Everything stopped!

[ncbrewer]

That sounds good
I'm brewing for the first time, that's why I'm confused.
But you guys are helping me from the initial stage, every question that I asked got answered beautifully.
Thank you all members

It looks like you're going about it the right way - looking at why things happen, and not just what the instructions say. Besides improving your beer, that makes brewing a fascinating hobby.

 

[hotbeer]

I whole heartedly go along with ignore it for another week or two. In fact I usually don't take SG readings of the beer in the fermenter until it starts to clean up and you can begin to see across the trub layer to the other side.

Sometimes that's taken up to 5 or 6 weeks, but for the stuff I've been brewing lately only about 10 to 14 days.

And longer times in the FV have always been good to great beers. In general, the beers I rushed were disappointing. There is stuff going on with the beer even when fermentation finishes. Fermentation is only the creation of alcohol and CO2. Which for the most part only takes a short time. Yeast do more than just ferment your beer.

Waiting for the beer to clean up on it's own means I don't have to cold crash and/or do gelatin. But if that's your thing and you can't be patient, then go for it!

 

[Howitzer]

An update.
It's the 10th day of the fermentation and the fermentation is highly slowed. But something I noticed tiny things that are floating inside the beer. I'm attaching pictures (ignore the flashlight and scratches on carboy ) just beneath the top layer something is popping from the bottom and attaching itself to the top and some are stuck in between. From above (Top view) there's nothing and is crystal clear. But from a side view, some small patches and tiny balls structure are floating.
My carboy is blue, and it looks like a greyish thing is floating.
Is this some sort of infection or mere yeasts? Any advice would be a great help

 

[IslandLizard]

Is this some sort of infection or mere yeasts?

Most likely clumps of yeast (they're tan) that got stuck against the walls. Could be a mixture of things, such as bits of hops or Irish moss, if you added that, but unlikely to be an infection.

While you can't see infections inside your beer, there are other tell tales: Usually souring, and production off flavors and aromas, some can be truly disgusting, and pellicles.

Infections are caused by bacteria and wild yeasts, some may throw a pellicle, which is a haze or a layer, looking like a fabric mat floating on top of your beer. We have a thread on pellicles, in case you want to look at some.

 

[IslandLizard]

Here, this is an infection:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/first-infected-beer.699953/post-9313575

 

[Howitzer]

Most likely clumps of yeast (they're tan) that got stuck against the walls. Could be a mixture of things, such as bits of hops or Irish moss, if you added that, but unlikely to be an infection.

While you can't see infections inside your beer, there are other tell tales: Usually souring, and production off flavors and aromas, some can be truly disgusting, and pellicles.

Infections are caused by bacteria and wild yeasts, some may throw a pellicle, which is a haze or a layer, looking like a fabric mat floating on top of your beer. We have a thread on pellicles, in case you want to look at some.

Is this normal? Some are stuck in between some are floating up to the surface some are tanking.
From top it is clear.

 

[Zambezi Special]

You worry too much
Totally understandable, but just let it go. Taste when bottling or kegging and you'll know, but remember that warm, uncarbonated beer tastes quite different from the final thing!

Good tip I got recently: once you have taken your hydrometer sg reading, put the sample in the fridge and then use a soda streamer (if you have one) to carb it

 

[Howitzer]

You worry too much
Totally understandable, but just let it go. Taste when bottling or kegging and you'll know, but remember that warm, uncarbonated beer tastes quite different from the final thing!

Good tip I got recently: once you have taken your hydrometer sg reading, put the sample in the fridge and then use a soda streamer (if you have one) to carb it

haha. Lots of anxiousness and nervousness( beginners fallacy )

 

[Howitzer]

An update:
Finally beer got settled, on the 10th day and as you guys suggested to take a sample for gravity reading. Surprisingly the gravity is 1.003 that means 7.74% ABV. That means a strong beer brewed. I don't think I'll have to take other reading. I'm planning to bottle it.
Any suggestions?
Note - OG was 1.062

 

[balrog]

That's an unusually high 95% apparent attenuation for S04, which typically goes 72-75%, so I am a little surprised.

I also would say to wait more. 10 days since brew day is not a long time, and I would say wait another week.

 

[RM-MN]

An update:
Finally beer got settled, on the 10th day and as you guys suggested to take a sample for gravity reading. Surprisingly the gravity is 1.003 that means 7.74% ABV. That means a strong beer brewed. I don't think I'll have to take other reading. I'm planning to bottle it.
Any suggestions?
Note - OG was 1.062

My suggestion would be to take another reading as that seems awfully low. It isn't impossible but unlikely.

 

[Zambezi Special]

@Howitzer , I know it's your first brew, but is your equipment new?
My first though with your FG was "diastaticus"...
But that's hardly possible if your equipment is new.
What temperature did you do your reading at (both OG and FG)?
What did your sample taste like? Assuming you tasted it

 

[ncbrewer]

That's an unusually high 95% apparent attenuation for S04, which typically goes 72-75%, so I am a little surprised.

I also would say to wait more. 10 days since brew day is not a long time, and I would say wait another week.

95% attenuation with S-04 makes me suspicious - something out of the ordinary going on. I agree with waiting another week and check gravity again.

 

[Howitzer]

Yes, all of my equipments are new.
My hydrometer is calibrated at 20* C (degree Celcius).
OG temperature for the hydrometer was spot on. Which showed 1.062
And now surprisingly FG is 1.003. (@20 degrees C) reading
The beer tasted like the beer that I usually purchase from the shop (it's my first batch, before this, I used to purchase them.) And I was surprised that I made this beer that smelled and tasted the same as the one I've been purchasing.
Will wait for another week and surely share images of hydrometer reading with you guys.
I know this 1.003 is too much for the yeasts to digest, but the strong taste and smell also tell that the beer is ready.
Will give it another week, let's see

 

[hotbeer]

I think the newer data for S-04 is apparent attenuation of 74 - 82%. Don't go by what's on the sachets. Go by what the current data on the fermentis website shows. Unless your sachets are well beyond their use by date.

Though I am surprised too that it got down to 1.003. Most everything must have been fermentable or something wild got in the mix. Or another lesson yet to be learned.

 

[Howitzer]

Way forward
Hi Professional Brewers, under your suggestions and help my first batch is almost ready (bit waiting for further reading).
Till then I'm anxious to know about the bottling process (Priming sugar method not kegging ). How much priming sugar per liter is good for carbonation? I have a 15-liter batch and 1-liter (56mm) flip-top bottles. I'll be using table sugar for carbonation.
(Don't want to make a bottle ) medium to low foam will be great.

 

[Zambezi Special]

I use 6 to 8 gram per litre.

Try to get 1 pet bottle, prime with same amount of sugar and you can follow carbonation by squeezing the bottlr

 

[hotbeer]

Professional? Maybe some of us are.

However the Homebrew in the forum name to me indicates we tend to do this as a hobby. And hobbies usually cost money instead of make money.

Professional sort of implies we get paid to make beer. And I certainly don't.

 

[ncbrewer]

There are lots of online priming calculators - one is Homebrew Priming Sugar Calculator. For the volume, use the expected volume in the bottling bucket - not the total in the fermenter. If you need a starting point for trub loss, mine average 0.38 gallons trub loss for five gallons in the fermenter.

 

[balrog]

And when you use the priming sugar calculator, be sure to use the HIGHEST temperature that the fermenting beer saw. The calculators used to specify "temp of beer at bottling" when you really need to use the highest temp during ferment.

 

[Howitzer]

Professional? Maybe some of us are.

However, the Homebrew in the forum name to me indicates we tend to do this as a hobby. And hobbies usually cost money instead of making money.

Professional sort of implies we get paid to make beer. And I certainly don't.

Professional in the sense of one who knows and mastered a specific field. The reference isn't indicating any sort of corporate professionals who prints through professionalism.

 

[Howitzer]

And when you use the priming sugar calculator, be sure to use the HIGHEST temperature that the fermenting beer saw. The calculators used to specify "temp of beer at bottling" when you really need to use the highest temp during ferment.

What temperature is ideal for bottle conditioning? Same as fermentation temp?

 

[Howitzer]

There are lots of online priming calculators - one is Homebrew Priming Sugar Calculator. For the volume, use the expected volume in the bottling bucket - not the total in the fermenter. If you need a starting point for trub loss, mine average 0.38 gallons trub loss for five gallons in the fermenter.

That was something new and important for a beginner. I was calculating without trub loss.

 

[Howitzer]

I use 6 to 8 gram per litre.

Try to get 1 pet bottle, prime with same amount of sugar and you can follow carbonation by squeezing the bottle

Do you mean a plastic bottle?

 

[hotbeer]

Professional in the sense of one who knows and mastered a specific field.

Oh, mastered as in the specific field of blabbing here on the forum? Yeah I've got that covered.

Most of my blabbing is just trying to see if any can find fault with what I say so I can assess if I need to change my thinking or ways.

 

[hotbeer]

What temperature is ideal for bottle conditioning? Same as fermentation temp?

Don't remember your beer type, are you doing ales and such?

Here is what I've been doing. It works well for me, but I encourage you to at least do some of your beers differently to see what works well for you. Little things we don't know or speak of might make some differences. Untried things might leave us without revelations.

I'm usually about 69°F (20°C) ambient air fermenting them. I'll let the internal do what it want's to do but will externally cool if if it gets to the upper limit of the ideal and looks as if it might exceed it. However it almost always drops back from that high temp quickly. So maybe any cooling I did wasn't even needed.

After bottling, I keep them at about 74°F (23°C) maybe a tad higher for 2 weeks or more, but eventually they just get kept are room temp whatever that is until needed in the refrigerator.

Use the ideal temp range of your yeast for a guide. I suggest you get that from their website and not the sachet. I've ask about the differences I've found and their response seems reasonable to me.

 

[balrog]

You don't really have to worry about off flavors from too-warm yeast during bottle conditioning, and the conventional wisdom is 70F for 21 days, after bottling. Darker/stronger beers benefit from more conditioning time.

 

[Howitzer]

You don't really have to worry about off flavors from too-warm yeast during bottle conditioning, and the conventional wisdom is 70F for 21 days, after bottling. Darker/stronger beers benefit from more conditioning time.

Don't remember your beer type, are you doing ales and such?

Here is what I've been doing. It works well for me, but I encourage you to at least do some of your beers differently to see what works well for you. Little things we don't know or speak of might make some differences. Untried things might leave us without revelations.

I'm usually about 69°F (20°C) ambient air fermenting them. I'll let the internal do what it want's to do but will externally cool if if it gets to the upper limit of the ideal and looks as if it might exceed it. However it almost always drops back from that high temp quickly. So maybe any cooling I did wasn't even needed.

After bottling, I keep them at about 74°F (23°C) maybe a tad higher for 2 weeks or more, but eventually they just get kept are room temp whatever that is until needed in the refrigerator.

Use the ideal temp range of your yeast for a guide. I suggest you get that from their website and not the sachet. I've ask about the differences I've found and their response seems reasonable to me.

That's the whole information .
Does Yeast still mix with the beer or do we've to add it for bottling?

You don't really have to worry about off flavors from too-warm yeast during bottle conditioning, and the conventional wisdom is 70F for 21 days, after bottling. Darker/stronger beers benefit from more conditioning time.

Oh.. Is there any chance of infection after bottling or there's an alcohol tolerance for bacteria?

 

[Zambezi Special]

Do you mean a plastic bottle?

Yes, but one that's been used for carbonated drinks, like sparkling water, coca cola, sprite etc. I like sprite bottles because they are green, but clear bottles work as long as you keep them out of the light

 

[RM-MN]

That's the whole information .

Does Yeast still mix with the beer or do we've to add it for bottling?

Oh.. Is there any chance of infection after bottling or there's an alcohol tolerance for bacteria?

People have reported that even with beer in the fermenter for a year there was enough yeast still suspended in the beer to allow the beer to carbonate. Personally, I have only left beer for 9 weeks and it carbonated just fine.

Beer has alcohol which restricts bacteria but its acidity is the bigger factor. You still need to be careful with your beer becuse bacteria are so resourceful that at least one type (acetobacter, the bacteria that makes vinegar) can infect your beer but it needs oxygen, somthing that will be missing in the bottle.