adding honey/fermentation stopped?

Hello,

The fermenter has stopped bubbling. Does this mean it is done fermenting or just that the yeast has stopped working? Is it OK to bottle (I had another thread about a party and everyone said it wasn't going to be ready; which is fine I just want to know if it's ok to bottle).

Also,

I want to add more honey and yeast (to make it more alcoholic of course) and was wondering is this possible? And do I have to rack to do it? I only have one plastic bucket; the other has a hole drilled for bottling.

Thanks!

If you wanted to add honey simply to boost the gravity, it's best to add it during the boil. I recently added honey to a blonde ale by dissolving it in a gallon of warm water and adding it to the fermenter after 24 hours. This required me to brew the batch a gallon short of course. Not boiling the honey will preserve some of the flavor and aroma and adding it when the yeast is most active reduces the chances of something else growing.

The only way to know if fermentation is done is to take a gravity reading. It makes it easier if you have an original gravity as well. There are many factors but you probably don't have a stuck fermentation.

Coastarine said:

If you wanted to add honey simply to boost the gravity, it's best to add it during the boil.

Click to expand...

If you want to add honey JUST TO BOOST the gravity...use LME or something. We talk about this a LOT...DO NOT BOIL HONEY. It won't kill your beer or anything...but you will cook off a good part of it's flavor and aroma.

I just dumped 1# of Clover honey into my Kolsch this morning. It is day #3, and ALL signs of fermentation had stopped. I pulled the cap, and squeezed in a pound of honey....tonight it's going again....no stirring, no boiling.

The issue was discussed nearly to death here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=76634

If you want to read it.

anlgp said:

Hello,

The fermenter has stopped bubbling. Does this mean it is done fermenting or just that the yeast has stopped working? NONE OF THE ABOVE Is it OK to bottle NO! NOT UNTIL YOU'VE TAKEN 2 CONSECUTIVE GRAVITY READINGS THAT ARE THE SAME.(I had another thread about a party and everyone said it wasn't going to be ready; which is fine I just want to know if it's ok to bottle).

Also,

I want to add more honey and yeast NO MORE YEAST (to make it more alcoholic of course) and was wondering is this possible YES? And do I have to rack to do it NO? I only have one plastic bucket; the other has a hole drilled for bottling.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

Thanks. I'll read the thread. Won't boil. Wasn't planning to.

anlgp said:

Thanks. I'll read the thread. Won't boil. Wasn't planning to.

Click to expand...

My current experience is that it's fine to just add the honey to the fermentor....even a few days later. No problems.

just a suggestion. It sounds like you only have the two buckets, and no carboy? Until you get one (or if you don't) you might try using the bucket with the hole (I assume it has a spigot on it, or some other plug) as your primary, then you can rack to the "solid" bucket for your secondary, clean the bottling bucket. Once the secondary period is over, you have your bottling bucket ready to receive the priming sugar and beer. That was how I got my start, and it worked marvelously.
I'm curious to see how your effort with the honey turns out. Please post when you crack open the first bottle!

BigKahuna said:

I just dumped 1# of Clover honey into my Kolsch this morning. It is day #3, and ALL signs of fermentation had stopped. I pulled the cap, and squeezed in a pound of honey....tonight it's going again....no stirring, no boiling.

Click to expand...

Well it felt crazy but I trust you. I just did the same. I added a second pound of honey to my blonde after tasting it. It had a very nice subtle honey flavor but once it gets the bitter rose added I think I'll be glad I put some more honey in. Bubbling already.

I'll def. post how it comes out. I meant to do one of my first beer but think I got caught up in drinking them and not posting here. It was a wonderful month!

Also, I'm not sure I understand you correctly. Use the bottling bucket (it has a pre drilled hole for bottling purposes) for my primary and the fermenting bucket as the secondary? I was wondering if I could start two batches with these buckets but am guessing that's not what you mean. Could you explain it further please? Thanks!

Yes, he means that you could use your bottling bucket as your primary, the fermenting bucket as your secondary, then use the bottling bucket for bottling.

I don't recommend that for a few reasons:

Primary fermentation for some reason seems to impart stains and odors to buckets that I've had trouble getting out. I used to do this, but the bottling bucket started to smell funny and I didn't like using it for bottling. I now use better bottles for my primary and I have a bottling bucket that I use exclusively for bottling. I do not secondary my beer. I think it is good for the beer to spend time with the yeast cake after fermentation is complete, and there is no reason why things can't settle out in the primary just as well as they can in the secondary. It just takes time. I give my beer 3 weeks in the primary and then straight to bottling.

I think a secondary is good for long term bulk aging. Long term isn't such a good idea in buckets because they don't block out air as well as glass or better bottles.

Lots of different people make amazing beer using all kinds of methods, I just do what makes sense to me.

Regarding the honey question:
I added honey to secondary one time and fermentation did kick off again, but it went slowly and lasted for another three months. The beer was great, though.

I'm going to get the honey today. If I add honey today I suppose it's irrelevant to take a reading?

Pretty Much.
and just an update...my Kolsch is still bubbling away.

I didn't taste it but am not going to take the lid off again. I noticed a smell before putting any of the liquid in there even after I washed it with hot water then sterilized it with the solution. I suspect it was from brewing the previous batch. I made sure there were no leftover sediments in there (washed them out with hot water) and then cleaned it harder with no rinse solution. Is this anything to worry about?

That's the way!

Do you guys have any tips to getting one of those food grade bucket lids off?

Pull harder?

My SWMBO has told me to open a "can of man."..that might help.

Thread-Necro...

Brew Log Here

I made a batch of the NB Honey Brown. I was not sure if it was going to start fermenting, after the crap I started here....L I N K Y

Well before I left for work today, we had signs of yeast life!!

The instructions said to add the honey during the boil, but I have decided to add it in tomorrow now that fermentation has started.

Tim