New Brewer Syndrome and Crappy Recipe

[TheCrowBrew]

Hello! I am new to the forum and a new brewer! Started out with a crappy recipe that I received from someone or somewhere because the ingredients were readily available. It is busy fermenting (3 days) at about 14 degrees (58F). Is this too cold? Nothing came with the recipe... But here is the recipe:

0.3 kg Crystal 140L (0.6 lbs)
5 kg Pale 2-Row (11lbs)

Hops

20 g Northern Brewer Pellet @ 60 min (0.7 oz)
10 g East Kent Goldings Pellet @ 60 min (0.35 oz)
15 g Northern Brewer Pellet @ 30 min (0.5 oz)
15 g East Kent Goldings Pellet @ 15 min (0.5 oz)
15 g East Kent Goldings Pellet @ 5 min (0.5 oz)

Fermentis / Safale - Safale - English Ale Yeast S-04

Am I fermenting too low? No visible airlock activity is seen, but I know this may be due to bucket not sealing perfectly...

Help?

 

[LabRatBrewer]

its sounds good [5kg is about 11lbs, yes?]. The temp might seem low for an ale but if you are measuring the air temp you can add 5 degrees f for the ferment temp. Give it time, you'll be fine

 

[TheCrowBrew]

Yes about 11lbs.. and 2.5 oz too much hops?? i know dumb question, but I am new ..

 

[LabRatBrewer]

Yes about 11lbs.. and 2.5 oz too much hops?? i know dumb question, but I am new ..

Hops seem fine too.

 

[TheCrowBrew]

Thank you for the quick reply

 

[C-Rider]

Yea a bit to cold but should work. Will just take longer to finish. I use a chest freezer and ferment about 64*F/

Oh yea. Don't use "crappy" recipe again. Go to the Recipe section her and you'll have plenty of good ones to use.

 

[Glynn]

Theres nothing crappy about that recipe. I brew a lot of ipa's with a malt bill of nothing more then pale and crystal. You dont have to have every type of malt in a batch to make good beer. A lot of us like the k.i.s.s method

 

[progmac]

i agree with glynn, the recipe looks tasty to me.

wash your hands and take off the lid to see what is going on.

if you didn't rehydrate your yeast, you may have underpitched somewhat. it may be helpful ramp up the temperature towards the middle/end of fermentation to clean up any byproducts from yeast stress.

 

[unionrdr]

raising the temp to 18C (64.4F) will get it going better. Just hold the temp as steady as possible for cleaner flavor as well.

 

[TheCrowBrew]

Hello guys!! Thank you for the replys!!! It is winter here in South Africa and our whole house is 14C/58F... How do you get the temp to 18?? I wrapped a towel or three around it... Tips??

 

[unionrdr]

Put it in the warmest room in the house,if there is one.

 

[TheCrowBrew]

Put it in the warmest room in the house,if there is one.

I tried everywhere, where the light is not to harsh and where the temp does not jump too much up and down, and every place is 14C/58F... Just try the towels?? And the temp inside is about 4 degrees higher?

 

[LovesIPA]

If the air temp is 58, the fermentor will be up to 8 degrees warmer. I wouldn't worry about it, the beer will be fine but fermentation will take a little longer.

 

[TheCrowBrew]

If the air temp is 58, the fermentor will be up to 8 degrees warmer. I wouldn't worry about it, the beer will be fine but fermentation will take a little longer.

Three weeks in primary? Or two weeks and 1 or 2 weeks in secondary?

 

[LovesIPA]

I don't do secondary unless I'm using fruit or oak chips or something like that. It doesn't improve the beer, and it just exposes it to the risk of oxidation and infection. I do primary for three weeks minimum.

 

[TheCrowBrew]

So the cold temps would do a 4 weeker?? I want to ferment 2/3 weeks and bottle a sample. Leave the rest untill 4/5 weeks..?