Patience is The virtue.

[kylieWylie]

Hello. I am totally a newb brewer. Just upgraded my equipment and brewed my second and third five gallon batches. I just brewed five gallons of american cream ale and five gallons of irish stout. The american cream ale got into the fermenter and took off then was apparent stuck and I never really witnessed any what you would call even slightly vigorous activity in the airlock of the irish stout. The irish stout literally bubbled once or twice! 17 days later for the cream ale and 14 days later for the stout I pop them open and Beer! I bottled 96 bottles today between the two of them. Lots of trub on bottom, was clean and smelled great. Still learning how to read the hydrometer but it started at 1.0 for the cream ale and 1.2 for the stout and dropped to zero on both for a final gravity. (Like I said going to research that.) It was clean and smelled great. I thought my wort was rotting, from one newb to possibly another. Man don't worry. Ride for 14 days at least. I am looking for advice/criticism from the experts as well. Just wanted you all to know I am very happy. Irish stout. YUM.

 

[Sailingeric]

Airlock activity is not a good way to know if it is fermenting, if you get an air leak then there will not be any bubbles but that is OK. The rise and fall if the krausen what you want. The 14 day to ferment is is what I shoot for so brewing stays fun and feeling like a job.

 

[feinbera]

Three and a half years in, and I'm still amazed at how good this hobby is at teaching patience, and not sweating the stuff you can't fix no matter how much you worry. Maybe not the best lesson, but certainly the best that also produces a couple cases of beer every few weeks.

 

[kylieWylie]

Does 7 tablespoons of priming sugar in 2 cups of water sound right for the Irish stout? I googled that 1 oz equals 2 tablespoons and the recipe called for 3.5 oz of priming sugar. In any event, if under they won't blow.

 

[alexacuna]

Does 7 tablespoons of priming sugar in 2 cups of water sound right for the Irish stout? I googled that 1 oz equals 2 tablespoons and the recipe called for 3.5 oz of priming sugar. In any event, if under they won't blow.

I'd use a scale since volume can vary sometimes. I usually use 4 oz priming sugar for a 5 gallon batch, but I know people use more and less.

 

[Iseneye]

Good work on the brewing. I don't understand your gravity readings. 1.0 and 1.2 are unlikely pre fermentation measurements.

 

[kylieWylie]

I must be reading the wrong side of my hydrometer. I think it actually says 15 to 10 on the part that says beer start, then the part that says beer finish is 5 to 0. It's a newb hydrometer and actually says beer start and beer finish on it. Anyhow, I read it at around the 10 for OG on cream ale and it dropped to 0. Then the stout was about 12 to 0. I am clearly reading the wrong side to be saying 1 point something. I will research it though and learn the proper way to read it. The cream ale was rated as a potential 5.25 to 5.75 and I started feeling the effect just from drinking the test tube sample.

 

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

I must be reading the wrong side of my hydrometer. I think it actually says 15 to 10 on the part that says beer start, then the part that says beer finish is 5 to 0. It's a newb hydrometer and actually says beer start and beer finish on it. Anyhow, I read it at around the 10 for OG on cream ale and it dropped to 0. Then the stout was about 12 to 0. I am clearly reading the wrong side to be saying 1 point something. I will research it though and learn the proper way to read it. The cream ale was rated as a potential 5.25 to 5.75 and I started feeling the effect just from drinking the test tube sample.

Maybe reading in brix? As 10 brix is approximately 1.040 SG(specific gravity) and the 12 brix is approx.1.047 SG according to my brewing software. That being said your hydrometer should read 1.000 in distilled water at calibration temp (usually printed on the paper inside). It would read somewhere higher in wort as 1.040 for example. Then your final gravity (FG) would probably be somewhere around 1.008-1.015. I doubt you hit 1.000 as your FG but I suppose it is possible. But 1.2 or whatever is definately not specific gravity as even if your wort was 1.200 I highly doubt it would ferment close to 1.000. Just check your hydrometer and make sure it's reading properly. Something seems off.

 

[seabrew8]

There's a few videos on youtube demonstrating how to use a hydrometer.

 

[kylieWylie]

I have been looking at some charts and I think I was reading the brix readings. My hydrometer was also brought in out of a cold garage, can that affect it? I am going to disregard my own attempt at reading this round. Looking at some charts you are right it shouldn't have dropped that far. I wonder if the hydrometer is off from sitting in the cold. Anyhow. I will definitely study how to read it before I try to throw out an FG again.

 

[kylieWylie]

Gee whiz. My hydrometer was probably 40 degrees! Now that's a newb mistake. Thanks guys.

 

[RM-MN]

Your hydrometer temperature probably wouldn't matter, its the beer temperature that counts. The glass on the hydrometer bulb is thin and would have warmed to the beer temp in less than a minute. You didn't mention what yeast you used but there are very few that can get you to a 1.000 reading so that is likely an error in your reading of the hydrometer. Here's a Youtube video showing how to read the hydrometer as Seabrew8 mentioned above. [ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNVePBvI2ps[/ame]

 

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

Deleted content double posted

 

[kylieWylie]

I spy with my little eye, at my local supply store. What's on deck. Fermenters are now empty and next will be a honey brown ale and a Belgian golden ale from brewer's best. The honey brown ale used to be my drink of choice when i was broke.

 

[RM-MN]

I spy with my little eye, at my local supply store. What's on deck. Fermenters are now empty and next will be a honey brown ale and a Belgian golden ale from brewer's best. The honey brown ale used to be my drink of choice when i was broke.

You might ask at your LHBS if they have other kits too. I've used Brewers Best but they aren't the only choice so see what your other options are.