Relatively Clueless

[Toldlado]

Hi

Complete newbiw here -I've just started my first brew from a tin bought for my birthday and would like to run a few things past someone to see what my next steps should be.

Started the brew on Tuesday in a fermentation bucket with the lid slightly ajar. The initial reading was 1035.8 and today it is 1015 so it's well on it's way. Yesterday the foam was touching the lid and has receded somewhat but is still present. I'm aware that once the readings on consecutive days are the same fermentation is over. The one page instructions say I should bottle once this has happened but reading on line has put some doubt in my mind.

I intend to prime with sugar and condition in bottles straight from the fermentation bin.

Should I -

1. Wait for the foam to completely clear before bottling?
2. Begin bottling once the hydrometer suggests fermentation has stopped? If there's foam still there do I remove it before bottling?
3. Leave the beer in the bucket to let it clear? If so with the lid fully on or off? At what stage do I cut off the air supply?
4. Will it effect the beer if I delay bottling? The quick ferment has caught me off guard with not enough bottles so I need to get drinking to free some up!

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers

 

[m_stodd]

For hydrometer readings, they're typically written as 1.035 and 1.015. Not sure how you even determined 1.0358

Once fermentation is done, leave it for a week or two in primary. A safe bet for most beers is 3 weeks in primary. This allows for yeast to clean up some off flavors, and more dense particles to drop to the bottom, which will yield a clearer beer.

Do you have an airlock? If you do, use it. Having the lid propped open during fermentation is fine, but if there's not CO2 coming out constantly, you're risking bugs getting in there, and at the least oxygen.

 

[Toldlado]

Cheers for the reply stodd- The reading was from converting it from a correction chart due to the initial reading being at 23c.

I don't have an airlock - what would you suggest?

 

[Hello]

When you bottle the spigot is on or near the bottom but most people use a bottling bucket so they can add priming sugar then siphon the beer into the bucket. You also avoid the trub (stuff on the bottom) which is hugely important. Read up on bottling home brew.

 

[m_stodd]

Cheers for the reply stodd- The reading was from converting it from a correction chart due to the initial reading being at 23c.

I don't have an airlock - what would you suggest?

You can use any airlock, or even make your own with a tube going into a container of liquid. If your fermenter doesn't have a hole in the lid, get an airlock and grommet, then make a hole of the appropriate size in the lid. Make sure to place it somewhere so that the handle misses it when it swings over (if you bucket has a handle).

 

[unionrdr]

There's a thought. do you have a hole with an airlock grommet in your lid at all? When the beer gets down to a stable FG,give it another 3-7 days to clean up by products of fermentation & settle out clear or slightly misty. And a bottling bucket will make life easier. You boil 1.5-2C of water in a saucepan for a couple minutes. Add the priming sugar (calculators go by weight,not volume) & stir till the water clears again. Remove from heat & cover till it cools a bit. Start racking the beer into the bucket with an autosiphon. Or if the fermenter has a spigot,with some tubing from the spigot to half way round the bottom of the bottling bucket. You don't wan't any splashing at this point. That causes oxidation.