Screwed Up a Lot!

[BMWMK2]

OK , I started with the american lager kit from homebrewery.com, i posted earlier that i did not compensate for the evaporation while brewing so i had 4 gal of beer and not 5, which should not be the end of the world.
I just took a hydro reading after 2 weeks and its at 1.010, which I assume is not good, then i remember that the directions said to sprinkle the yeast on to and it will saturate and fall to the bottom, i thought that you should mix it in but i figured i would follow the directions.
When i just took the reading the beer looked ok but there was what looked like the yeast still floating on top, so im thinking that the yeast didnt get mixed up which is why the reading is so low. ( the air lock was bubbling for 3 days though).
the third mess up is because this is a lager kit should i have followed the lagering process? it has been at about 70 degrees for the 2 weeks.

i am so confused, please help.
should i scrap it?

 

[ISLAGI]

You aren't really posting enough information for someone here to give you a real good answer, but I'll give it a shot.

First off, RELAX!

Secondly, relax. You may be new to brewing, but the yeast have been doing it for centuries.

Just in general, 1.010 is not a bad place to end up for a kit/extract beer. I thin all of my kits ended up around 1.012 when I was starting. That being said, the general guideline a lot of people here use is primary fermentation of 3 weeks. This gives the yeast time to go back and clean up after the huge party they just threw in your wort.

A lager is a tougher beer to start with because of the additional complication of temp control and lagering. Since you didnt' post a temp, I an going to guess you fermented around room temps (60-68F). It will still be beer, but you won't have the crisp flavors of a lager since you fermented at ale temps.

For the future, let us know what style of beer, the recipe, the fermenting temp, and starting gravity to get a real good answer about possible stuck brews. The more info you can give, the closer to an intelligent response.

Also, I would suggest getting a brewing book, or for a quicker and cheaper starting point http://www.howtobrew.com. This will give you an overview of the brewing process.

And finally, RDWHAHB!

Enjoy!

 

[BigB]

Whoa! Hold on, RDWHA... Well I guess have a craft brew! First, do not scrap the beer! 1.010 Is decent! You said you have something floating on top... What does it look like? Infections look exactly like that... Something disgustiing that took over. Did you taste the beer? Does it taste like flat beer? The American Lager kit you are referring to is really a basic kit. It should not require strict lagering conditions.... Likely it actually uses ale yeast. Which leads to my next question. What yeast did you use? Was the package labled? What was your OG?

 

[BMWMK2]

ok, sorry im frustrated.
this is the kit i have http://www.homebrewery.com/images/american-lager.jpg

the starting gravity was 1.050

when i opened it, it did smell yeasty, so i shook it up a bit to mix up the yeast some more.

 

[BMWMK2]

Whoa! Hold on, RDWHA... Well I guess have a craft brew! First, do not scrap the beer! 1.010 Is decent! You said you have something floating on top... What does it look like? Infections look exactly like that... Something disgustiing that took over. Did you taste the beer? Does it taste like flat beer? The American Lager kit you are referring to is really a basic kit. It should not require strict lagering conditions.... Likely it actually uses ale yeast. Which leads to my next question. What yeast did you use? Was the package labled? What was your OG?

i did not taste the beer, i didnt look like an infection, it looked like little chunks of yellow yeast. i used the yeast that came with the package.

 

[BigB]

Ok, to start, you have nearly 80% attenuation, which is excellent. Secondly, the link only shows a picture of the label. Do you still have the instructions that came with the kit? If so, post them. If it looks like little bits of floating yeast, it probably is. It will settle out.

 

[BMWMK2]

HERE ARE THE INSTRUCTIONS
/Users/bmwmk2/Pictures/iPhoto Library/Originals/2010/Jan 15, 2010_4/Scan.tiff

 

[BigB]

HERE ARE THE INSTRUCTIONS
/Users/bmwmk2/Pictures/iPhoto Library/Originals/2010/Jan 15, 2010_4/Scan.tiff

Sorry, but the link is no good. It looks like they didn't upload properly, but I am no computer expert.

 

[BMWMK2]

Trying To Scan The Directions

 

[BMWMK2]

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/BMWMK2/Scan3.jpg?t=1263615687

 

[BigB]

Ok, the instructions don't actually call for lagering at all. As I suspected, it is really just a simple ale. Your beer is most likely fine. From what you are telling us, everything seems normal. Sometimes things (whether it be yeast or hops or bits of grain) float on top. I think everything is fine. You should prime and bottle it as per the instructions. Obviously try to leave the sediment behind (whetehr on top or the bottom). Here is where the autosiphon is helpful. If you don't have an auto siphon or racking cane and have to use the spout, well life isn't perfect, but it will work and just take your time.

BTW forgot to add. Obviously since you did not compensate for the evaporation during boil and ended up with 4 gallons instead of 5; and assuming you did not top off to 5 gallons prior to pitching the yeast, your FG is excellent. There is no way you would match the OG and FG if you have 20% less wort than the kit called for.

 

[BMWMK2]

THANKS BIGB, I have an auto siphon, is it ok to let the beer sit in my basement at about 60 degs till sunday and then rack it to the bottling bucket with the priming sugar? And why not use the spout? i also just got a brew belt should i use it till sunday when i can bottle it?

 

[BigB]

Yes. you are fine leaving it till Sunday. I wouldn't bother with the brew belt because it appears that your beer has completely fermented. The only problem with using the spout is that there is a greater risk of drawing in trub. If you have an autosiphon, use it... it will make life easier. Finally,one other tip... read this excellent thread from Revvy regarding bottling. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/bottling-tips-homebrewer-94812/ Finally, your instructions are not clear about this, but it is best to gently rack the wort on top of the cooled priming sugar solution. This is so you reduce the risk of oxidation.

 

[BMWMK2]

its funny you posted this i have it saved in my favorites

 

[HABIT]

Did it look like this ???? Might just be a little stuff from the side of the bucket that fell back in . . . Don't sweat it . .

[/IMG]

 

[bigjoe]

I think your ok. Most likely its yeast floating (we call them lilly pads). I doubt its actually granules of yeast but I suppoase its possible. Could be kraeusen that hasn't dropped back in.

Your gravity reading is fine. Take a sip of the next gravity sample you take. If it tastes like flat homemade beer your good. If it tingles on your tongue like vinegar, well then you have homemade vinegar. My guess is you have beer.

The label states is uses a dry lager yeast that is capable to fermenting a broad range of temps. The instructions say to ferment at room temp so I wouldn;t worry much. Give some time in the ferementer like maybe 2 more weeks.

Do a search here for other threads of a similar nature. I think you'll find 99% of them turn out OK.
Edit:
Great pic Habit. I was trying to describe that above. No worries if it looks anything like that pic. Beer looks terrible in the fermeter compared to the final product.

 

[BMWMK2]

it does look like that, like little lilly pads of yeast. i guess its ok, im gonna test it again tonight and sunday.
thanks for all of your help!