1st Brew, 1st mistake, advice needed quick!

[BruinTuns]

Hi Covrich. Yes still at same (ish) temp, i.e. just under 20 degrees centigrade. And yes, gave it a really good whizz with the fermenting paddle for at least 30 seconds.
No sign of life at all, no head whatsoever, not evven a hint of CO2 hiss.

JAK, sorry, I meant 'hydrate'. Followed the steps you helpfully posted in my 'yeast questions' thread.
And I really don't think any CO2 is being produced. One of the lids snaps on really tight and I don't think it could loosen as such, it would more likely pop right open.
There's absolutely no sign of activity at all, nor any smell of it.

Somewhere among the innumerable old threads I worked through before starting I remember one bloke saying that he once had to wait 48 hours before he noticed any signs, and that his beer - a best bitter kit, I think - turned out fine eventually.
Bu from all I've read this is very unusual and I'm nearly at 48 hours now.

 

[beerhunter]

Robert,, I'll take your advice and leave the fermantables as they are. There's now a bigger concern which is...

baggybill, yes I agree. Didn't want to make too much of it as I've read so many posts from newbies worried about the lack of activity but it's now been nearly 48 hours and no sign of anything happening.
I re-hydrated at just under 70 degrees F and made sure the wort was about the same by topping up with hot water from the kettle before pitching. Not very scientific but I'm pretty sure nothing was drastically off
It's odd because late last night, about 30 hours afer pitching, I put my ear close to both buckets and there was a very soft but definite hiss of escaping CO2 so I went to sleep somewhat relieved.
However this morning both fvs were completely silent and still are.

Grateful for any further advice and thanks to all who've replied.
.

you whacked the yeast into 70 degree water???? seems a bit hot to me my friend.

 

[JAK]

you whacked the yeast into 70 degree water???? seems a bit hot to me my friend.

70F = 21C

:whistle:

 

[JAK]

Hi Covrich. Yes still at same (ish) temp, i.e. just under 20 degrees centigrade. And yes, gave it a really good whizz with the fermenting paddle for at least 30 seconds.
No sign of life at all, no head whatsoever, not evven a hint of CO2 hiss.

JAK, sorry, I meant 'hydrate'. Followed the steps you helpfully posted in my 'yeast questions' thread.
And I really don't think any CO2 is being produced. One of the lids snaps on really tight and I don't think it could loosen as such, it would more likely pop right open.
There's absolutely no sign of activity at all, nor any smell of it.

Somewhere among the innumerable old threads I worked through before starting I remember one bloke saying that he once had to wait 48 hours before he noticed any signs, and that his beer - a best bitter kit, I think - turned out fine eventually.
Bu from all I've read this is very unusual and I'm nearly at 48 hours now.

You wouldn't be the first with a packet of yeast which doesn't seem to work. Get yourself a backup packet in case you need to pitch again.

 

[BruinTuns]

JAK, yes I got a couple of packets with my last order (I think it may even have been on your advice). But MAY not need to use one, because since last post we have..
ACTIVITY!
The top layer of froth is thin (is it only called krausen when it starts to climb the sides of the fv?) but it's there And there's a strong fermenty smell too, so something has definitely begun, I just hope it keeps going.
Started really suddenly, although I suppose something must have been happening all along, but too gentle to detect. I'll update tomorrow.
Again thanks for the support guys.

 

[Cwrw666]

Stop looking at it every five minutes. `A watched pot never boils'. Sounds to me like it's started now so let it alone til it's finished!

 

[BruinTuns]

"Stop looking at it every five minutes.." .Sensible advice, I shall try to heed it. Shouldn't be hard as activity is still very subdued so not much to see.

The Evil Dog kit contains two 25g 'tea bags' of Summit and Simcoe hops both of which are to be added to the brew after 4-7 days
I'll have to divide these equally between the two half filled fvs, so can anyone advise on how best to do this?
I also have one muslin hop bag and a fresh 100g pack of Fuggles hop pellets which were recommended as a decent variety suitable for IPAs.

Do you think I should:

1) Open up both hop bags and make two 25g mixtures. One could be tied in the muslin bag but I only have the one of those. Could the hop teabags be re-sealed, perhaps tied with fishing line or string? They feel a bit more robust than actual teabags but not by much.

2) Add the Simcoe to one fv and the Summit to the other and have two slightly different beers to compare. Or would both suffer with this option?

3) Use both bags in one fv for less time than recommended then fish them out and drop into the 2nd fv

4) Steep the bags, perhaps for longer than the recommended 10 minutes, then put the resulting hop 'tea' from Simcoe into one of the fvs with the Summit hop bag, and vice versa with the other fv, i.e. Summit brew in with Simcoe bag?

5) Use both bags in one fv (for less time?) and use 30g of Fuggles for the other in the muslin bag?

6) Other?

As always grateful for any advice.

 

[Fil]

Not used pellet hops myself, but iirc those that do are happy to drop then into the FV and let them settle out with the other sediment in the brew so adding the division to each batch without a bag should be OK.

 

[Thirtsy_Greg]

BruinTuns - I am also on my first ever brew and am also attempting the Bulldog Double IPA kit after reading good things on this forum.

I am maybe a week ahead of you as I believe primary fermentation has come to an end although it has taken three weeks. The hop bags are stronger than they look and mine have been fine with both chucked in. Im sure you could cut open and reseal if you wanted to split the hops between your two fvs. My only advice would be dont hop too early, I was hoping to put mine in quite late but as fermentation has taken longer than expected, they have been in there over a week.

Are you going to bottle after or keg? I bought a cheap 'pressure keg' from Wilko which I was hoping to use however when I was washing it out I could hear the value hissing as the pressure built up inside - if I add sugar for carbonation, wont it all just escape through the top?

 

[BruinTuns]

Fil, thanks. I think I'll follow Thirsty_Greg's advice below but it's reassuring to know that if the bags do leak it won't matter too much.

Thirsty_Greg, cheers for the tips, I'll cut the corners off the bags and mix the contents, then drop one into each half full fv.
And I'll double check the fermentation activity before I add them, although it doesn't look like there's much we can do to predict when this will end. Would it matter if fermentation had ceased when the hops are added do you think?

Re your keg issue, I've never used one but from all I've read I would think that yes, if it isn't airtight you won't bee able to carbonate. Can you take it back for an exchange or refund?
But before that I'd ask more knowledgable members by posting a question in the 'General Beer Brewing Equipment Forum'
In an emergency, a great cheap bottling option is the supermarket 'no frills' mineral water; about 17p for a two litre bottle. Not the same as pouring your mates a cool one from your own keg but better than nothing.
I'll be bottling mine in saved beer bottles, but I've realised that I'll need more (I'm already getting hooked on this new home brewing adventure!) so I'll be buying several bottles of water myself..

 

[Thirtsy_Greg]

From memory I think the kit advised to add the hops 3-4 days before end of fermentation if you prefer a hoppy 'craft' beer which is what I was after. I am considering dropping some extra hops in for a day or two and bottling after that, will hopefully add to the hoopy aroma.

I know a local pub quite well and they are saving beer bottles for me now :-) hope to bottle Sunday after Im back from the inlaws!

Good luck with your hops, let me know how things pan out

 

[BruinTuns]

I like a hoppy beer too. Although some of them have the bitterness (Bishop's Finger, Adnams Broadside) they don't retain the aroma by the time we open the bottle.
If this kit turns out anything like, say, Hobgoblin (on steroids) then Bulldog Beers have a customer for life.
Yes, I'll update this post as things progress.
Thanks for your input Greg, sorry I wasn't more help with your keg problem.
I assume you have a bottle capper? In case not, I bought this one
http://www.tesco.com/direct/youngs-beer-bottle-capper-boxed/213-5232.prd?pageLevel=&skuId=213-5232
It gets mixed reviews but seems to work pretty good, MUCH better than one of those that you have to literally hammer the top of, and cheaper in the link than elsewhere.

 

[BruinTuns]

Another problem. Beginning to feel that this first brew isn't meant to be

Realized today that one of the fvs is leajing from where the tap is inserted, a drip every five seconds or so. Carpet is rather wet. Sigh...
So I sterilised my arm as best I could with dilute bleach and reached in to tighten the back nut. Didn't help, if anything the leak got worse.
So I've wound some plumbers ptfe tape between the bucket wall and behind the tap neck/stem (the bit that you poke through the bucket ) as a sort of makeshift rubber washer. This tap actually HAS a rubber washer but I put it on the inside in front of the back nut (wrong place?).
The irony is that the Young's taps that I thought might leak because they don't come with washers have been 100% leak proof...

This :evilog is trying to live up to its name!

 

[MyQul]

Tried vaseline around the outside of the tap where the leak is?

 

[BruinTuns]

I didn't think of that.
But the plumbers tape actually seemed to do the trick.
However, from the state of the carpet :-| I figured that enough had leaked for me to be able to transfer the contents to the other fv (containing the other half of the wort).
It's still a bit closer to the lid than I'd like but since activity is so gentle I don't think it will be an issue.
I read a post where the advice stipulated that .."ON NO ACCOUNT allow the wort to oxygenate.." so I was as careful as I could be, transferring by dipping a sterilised jug. Fingers crossed :pray:
This also had the advantage of freeing up a bucket so I can now get another brew on, I have four fvs in total and with the Evil Dog split between two they were all in use.
Next brew I'll try the rubber washer on the outside of the bucket with ptfe tape inside, and I'll test-fill it with h2o for 24 hours first.
Ah well, live and learn..
This brew had better be worth it!

 

[Fil]

I read a post where the advice stipulated that .."ON NO ACCOUNT allow the wort to oxygenate.." so I was as careful as I could be, transferring by dipping a sterilised jug. Fingers crossed :pray:

Hope i have misunderstood,:sick: If you transfered the beer from one vessel to the next by jug im sorry to say but you may have oxidised the beer , the generally accepted methods of beer movement is through a siphon or via the drain tap (if fitted). either way drop the hose end into the recieving vessels bottom and the transport through the hose should agitate the beer enough to encourage dissolved co2 out which should then sit like a blanket over the beer as it fills up in the 2ndary bucket, PB, keg or cask.

 

[BruinTuns]

Fil, no, I'm afraid you didn't misunderstand.
I'll try to take comfort from "...you may have oxidised the beer.."
If it offers a glimmer of hope (I'll take what I can get at this stage!). I was extremely careful whilst transferring to pour very gently. The reason I did it this way and not through the drain tap was because that way it frothed as it went into the jug.
I wonder if anyone else makes this many mistakes when they start? Another one to avoid is never - that's NEVER! - start filling your fv with kit contents and hot water without double checking that the tap is properly closed..
Guess all I can do is check on it later or tomorrow for signs of continuing fermentation
Thanks for responding

 

[Covrich]

Fil, no, I'm afraid you didn't misunderstand.
I'll try to take comfort from "...you may have oxidised the beer.."
If it offers a glimmer of hope (I'll take what I can get at this stage!). I was extremely careful whilst transferring to pour very gently. The reason I did it this way and not through the drain tap was because that way it frothed as it went into the jug.
I wonder if anyone else makes this many mistakes when they start? Another one to avoid is never - that's NEVER! - start filling your fv with kit contents and hot water without double checking that the tap is properly closed..
Guess all I can do is check on it later or tomorrow for signs of continuing fermentation
Thanks for responding

I think we all make mistakes when we start, although you do seem to be on a mission to make as many as possible.;-)

For now all you can do is relax and see how it turns out.

But invest in a siphon with a cane on for transfers. How do you intend to bottle? (or are you going to keg) don't just put the bottle neck over the spigot and turn it on.. it will splash down to the bottom and that will certainly oxidise it. you will want to get a bottle wand/ stick..

 

[BruinTuns]

Thanks Covrich. I really didn't think we had to be quite so careful about aeration. I've read so many posts where lads talk about 'racking to secondary' (and sometimes even again to tertiary), and I assumed that this would aerate at least as much as careful jug transfer.
But is it really a bad idea to bottle directly from the fv tap? (Yes, I'm bottling not kegging). I always thought that 'syphon vs fv tap' bottling preference was pretty much a 50/50 split. Or do you mean that I should avoid with this particular batch because it may already be slightly oxidised?

 

[Covrich]

Thanks Covrich. I really didn't think we had to be quite so careful about aeration. I've read so many posts where lads talk about 'racking to secondary' (and sometimes even again to tertiary), and I assumed that this would aerate at least as much as careful jug transfer.
But is it really a bad idea to bottle directly from the fv tap? (Yes, I'm bottling not kegging). I always thought that 'syphon vs fv tap' bottling preference was pretty much a 50/50 split. Or do you mean that I should avoid with this particular batch because it may already be slightly oxidised?

I have a bottler stick which pops on the end of my fv tap.. you attach it turn the tap on and then when it fills with beer you simply press it against the bottom of your bottle and it will fill from the bottom.

It was only £3-4.

If you just tap it straight into the bottle it will splash and you will get oxygen in.

My 1st brew I tapped straight in and after 10 or so bottles I realised it was foaming up with air and decided to switch to siphon (which was messy ill admit but at least filled from the bottom) those 10 or so bottles definatley went off after about 7 weeks..

This is what i mean

http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/acatalog/Little_Bottler.html#a101369

I cannot find it without the tap at the minute but if you have a local shop see if you can get one..