help with first brew!

[will4009]

i have just started my first brew, a coopers larger kit. after 18hours with out any sign on a bubble in the water lock i wrapped it up in a blanket and moved it to a warmer place, within a few hours it was bubbling away with the temp at 23 degrees. but in the last hour it has suddenly died again? nothing happening in the air lock. the temp hasnt dropped. in fact it has gone up a little bit to 25 degrees. it has only been rocking for about 12 hours before it stopped. any ideas what i can do?

thanks

 

[JOHN51277]

When it freezes like that it will stop fermentation!


Bwahahaha. Relax, let it go another day or two and see what happens. Im hoping you took a gravity reading. If you did, just check it in a few days and see how much it has dropped. What type of beer, type of yeast, and did you actually take a gravity reading?

 

[homebeerbrewer]

When it freezes like that it will stop fermentation!


Bwahahaha. Relax, let it go another day or two and see what happens. Im hoping you took a gravity reading. If you did, just check it in a few days and see how much it has dropped. What type of beer, type of yeast, and did you actually take a gravity reading?

He's most likely using celcius, 25C is about 77F. Far from freezing.

I'd say put it back where you had it, unwrap it, and let it sit for at least two weeks. Four weeks would be better, but since this is your first brew, I'm sure you'll be impatient and want to try it. All of us were impatient with our first batch, so don't take that the wrong way.

Also, Revvy will be here soon to tell you that bubbles in the airlock don't indicate fermentation, so I'll leave that up to him. He says it best.

 

[marubozo]

Don't be worried by the airlock activity. If the temp went up, that's usually a good sign that fermentation is well underway. Active fermentation gives off heat, so increasing a few degrees is normal.

Second, it's not uncommon to see a lot of beers completely ferment out (visibly) in 24 hours (especially at warmer temps). That doesn't mean your beer is done, but seeing bubbles one day and none the next is quite common. The fact that you got activity at all is a good sign, so just let things be and maintain temps for a week or two. You can then take a hydrometer reading and see if it's at or near your target gravity. If it is and it stays that way for a few days you know your yeast have done their job.

 

[will4009]

thanks for the quick replys. i have unwrapped it. unfortunatley when i went to my local homebrew shop to buy all my kit i forgot about the hydrometer. is there any point in nipping out to get one today, so in a week or so i can tell if my beer has stopped fermenting?

thanks

 

[homebeerbrewer]

Yes, go get one. You won't know what the ABV is on your first batch since you didn't take a reading before pitching the yeast, but you will be able to determine when it's done fermenting. Take a reading at two weeks, then wait a couple days and take another one. If they're the same, fermentation is done. If you get a lower reading the second time, wait another couple days, take another reading, and repeat until you get the same reading at least twice in a row.

Also, while you're at the LHBS, I suggest buying a Thief. It makes life so much easier.

 

[brewagentjay]

I'm pretty sure John knew what was meant, just being funny.