I'm attempting my first brew, a woodfordes wherry. Its in the FV and for the first couple of days was hissing through the lid nicely. Now it doesn't seem to be doing anything. The lid is still bulging but I can't hear anything coming through the lid. Is it stuck? I haven't taken a hydrometer reading yet, I was going to leave it a week.
1st brew - is it stuck?
- Thread starter matt666
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The initial vigorous fermentation has slowed down and it,s now fermenting just nicely. What temperature are you fermenting at? Is it constant? Don't take the lid off, as you will let out all the co2 (this protects the brew from infection) I always leave my brews for at least 10 days before I take a hydrometer reading. Your wherry will be just fine, patience is the word. Take a reading after about 8 days (ish)
Good luck :p
Hopping_Mad
Regular.
The pressure is not always sufficient or lids airtight enough for your airlock to bubble except when fermentation is most vigorous.
Here's what I do - I very, very gently press the lid down to expel a bit of the CO2, until the lid is no longer bulging - easy does it as you don't want bubbling over the top of the airlock. I usually find when stuff is still fermenting, the lid is a bit tighter after another 24 hours, even though not enough to bubble. Repeat as necessary!
I wouldn't take a reading before 10 days in, and also give it another 3/4 days after gravity readings stabilise so the yeasties can 'clean up' some of their byproducts before bottling/kegging.
Patience my friend!
Here's what I do - I very, very gently press the lid down to expel a bit of the CO2, until the lid is no longer bulging - easy does it as you don't want bubbling over the top of the airlock. I usually find when stuff is still fermenting, the lid is a bit tighter after another 24 hours, even though not enough to bubble. Repeat as necessary!
I wouldn't take a reading before 10 days in, and also give it another 3/4 days after gravity readings stabilise so the yeasties can 'clean up' some of their byproducts before bottling/kegging.
Patience my friend!
ericmark
Regular.
My fermentor has screw top with 25mm hole however the plastic in the cap is so thin getting a rubber bung to seal was hard. So I used an electrical stuffing gland all built with petroleum jelly so very well sealed now even at 16 degrees you can see bubbles although very slow.
With central heating set to 20 degrees switching off at night the beer is around 18 degrees 25 litres is a lot of liquid to heat and cool so stays around mid way. At 18 degrees C with kit yeast activity is very low. Stick on thermometer is very handy. If in early stages you put a body warmer around the beer the heat of the brewing keeps beer warm so in my kitchen around 20 degrees this 2 degrees makes a huge difference in time taken.
I would say around 4 stages with beer. As start very slow (1) then after around 24 hours it goes mad (2) then settles down (3) until around the 1.012 mark then last bit to 1.006 very slow (4).
A beer which says on can around 1 week at 20 degrees will take more like three weeks at 18 degrees the last beer I started I cheated and used a lager yeast (youngs) with this yeast at 18 degrees it seems to go well but unknown what it will taste like. But to date only had three brews stall all were same make and type Coopers Ginger Beer the rest have all gone well with no need to do anything but wait.
With central heating set to 20 degrees switching off at night the beer is around 18 degrees 25 litres is a lot of liquid to heat and cool so stays around mid way. At 18 degrees C with kit yeast activity is very low. Stick on thermometer is very handy. If in early stages you put a body warmer around the beer the heat of the brewing keeps beer warm so in my kitchen around 20 degrees this 2 degrees makes a huge difference in time taken.
I would say around 4 stages with beer. As start very slow (1) then after around 24 hours it goes mad (2) then settles down (3) until around the 1.012 mark then last bit to 1.006 very slow (4).
A beer which says on can around 1 week at 20 degrees will take more like three weeks at 18 degrees the last beer I started I cheated and used a lager yeast (youngs) with this yeast at 18 degrees it seems to go well but unknown what it will taste like. But to date only had three brews stall all were same make and type Coopers Ginger Beer the rest have all gone well with no need to do anything but wait.
Thanks. I don't have an airlock on my FV but it sounds like it's going to plan. The four stages that eric describes, I would say I'm around number 3. It's been in just over a week now so I'll take a reading mid next week and maybe plan on kegging next weekend.
Well a couple of days after I posted it seemed to get a new lease of life all by itself, started hissing again for a day then settled down again. Just taken a reading after 12 days and its at 1.014, which is about what it says in the instructions, and puts it at about 4.5%. I think I'll keg it this weekend. Accidentally splashed a bit while ladling the sample, hope it hasn't spoilt it.
I drank the sample, as you should, and considering its not finished by a long way, it didn't taste bad at all. Bit of a homebrew twang, but it was slightly fizzy and not unpleasant. Makings of a good pint I hope.
I drank the sample, as you should, and considering its not finished by a long way, it didn't taste bad at all. Bit of a homebrew twang, but it was slightly fizzy and not unpleasant. Makings of a good pint I hope.
midnight rider
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There have been many threads on here about Wherry getting stuck and in my opinion it's getting an unjust reputation. Because of this reputation, people sometimes feel that they have to 'do something'.
It's a delightful brew, but don't feel the need to mess with it - it's coming along nicely and don't get it out of the fermenting bin for at least three weeks, even if it looks as if nothing much is happening.
It's a delightful brew, but don't feel the need to mess with it - it's coming along nicely and don't get it out of the fermenting bin for at least three weeks, even if it looks as if nothing much is happening.
I agree with you. I have done this twice now, both brewed short to 20L and added nothing to it. No stuck fermentation and both finished 1n 10 days. Not the most complex beer I've ever tasted but I can see this as a nice session beer. First one was 4.4% and the second was 4.5%. Next one I'm going to brew short to 19L and see what difference it makes to the flavour.
:
mac.eightball
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give it a week inside and then move it out, keep it cold for about 3 weeks and itll be just dandy
Well it lasted a week outside before I had to try some ;-). It tasted pretty good, but had a slightly unfinished after taste. It's been outside for 2 weeks now and I just tried another half and it's even better, the slightly sweet after taste is gone and it's developing nicely.
The problem is it's really gassy, it's almost entirely head when it's poured and it takes 10 minutes to settle to liquid. I'm sure it's the gas which is causing the barrel to leak, I've come back from a week away and a few pints have leaked out from the seal on the tap (wilko keg).
What's causing this, did I prime with too much sugar? I used 85g of demerera. Can I fix it by venting a bit of pressure out of the lid?
The problem is it's really gassy, it's almost entirely head when it's poured and it takes 10 minutes to settle to liquid. I'm sure it's the gas which is causing the barrel to leak, I've come back from a week away and a few pints have leaked out from the seal on the tap (wilko keg).
What's causing this, did I prime with too much sugar? I used 85g of demerera. Can I fix it by venting a bit of pressure out of the lid?
Just for clarification, you won't lose the CO2 if you take the lid off, it is heavier than air and forms a protective layer over the surface of the beer, by pushing the lid down you're expelling air not CO2, and as others say patience is the key with kits, that and throwing the useless instructions away.
