Hefe fermenting concerns..

[HefeBrother]

Hi all

New to these forums and too brewing. I started a hefe kit using all malt extract rather than dextrose. I opened it up yesterday to check SG and it was at 1.20. So last night i agitated it and shook the fermenter drum up, its bubbled like crazy and all the airlock water got blown out.

My fermenter is a copper tun plastic drum, its kinda see through, but not completely. It was all a nice yellow golden hefe color all the way through from the outside.

This morning i woke up and the top 5cm , 2", of the beer was a much darker color than the rest. Today when i got home, about 12 hours later, the top 10cm, 4", is a darker color..

Is this normal? or have i got some sort of infection going on. Its now day 6 of the primary.

Cheers
Rob

 

[hs0656]

This is very normal. Happens to all my lighter colored beers. Usually just the beer running its course and settling out. Don't worry about the color and don't worry about the gravity. You're only at 6 days. Let the yeast run its course for 10-14 days. The yeast will do it's job. What was your OG?

 

[HefeBrother]

Well im still stuck on about 1.019, so its been 5-6 days since last measureing SG and it hasnt changed. It bubbles maybe a few times an hour.

i tasted it, doesnt seem to taste as sweet as last time, tasting more like a hefe. But the SG hasnt moved.

 

[Clementine]

What was your recipe, I'm assuming you used a hopped can of malt extract plus some DME or LME. How much DME/LME did you add. Did you take a OG reading? What yeast did you use, assuming you used to coppers yeast that comes with the kit, I find it hard to believe that stuff got stuck, coppers yeast is made to be Aussie proof.... hmm but then again you are a Kiwi

Clem

 

[HefeBrother]

yeah, was a hopped can of Wheat Beer, Mangrove Jacks i beleive. Added 1kg of plain wheat malt extract as well. I didnt take any beginning readings. I used the yeast that came with the kit.

Ive bottled some today, will let the other 2/3 of the brew just keep "fermenting" it still bubbling, but not much at all.

 

[Clementine]

Most likely the bubbling is just excess CO2 coming out of solution. The true definition of fermentation is a change in SG readings. Always try to take a initial reading as it will give you some idea of where the brew should end up. For example if you made a really strong beer it might have a SG of 1080 and might end up at 1018 and it would have attenuated the appropriate amount. However if you made a more moderate beer say 1040 if it ended at 1018 the you have a problem. Anyway if you added a 1Kg of wheat extract plus the can then it would have been around 1050ish brew and do it should end up around 1012 (all things being equal).

Temps affect what the yeast will do, how warm is your brew, for a hefe (of unknown yeast strain) I would say you want to be in the around 18 degrees C if you are colder than that let it warm up a bit and the yeast might come too and finish the beer off for you. Even if you are at 18 this late in the game you can let the temp rise a bit 21ish to help the yeast eat the last few points of sugar.

Clem