and he said...LET THERE BE LIFE!

[SeanyP321]

ok... I know the number one piece of advice when something goes wrong is "leave it alone. It will be ok". BUT... I am fairly certain that without intervention my beer is screwed.

1, it has way too much water in it.
2, The temp in the UK dropped like crazy. After a healthy start to fermentation - it has stopped in FULL. There is NO bubbles, no stuff gathering on the top of the wort (nothing), all activity in airlock has stopped. I put it in a warmer place, nothing.

A this point I dont care about alcohol, I don't care if it watered down. I just want some form of pilsner.

I have some s23 yeast from a differet batch and some malt extract and some sugar and some hops. Can I do something with all this to re-kick things off? I'd rather take a chance destroying my beer to have decent one.

Thanks guys.

 

[nebben]

Too much water? Was it in an open bucket outside when it was snowing?

No worries on the temp dropping...it's still alive unless it froze, and even then it wouldn't be totally dead. How warm was it before temps dropped? Are you in a place that doesn't have heat?

 

[XXguy]

1. what was your Original Gravity reading? How do you know it is way too much? What was the OG target for the original recipe ? What is the current Specific Gravity reading?

2. What was the temp ? what did it drop to? How many days did it ferment during its Healthy start ? How do you know it has stopped fermenting? or do you mean it just stopped bubbling ?

3. Brew a new batch. Relax. If you make the next batch a nice solid high ABV style, worst case you could mix the weak beer with the more than healthy beer & have a nice mid-range batch of 40 liters or so instead of one weak 20 liter batch.

 

[SeanyP321]

yeah too much water - had no instructions...brewed 25 litres and it was meant to be 20. OOPS - snow would have been less stupid

Didn't reach freezing but dropped about 20F i a couple of hours.

OG = 1.030
current = 1.018

had 24 hours of "healthy start" then stopped at exact same time as temp drop.

How long will it take for it to re-awaken? Is a gentle stir/good shake a bad idea?

Ive had to move it a couple of times - for optimal temp.

Someone said before I could re-pitch with my lager yeast (lower temp fermentation...I can control cold much better then warm) andthe lager yeast would take over?

 

[Yooper]

At 1.018, it's just about finished. Can you keep it in the mid 60s F (about 18-21C)? That would help!

No need to repitch, or to stir it up. Just try to keep it at a fairly steady temp for a week or so.

 

[SeanyP321]

finished!? But it has only been fermenting for 2 days!

 

[Yooper]

Well, the active part of fermentation (especially in warmer temperatures) can happen in 24 hours or less. It sounds fine. Just keep it in a good ale temperature as noted if you can.

 

[dontman]

Holy crap on a cracker I've heard of noobitus. In fact I've seen it everyday on this site. But Seany you have risen noobitus to a whole new level!

This thread was already started AND answered in exactly the same way earlier today.

How many times do you have to hear the answers.

Or are you just going to keep asking the same question until someone gives you permission to f&^% with your beer.

Needless worry is one thing. Obsessive compulsive fretting another. Relax, Don't Worry, Go Buy yourself some beer and Stop Worrying.

 

[SeanyP321]

I love you dontman. But I ca't afford any beer....thats why decided to make it myself. Now I have nothing to do for 2 weeks but to pester you

I'll leave you alone now...I promise

 

[dontman]

Just keep reading the forum then. Its a great way to kill 16 hours a day.

I know how you feel anyway. I just got my regulator and all of the other final pieces to my kegging system today. So I filled two kegs with beer that was waiting and now all I can do for at least a few days but preferably a week or two is watch the kegs.

And they don't do crap except sit there!

Sure, I've got 50 gallons of beers in bottles sitting in my basement but I want to mess with my new kegs!

 

[dontman]

I love you dontman. But I ca't afford any beer....thats why decided to make it myself. Now I have nothing to do for 2 weeks but to pester you

I'll leave you alone now...I promise

Keep posting and asking questions and participating just put this batch to bed.

Beer is amazingly resilient and hardy. It is harder than most people think to irretrievably screw up a batch. Here's a good idea.

Read the whole thread about about all the bone-headed stuff we have all done to our beer where it still came out really good. Or at least drinkable.