1st brew attempt question

[SnakeEyes]

Right. I’m 8 days in to my 1st brew. It’s a mangrove jacks golden ale kit. I went away at he weekend and when I got back my brew was only showing 16 degrees on the thermometer. I should of put my hops in last night but instead I tried to bring the temperature back up using hot water bottles. I got it up to 18 degrees.

Tonight I’ve opened it up to add the hops but I was expecting to see form on the top. Instead I can see the dried yeast I added at the beginning and very little foam, you could even see the liquid. I’ve added the hops and I’m just about to redo the hot water bottles.

Am I doing this right, or have I already lost my 1st brew?

Quick edit, it’s also still bubbling. So I figure it must still be doing the fermentation, is this correct?

 

[suffolkbeer]

Of it’s bubbling following you adding the hops that may just be cO2 fizzing out of the beer due to the hop addition.

Did you take a gravity reading at the start of fermentation (or before you added hops)?

 

[SnakeEyes]

Of it’s bubbling following you adding the hops that may just be cO2 fizzing out of the beer due to the hop addition.

Did you take a gravity reading at the start of fermentation (or before you added hops)?

It was bubbling before I added the hops. Unfortunately I didn’t take a reading, it wasn’t in the instructions when I set it up lol.

 

[SnakeEyes]

The hot water bottles and insulating the bottom of the fermenter seem to of worked. I added the hops and have gas coming from the system. The instructions say leave for 5 days and no gas before fermentation has finished. Is this correct or the best way to do it?

 

[Burtie]

I'm currently fermenting by second batch of kits (did my first last week ) but if you want to consider my advice..

Yes, should be no bubbles when you come to bottle/keg.. Fermenting should have pretty much finished and your FG reading should be stable for least a couple of days,probably below 1.014.

A 23L batch can easily take over 2 weeks to ferment, your low temperature would increase the time..

 

[Beatsy]

The hot water bottles and insulating the bottom of the fermenter seem to of worked. I added the hops and have gas coming from the system. The instructions say leave for 5 days and no gas before fermentation has finished. Is this correct or the best way to do it?

I would say this is probably okay. You should always check the original gravity and final gravity with your hydrometer though. Some fermentations, you may not even get a bubbling airlock. The best way is to follow @Burtie advice above. A final gravity reading taken and then left for a couple of days and re-checked. If no movement, then it's finished.

 

[DavidDetroit]

Tonight I’ve opened it up to add the hops but I was expecting to see form on the top. Instead I can see the dried yeast I added at the beginning and very little foam, you could even see the liquid. I’ve added the hops and I’m just about to redo the hot water bottles.

I read your instruction sheet to become familiar with the Mangrove Jack line of beer kits. The OG number is helpful, especially as you move along and become experienced, but I can understand why it's not there. I noticed it listed the FG which is the number you're after.
It sounds like you didn't stir the yeast after you added it? If you didn't, I'm curious if this could be part of the delay.
Also, knowing what your yeast's temperature range is would be useful. 16C is not an uncommon temperature for fermentation but neither is 18C
In any case, if it is fermenting or has finished fermenting, a FG reading, done as above, will tell you.
I wouldn't mind hearing about the outcome.
Good luck.

 

[DavidDetroit]

Tonight I’ve opened it up to add the hops but I was expecting to see form on the top. Instead I can see the dried yeast I added at the beginning and very little foam, you could even see the liquid. I’ve added the hops and I’m just about to redo the hot water bottles.

IF I have the correct instruction:

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0...IAL_GRAIN_INSTRUCT_HR.pdf?5637620598483460819

I didn't see where it called for dry-hopping (adding hops at a various point after fermentation has begun).
I probably have the wrong sheet, but asking just to be certain. And if you did dry hop and it didn't call for it, the beer would still taste fine or even better.
Cheers

 

[SnakeEyes]

I read your instruction sheet to become familiar the Mangrove Jack line of beer kits. The OG number is helpful, especially as you move along and become experienced, but I can understand why it's not there. I noticed it listed the FG which is the number you're after.
It sounds like you didn't stir the yeast after you added it? If you didn't, I'm curious if this could be part of the delay.
Also, knowing what your yeast's temperature range is would be useful. 16C is not an uncommon temperature for fermentation but neither is 18C
In any case, if it is fermenting or has finished fermenting, a FG reading, done as above, will tell you.
I wouldn't mind hearing about the outcome.
Good luck.

I definitely stirred mate. I splashed it all over the kitchen bench . My instructions are are different to the one you posted. It says to add hops after 1 week of fermentation, then leave another 5 days. Is this called dry hopping?

 

[Gerryjo]

MJ yeast for that kit recommends 20° and 16° would certainly help slow down starting but may eventually get there but definitely under stress.18° - 25° is usually the lower to upper on ale yeast.
As per dry hopping you can throw them in any time but don't leave them in too long as they may give of a grassy taste to your beer.
As per the instructions they send you don't have to stir the yeast just sprinkle on top of your wort,seal and put on your airlock which you'll get obsessed with waiting on bubbles.
A good rule of thumb on the forum is usually 2+2+2
2 weeks primary ferment,
2 weeks in secondary,
2 weeks conditioning at bottling kegging.
Eventually you'll find your own niche that suits yourself.
Took a pic of those instructions on MJ's brew instructions website.

Good luck with your brew.

Sent from my ALE-L21 using Tapatalk

 

[GerritT]

I definitely stirred mate. I splashed it all over the kitchen bench . My instructions are are different to the one you posted. It says to add hops after 1 week of fermentation, then leave another 5 days. Is this called dry hopping?

Meh, dryhopping should last 3 to 5 days. (has there ever been proof of the grassy taste for long dry hoppings?!) Anyway what if you dryhop after 1 week, and then start measuring at day 5 of dryhop, and it's still fermenting? So my advice is: ferment for 2 weeks, and then start thinking about dryhopping.

 

[DavidDetroit]

I definitely stirred mate. I splashed it all over the kitchen bench . My instructions are are different to the one you posted. It says to add hops after 1 week of fermentation, then leave another 5 days. Is this called dry hopping?

I laughed when I read that because I instantly got a picture of myself swishing the spoon, just so, to send a stream of beer over my left shoulder and splattering on the floor.
Well, good. You stirred in the yeast (and aerated thoroughly it sounds like). As mentioned above, I'm unfamiliar with sprinkling the yeast onto the wort and not stirring it in.
Yeah, it's called dry-hopping. I think it originated in your neck of the woods (England).
I tried dry hopping once. It worked. I put the pellets in the primary (opening the primary before three weeks is something I LOATHE doing) and the beer had that extra hop-zing to it.
I only made three or four double IPAs because the ABV was high--8% or a bit higher. Even with my very first kit, I thought, "Let's see who makes the biggest (highest ABV) beer kit."
I'm all about doing the Old English Ales, Belgians and that kind of thing.
Cheers

 

[SnakeEyes]

The fermenter is still bubbling, just quiet slowly now. Do I wait until it has stopped fully before taking my specific gravity readings?

 

[GhostShip]

The fermenter is still bubbling, just quiet slowly now. Do I wait until it has stopped fully before taking my specific gravity readings?

No - I would take a reading now, then you've got something to work from. Make a note of the reading and then when you take the next one in a couple of days or so, you have an instant picture of how it's working.

Just make sure your hydrometer is sterilised before putting it in your beer!

 

[SnakeEyes]

No - I would take a reading now, then you've got something to work from. Make a note of the reading and then when you take the next one in a couple of days or so, you have an instant picture of how it's working.

Just make sure your hydrometer is sterilised before putting it in your beer!

Can I sterilise it with boiling water?

 

[GhostShip]

Can I sterilise it with boiling water?

Yes! That's what I normally do.

 

[SnakeEyes]

Yes! That's what I normally do.

Nice one. I didn’t want to waste my sterilisation stuff. Do I take a sample from the fermenter to test or do I drop the hydrometer into it?

 

[GhostShip]

Nice one. I didn’t want to waste my sterilisation stuff. Do I take a sample from the fermenter to test or do I drop the hydrometer into it?

You can do either. If you've got a sample jar, you can take a sample from the fermenter and then drop the hydrometer into the jar - it's often easier to get a reading that way. Again, make sure the sample jar is sterilised before you put it into your beer. Alternatively, just drop the sterilised hydrometer straight into the fermenter and let it settle. If there's lots of foam, it can be difficult to get a reading, but it doesn't sound as if you've got much foam so may be easier for you.

 

[SnakeEyes]

You can do either. If you've got a sample jar, you can take a sample from the fermenter and then drop the hydrometer into the jar - it's often easier to get a reading that way. Again, make sure the sample jar is sterilised before you put it into your beer. Alternatively, just drop the sterilised hydrometer straight into the fermenter and let it settle. If there's lots of foam, it can be difficult to get a reading, but it doesn't sound as if you've got much foam so may be easier for you.

Cheers. I’ll probably be back on tomorrow asking what all the readings mean lol.

 

[SnakeEyes]

Just done my reading. It was about 15ish on the hydrometer. That seems miles away from where I need it to be tho. This seems to be taking a lot longer than the pack indicated.