Is this normal?

[taoistchef]

This is my first attempt at home brewing. It's a Cooper's DIY lager kit. I pitched the yeast about 4 hours ago. I know that isn't necessarily enough time for activity to begin, but I'm not sure that this stuff should be at the bottom of my fermenter. I don't even know what it is. All I put in it was the can of extract, the brew enhancer (which did completely dissolve), and water. Any help would greatly appreciated. I'm stressed out over this right now.

 

[duboman]

That would be your yeast that you pitched. It is currently going through the growth phase which is why it looks like a lot more than you pitched Soon enough it will begin fermenting your wort and begin making your beer!

 

[taoistchef]

That would be your yeast that you pitched. It is currently going through the growth phase which is why it looks like a lot more than you pitched Soon enough it will begin fermenting your wort and begin making your beer!

So, I can step down from "freak out" mode? Fantastic! Thanks for the quick response. Cheers!

 

[duboman]

Yes, no need to freak out, after all, it's just beer Now go have one!

 

[unionrdr]

Looks to me like maybe your initial ferment temp was too low. Cooper's ale yeast (also used in the Original Series Lager) gets sluggish & settles out at 63F. It likes 66F a lot better. What's your temp reading? If you have the Cooper's temp strip in place,it reads Celcius. Convert this to Ferenheit by the formula;
C X 1.8 +32 = Ferenheit. So 16C X 1.8 +32 = 60.8F.

 

[taoistchef]

Looks to me like maybe your initial ferment temp was too low. Cooper's ale yeast (also used in the Original Series Lager) gets sluggish & settles out at 63F. It likes 66F a lot better. What's your temp reading? If you have the Cooper's temp strip in place,it reads Celcius. Convert this to Ferenheit by the formula; C X 1.8 +32 = Ferenheit. So 16C X 1.8 +32 = 60.8F.

I pitched the yeast at about 30C. I know that's high, but I also knew I couldn't wait forever. (I don't have a wort chiller). Temp hasn't dropped below 24C where it is currently holding. It's been over 24 hours with the following changes: color has lightened significantly (reference pic in original post), I do have activity up top (slight head and a krausen ring on fermenter), still a lot of yeast(?) settled at the bottom. Here's a current pic. What's happening to my brew?

 

[fuzzy2133]

Can you get the temp down closer to 18-19C? 24C is starting to get a bit too hot. Find a colder place or search swamp cooler on here on HBT.

The color and krausen are more signs of normal fermentation.

 

[taoistchef]

Even though the directions call for a temp between 21 & 27? It's a lager but it's pitched with ale yeast. I'm not questioning your advice so much as I'm just trying to understand.

 

[fuzzy2133]

Correct you pitched ale yeast.

unionrdr recommended 18C-19C (66F) as a good temp to have a low phenol (banana/clove flavor) fermentation wit ale yeasts. Fermentation can produce lots of heat on short notice and make unwanted clove and banana flavors.

 

[taoistchef]

Ah. I see. I will try to get my temp down then. Thanks for the help guys. It's invaluable. This has proven to be a great learning experience. I'll post back with updates.

 

[taoistchef]

Update. I used the swamp cooler method that was suggested as a means of lowering my temp. I have had a lot if success with it and have maintained a temp range if 65 to 67 for 3 days now. To my untrained eye, it seems that nothing has begun to change. I did remove the krausen collar on the fermenter and it certainly smells like beer. Still have the yeast settled in the bottom. Where do I go from here?

 

[unionrdr]

Let it finish fermenting,check with hydrometer 2-3 days apart to be sure it's done.

 

[DocScott]

Looks pretty. As union says (welcome back -didn't see you posting for a while) let it sit for a while to clear. Once gravities are stable for a few days and the beer has cleared, package it up. Patience is your friend with this hobby.