OK. So I brewed my first batch saturday afternoon. Midwest honey porter extract kit.
I know that it can take up to 72 hours for signs of fermentation. And I know that after 72 hours and no signs of fermentation, I should take a hydrometer reading.
But what is my plan B and when should I kick it into action?
when I take the hydrometer reading, I know I am looking for a drop, but what should I do pending the reading? In other words, if it drops to the final gravity reading, I can conclude that stealth fermentation took place. If it hasnt dropped at all, I can conclude that no fermentation has taken place. What if it has dropped by something small like .004 or so? do I continue to wait?
Here is some additional data.
Midwest honey porter extract kit.
target starting gravity = 1.054
measured starting gravity = 1.046 (I think I used too much water and didnt boil hard enough to boil off the extra and also didnt get every bit of extract out of the jug.)
used dry yeast - safeale s-04. rehydrated in warm water about 45 minutes prior to pitching. I think that some of the yeast solids stayed in the rehydrating cup and didnt make it into the fermentor and suspect this to be possible contributing cause. BTW, when you rehdrate dry yeast, is that a "proof" of yeast health? What signs am I looking for to know if the yeast is good or not?
Pitched yeast at 78*F and have maintained fermentor between 64* and 69* F in my swamp cooler.
I dropped the wort out of my CFC into a glass carboy with the discharge tube at the top of the carboy. also shook the carboy a little to aerate, but I wouldnt be surprised if I didnt aerate enough.
I do have an extra pack of the same dry yeast and was thinking that one possible plan B would be to sprinkle it into the fermentor after 72 hours and a hydrometer reading. Is this a good plan B or is there a better one?
So help me out here.
BTW, special thanks to...
Yooper (I think) for the igloo cube swamp cooler with insulated top cut to fit a carboy neck
bobby M for the counterflow chiller design and also the advice to cool with ice water and the waterproof thermometer probe
and I forget who's idea it was to bucket mount the CFC, but mine turned out pretty good.
Also thanks to countless others for their contributions to the forum here. It has made for interesting reading during some slow days at work. I hope to one day soon drink the fruits of this adventure. I am just afraid it might not be a honey porter.
I know that it can take up to 72 hours for signs of fermentation. And I know that after 72 hours and no signs of fermentation, I should take a hydrometer reading.
But what is my plan B and when should I kick it into action?
when I take the hydrometer reading, I know I am looking for a drop, but what should I do pending the reading? In other words, if it drops to the final gravity reading, I can conclude that stealth fermentation took place. If it hasnt dropped at all, I can conclude that no fermentation has taken place. What if it has dropped by something small like .004 or so? do I continue to wait?
Here is some additional data.
Midwest honey porter extract kit.
target starting gravity = 1.054
measured starting gravity = 1.046 (I think I used too much water and didnt boil hard enough to boil off the extra and also didnt get every bit of extract out of the jug.)
used dry yeast - safeale s-04. rehydrated in warm water about 45 minutes prior to pitching. I think that some of the yeast solids stayed in the rehydrating cup and didnt make it into the fermentor and suspect this to be possible contributing cause. BTW, when you rehdrate dry yeast, is that a "proof" of yeast health? What signs am I looking for to know if the yeast is good or not?
Pitched yeast at 78*F and have maintained fermentor between 64* and 69* F in my swamp cooler.
I dropped the wort out of my CFC into a glass carboy with the discharge tube at the top of the carboy. also shook the carboy a little to aerate, but I wouldnt be surprised if I didnt aerate enough.
I do have an extra pack of the same dry yeast and was thinking that one possible plan B would be to sprinkle it into the fermentor after 72 hours and a hydrometer reading. Is this a good plan B or is there a better one?
So help me out here.
BTW, special thanks to...
Yooper (I think) for the igloo cube swamp cooler with insulated top cut to fit a carboy neck
bobby M for the counterflow chiller design and also the advice to cool with ice water and the waterproof thermometer probe
and I forget who's idea it was to bucket mount the CFC, but mine turned out pretty good.
Also thanks to countless others for their contributions to the forum here. It has made for interesting reading during some slow days at work. I hope to one day soon drink the fruits of this adventure. I am just afraid it might not be a honey porter.