to cool down,when I poured it into the containter I strained the liquid only,added some sugar then poured activated yeast;
This is my very 1st batch,so I don't have any brewing kit,meaning I didn't messure the og and I ain't controling the temps,it is still bubbling though,very slowly.

Thank you, that helps!

If it's still foaming it's fermenting. Even when it stops foaming, it's still working for at least another week (or 2).

The OG can be calculated by the amount of sugar you added to the volume of liquid you have.
For measuring FG you'd need a hydrometer. Maybe you can buy one next time.

FG is not that important (right now), as long as you let ferment it out completely, before bottling. So give it time, a few weeks.

What are you going to bottle it in? Plastic or glass bottles?

what I'm supposed do with it now?

Let it be!

 

[Buzzahm]

Thank you, that helps!

If it's still foaming it's fermenting. Even when it stops foaming, it's still working for at least another week (or 2).

The OG can be calculated by the amount of sugar you added to the volume of liquid you have.
For measuring FG you'd need a hydrometer. Maybe you can buy one next time.

FG is not that important (right now), as long as you let ferment it out completely, before bottling. So give it time, a few weeks.

What are you going to bottle it in? Plastic or glass bottles?


Let it be!

Thanks.
I was thinking to bottle it in plastic bottles,cause as for ale,I was thinking let it carbonate a little more by adding some sugar after primary fermentation...plastic is good for pressure,so...

 

[bracconiere]

i don't think a ginger root would be enough nutrients for the yeast? the yeast might have turned canibal at first, but if all you added was ginger root and sugar, i'd guess their starving.

 

[bracconiere]

no reason to get sad! in my case i was brewing beer for many years before my first sugar wash. thought i could just add yest to sugar water. found out it needs something like wheat germ tea.

not sure how some wheat germ would taste in a ginger ale, but something to think about. i'd almost say cook some brown rice or something, and add the water to it? maybe for next time? maybe cook a BIG batch of brown rice in extra water, strain and then boil the water with your ginger? rice bran is loaded with b vitamins, the yeast would love! and freeze the rice for your-self. our body like the vitamins too!

 

[Buzzahm]

no reason to get sad! in my case i was brewing beer for many years before my first sugar wash. thought i could just add yest to sugar water. found out it needs something like wheat germ tea.

not sure how some wheat germ would taste in a ginger ale, but something to think about. i'd almost say cook some brown rice or something, and add the water to it? maybe for next time? maybe cook a BIG batch of brown rice in extra water, strain and then boil the water with your ginger? rice bran is loaded with b vitamins, the yeast would love! and freeze the rice for your-self. our body like the vitamins too!

great idea!
I'll keep it in mind

 

[IslandLizard]

great idea!
I'll keep it in mind

There are many threads on this site, and blogs around, on brewing ginger ale, useful for inspiration and learning techniques. I'm quite sure several fixes for the nutrients issue can be found.

 

[Buzzahm]

There are many threads on this site, and blogs around, on brewing ginger ale, useful for inspiration and learning techniques. I'm quite sure several fixes for the nutrients issue can be found.

Roger that

 

[Buzzahm]

Thank you, that helps!

If it's still foaming it's fermenting. Even when it stops foaming, it's still working for at least another week (or 2).

The OG can be calculated by the amount of sugar you added to the volume of liquid you have.
For measuring FG you'd need a hydrometer. Maybe you can buy one next time.

FG is not that important (right now), as long as you let ferment it out completely, before bottling. So give it time, a few weeks.

What are you going to bottle it in? Plastic or glass bottles?


Let it be!

it has stooped bubbling since morning...is the fermentation done?(normally it should've,today was most like the due date)Shall I siphon it?does it look good?Is the color ok?How will it smell if it's ok?it's ginger ale batch...What SHALL I DO?

 

[IslandLizard]

it has stooped bubbling since morning...is the fermentation done?(normally it should've,today was most like the due date)Shall I siphon it?does it look good?Is the color ok?How will it smell if it's ok?it's ginger ale batch...What SHALL I DO?

I mentioned before, fermentation is more than what's visible to us. I still see some foam too. I'd let it be for another week, in a slightly warmish place (~20-24°C). Don't even open it until then, let it be.

Then bottle in your plastic bottles just in case. Don't forget to add priming sugar if you want them carbonated.

 

[Buzzahm]

I mentioned before, fermentation is more than what's visible to us. I still see some foam too. I'd let it be for another week, in a slightly warmish place (~20-24°C). Don't even open it until then, let it be.

Then bottle in your plastic bottles just in case. Don't forget to add priming sugar if you want them carbonated.

Man,you're the best

 

[Buzzahm]

I mentioned before, fermentation is more than what's visible to us. I still see some foam too. I'd let it be for another week, in a slightly warmish place (~20-24°C). Don't even open it until then, let it be.

Then bottle in your plastic bottles just in case. Don't forget to add priming sugar if you want them carbonated.

My first batch!
Thanks for your suggestions,it was my guideline

 

[Kickass]

How does it taste?

 

[IslandLizard]

My first batch!
Thanks for your suggestions,it was my guideline

Looks good!
How did you carbonate it?

How does it taste?

I'm curious too.

 

[Buzzahm]

How does it taste?

like alcohol ..not that bad

 

[Buzzahm]

Looks good!
How did you carbonate it?


I'm curious too.

just put it on fridge with priming sugar for carbonation...I like the colour though...