Did I make beer?

[Howareya]

I hope this little leak wasn't partly to blame. It was a very small leak from this sealed area where the tap comes out of the plastic keg. During the whole three weeks in the keg only a very small bit leaked out, and a little more dripped when I poured this first glass I posted in the first post.

Here's the leak (out of focus; there is a tiny bit of bubbling at the top of this "sealed" area)

 

[Howareya]

I can't even find keg lube on the Irish or UK homebrew sites. Perhaps Vaseline is the answer for the cap....

 

[Hang Glider]

no, NOT vaseline! that's petroleum based, not food safe.
Try searching for some kind of brewery or restaurant supply store

 

[ClarnoBrewer]

There's also plumber's grease. It's a silicone based grease, used for faucet parts. It should be food safe if it's used in faucets. It wouldn't necessarily be my first choice, but it may be your only choice at this point. Check a plumber's shop or you can get it here, but it's pretty pricey:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Leading-Sapphire-Silicone-Greases-ROC12251i10/dp/9801700769/ref=sr_1_9?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1327615530&sr=1-9

 

[Howareya]

There's also plumber's grease. It's a silicone based grease, used for faucet parts. It should be food safe if it's used in faucets. It wouldn't necessarily be my first choice, but it may be your only choice at this point. Check a plumber's shop or you can get it here, but it's pretty pricey:
Video Link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Leading-Sapphire-Silicone-Greases-ROC12251i10/dp/9801700769/ref=sr_1_9?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1327615530&sr=1-9

Thanks, I found plumbers grease.

When I add more sugar, should I give the beer a stir, and leave it in a warm place for another couple of weeks?

 

[Reno_eNVy]

Thanks, I found plumbers grease.

When I add more sugar, should I give the beer a stir, and leave it in a warm place for another couple of weeks?

If you boil the sugar in some water first you can add it and then give a very gentle stir to make sure it distributes evenly

 

[Howareya]

Ok, so I won't mix it all up again. You're awesome, thanks for the advice.

Should I keep it in a warm place, I guess?

I'm just asking since I moved it down to a cool room before starting this thread a few days ago and it's been there since.

 

[ClarnoBrewer]

Do you know what yeast you used? If so, you should be able to look up the temperature range of that yeast. At this point, just keeping it in that range is probably your best bet. It's probably going to be somewhere between 64-72* F. I'm lazy, so I'll let you do the conversion to C. The warmer end will give you more active fermentation, but can increase additional flavor from the yeast. But I wouldn't worry about it too much at this point as long as it's in the range.

Next batch, get it sealed up good and find that spot in your house that's the right temp for the yeast. Also, fermentation generates a lot of heat, so I'd shoot for the cooler end of the range for the next batch.

Also, before your next batch, I'd pull apart that spigot connection. Clean it up and lube the gaskets to see if you can stop the drip.

 

[Howareya]

Excellent, thanks for the detailed advice.

I have the instructions, it says minimum 63F (converted from 17C). Are you saying that it's typically best to stay at the lower range of the given temperature range?

 

[ClarnoBrewer]

In your situation, and with an IPA, I'd say yes. That's the simple answer. Primary fermentation will generate a fair bit of heat, so if you're using the ambient temp of your storage space, I'd go with the cool end of the range.

The real answer is that it depends. Fermentation temps effect the flavor of the beer. Different yeasts respond to different temps in different ways. Typically for ales, the lower the temp, the less flavor is added by the yeast. Higher temps typical add more yeast-based flavors. These can come off as fruity, spicy, estery, depending on the yeast. For example, a lot of Belgians are fermented at higher temps, which brings out that banana flavor of the Belgian yeasts.

I find it's safer as a beginner to ferment cool. It'll give you a more neutral contribution from the yeast. Once you're more familiar with what your malt and hop contributions are, then it can be fun to play with fermentation temps.

That's my opinion, for what it's worth. It also depends on what style you prefer. If you want really banana-heavy Belgians and have a warm spot to ferment, you're all set!

Excellent, thanks for the detailed advice.

I have the instructions, it says minimum 63F (converted from 17C). Are you saying that it's typically best to stay at the lower range of the given temperature range?

 

[Howareya]

I added the sugar and tightened the lubricated cap. An hour later, I topped up the pressure with an 8 gram CO2 capsule.

About 30 seconds later, the cap starts whistling.

This is it about a minute later. I put a little water on the cap to see the bubbling:
[ame]http://youtu.be/_8I_EmB_cY0[/ame]

Was there just too much pressure? I'm guessing (hoping) it's not a faulty cap.

 

[Howareya]

Glad to report back that yes, this is beer.

Thanks for all the comments above. Cap is now lubricated with plumber's grease, added about 80g more glucose, and even topped off with an 8g carbon dioxide capsule that over-pressured the keg (video of that in the post above).

Pouring the beer is now a pleasure.