A Newby brewer 'Hello' & i need a lil advice..

[Jimblez]

Hey all, my first post on the forum here and I kinda need a bit of re-assurance im not doing this completely wrong..
So, I started a Youngs Premium American IPA kit around 12 days ago. SG was 1042 and i've added the hops yesterday going by the instructions as i thought my grav was at 1010 i was actually a little bit out and i had read the meter wrong like a totally wally. But i added hops (Bagged) maybe 2 days early. Now i can smell those citrussy, maybe zesty even tones and there is some weird like cardboard/sawdust smell.. I recognised the smell from ales ive had at my local.. so i knew its working there on the flav department, But its super cloudy and i know i'm gonna have some haze to the final product.
This doesn't bother me at all. I wanted to try and get it as clear as possible so i've been told by a friend to take the hops out after 3 days (that'll be tomorrow ) and then add my finings. and then leave for 2 days and then barrell it..
I cant help but feel im way off that yet. After looking around on here and a couple other places seeing the same kit had the same issues with haze, im feeling i need to do the finings indefinitely. BUT, i did check my grav meter and im sitting at 1012 atm and it needs to be 1008 before i consider racking.
Will it affect my yeast in conditioning/carbonation if i put finings in or am i mis-understanding the finings. Its at around 4.1% at the moment and this ones meant to go to 5.6% but the grav meter hasn't changed in 2 days that's why i added my hops.. but i feel i've jumped the gun.

my plan of action is
1. Tommorrow remove my bag of hops before we hit those grassy notes.
2. Leave for 2 more days and check the grav... If its still the same should i be thinking adding finings and leave for further 2 days.. THEN barrell it!
I am a bit of a noob and really trying not to cock it up but feel like my eagerness is getting the better of me and hard when u haven't really got anyone to confide in, hense me joining this group.. any advice is supremely welcome.. as for now i'll keep perusing this awesome forum.

thanks guys :)

 

[Clint]

Does that kit come with finings?
If you've bought finings hold back for now!
I'm sure I've done it a few times...and it's a good one!
Yes,I have done it.
Leave the hops in, you won't get any "grassy" stuff going on...I've left dry hops in for weeks and can't find any grassy things!
You are right to wait for the final gravity..when it's stable for a couple of days you can keg or bottle.
Do you have temp control? If you do set it to a couple of degrees and chill it for a couple of days. If you don't...don't worry,it'll be fine!
What's the suggested final gravity...I can't remember! What I do remember is that some kits took another week to crawl into the right numbers.
As for hazy beer....just right for an American IPA!!

 

[Jimblez]

My temps are sitting around 22 and kinda fluctuating to 23/24 when the heating goes on but im trying my hardest to keep the temps stable. its been 22*c for the majority of the ferment so it hasnt been going off into low or high numbers.. Thanks for the reassurance of the grav reading i know NOT to bottle until ferment is finished or im basically making bottle bombs haha
It didn't come with finings No, but i did buy some and they arrived yesterday, 1 day delivery.. crazy fast.

it says the Final Gravity should be around 1008.. so im about 0004 off that number.. but i swear that it hasnt moved off the 1012 for a couple days ive been taking readings for last 2 days and it hasnt moved, including today.. so im unsure wether its stalled the yeast by putting these hops in or if im just being impatient, I have a feeling you are right about the extra week, i've read on here actually just earlier that it does need that extra week for the last bit of fermenting to happen and with the hops dude ive been so worried about adding too much, do i bag or not.. so i jsut went for it the whole 50g in a bag in the bucket.. and then spent 2 days worrying i had done this wrong haha.. i think it should be ok..


But just that one reply is very reassuring man. thank you :)
E2a:: The Youngs kits are great but i don't know whether i'm just being a bit autistic or what but i cannot make heads or tails of the instructions sometimes. gives lots of tips in the instructions so im like should i do that or not.. is it telling me i have to do that or is that just extra work..

 

[Clint]

You're bang on track! Yeah I remember now...it'll take a few more days to get to fg but it will.
Personally I'd not use the finings unless you or your guests have hang ups with hazy beer.
Hazy,in the right beer,is GOOD!
Yes the instructions can be a bit confusing!
With kits just use all the ingredients they give you...if you need to adjust for your taste do it next time as if you do it the first time you'll have no benchmark.
Just give us lot a shout and we usually can help!

 

[Rwilts]

Nothing further to add to what @Clint has said, sounds like your going to make a good beer

 

[The Baron]

Welcome to the forum

 

[Jimblez]

Thanks guys this place is honestly a god send.. Ive been nattering to my misses for weeks and she literally doesnt listen to me about it haha.. its nice to confide in some people with the same love of this hobby, it isnt my first brew, actually my third but being i hit 40 the other wek and thought u know what i dont really go out much i dont do a lot outside of these 4 walls. Time to get the FV out of hiding and fill her up.. And here i am.
After reading a few threads on here. I think im completely reading my hydrometer wrong, lots of threads state, 1052 SG, i read mine at 1042 (thats what i wrote down).. hmm.. ive realise today ive probably mucked up on that, but my Grav reading today says 1012... So actually its me that's wrong from the start, i should of realised. soo if im right in thinking this.. i should be somewhat on track... think it still needs 5 days to a week tho...
think i need to invest in a proper accurate hydrometer, those glass tubes ones are fragile af and i know im gonna do this again at some point haha..
Ty Baron, and thank you clint for the reassurance.. I'm getting butterflys now i know its on track.. Id love to be drinking it by xmas but i think im a few weeks of that yet.. thanks again guys, ill keep ya updated

 

[tigertim]

Leave the hops in, you won't get any "grassy" stuff going on...I've left dry hops in for weeks and can't find any grassy things!

This. I agonised over this "rule" when I first started dry hopping; I once almost cancelled a weekend away when I realised it would mean the hops were in for six days instead of three! But I've since also left dry hops in for weeks and have struggled to detect anything I would regard as negative.

 

[tigertim]

After reading a few threads on here. I think im completely reading my hydrometer wrong, lots of threads state, 1052 SG, i read mine at 1042 (thats what i wrote down).. hmm.. ive realise today ive probably mucked up on that, but my Grav reading today says 1012...

Unless you're desperate to know exactly what your final ABV is, your absolute hydrometer reading isn't particularly important with beer kits. All you really need to take from it is that it's the same reading for a few days in a row so you know when you're ready to rack.

 

[Jimblez]

This. I agonised over this "rule" when I first started dry hopping; I once almost cancelled a weekend away when I realised it would mean the hops were in for six days instead of three! But I've since also left dry hops in for weeks and have struggled to detect anything I would regard as negative.

This is what was griping me for a bit, the hops.. when to add, and how much to put in.... But if you guys recon its gonna be fine then that weight is off my shoulders.. ill jsut leave the Fv for a few more days and get some more readings before i even touch the barrell

 

[Clint]

It's totally fine..now go get a beer and chill out!

 

[Old Fart At Play]

It is very easy to stress unnecessarily when brewing. Most of the time things work out fine.

EG gravity of 1012 instead if 1008 - no need to worry. Generally speaking I just leave beer in fermenter for a firtnight then I bottle it. I only take a gravity reading to calculate the ABV%.

I recommend keeping notes about each brew, it will help you learn more quickly.

Welcome to the forum, and to one of the best pastimes there is! Cheers

 

[Jimblez]

It is very easy to stress unnecessarily when brewing. Most of the time things work out fine.

EG gravity of 1012 instead if 1008 - no need to worry. Generally speaking I just leave beer in fermenter for a firtnight then I bottle it. I only take a gravity reading to calculate the ABV%.

I recommend keeping notes about each brew, it will help you learn more quickly.

Welcome to the forum, and to one of the best pastimes there is! Cheers

Thanks old fart, it most certainly a great hobby to have. Ive been a drinker since my teens (now 40, bday last week), at times too much as im sure we all have but ive always wanted to get into it more and learn the science behind what's been getting me wrecked for years. I quit drinking a few years back and found myself not really enjoying it anymore. I started to realise its really expensive to go out and the company i was keeping was actually jsut based around booze, i didnt want to become that guy so i just didnt really touch a drop for couple of years. My brother runs a local ale house and I'ver sampled hundreds of different flavours. Nearly ALL the kent brewerys have been on my tongue haha.. But for now, im dabbling and really enjoying my own brews, the wait is not so long and the patience will always pay off. Once ive got my system down im good to go. Its just nice to be able to speak about what i've got going and have some guys tell me where im going wrong or how to fix any issue in my brews.
I will be stepping up doing some mead have 4 x demi johns coming friday and some more FV's for my parents early xmas present of a *drum roll* Another brew kit!!!
This week im going to start some mead so i think once ive got my brew in the barrell from this lot i will get my demi johns sterilised and ready. Ive already started getting honey.
anyways im waffling... thanks man... happy brewing

 

[Jimblez]

I took a reading of my brew and it's sitting at around 1012 still. so i gathered fermentation has finished so i didn't hesitate and cleaned the Barrell around lunchtime today. Found and cleaned my Syphoning Wand and used an Aldi re-usable fruit & veg bag, there nylon but it seemed to work a flippin treat Just tried directly around the bottom with the drawstring! 30p well spent!
Added the Sugar into the barrel once i had taken as much from the Fv without getting the bottom filth barely. i avoided using finings and have used a valve pressure cap incase i need to c02 it. I dont think it'll be nessacary but ive got it so why not eh :) .
So Having a FV empty and the barrel full of American IPA i was thinking should i get another one fermenting Soon as Possible.... So as I had just been given a crate load of bottling, brewing, corking, not to mention a few packs of extra yeast in a whole kit from my folks and an Early crimbo present I got cleaning, boiling and mixing.
Just filled up a festival Pale Ale kit. Gonna give this one a whirl. It takes on 15 days to bottle apparently, its a 5 day ferment, 5 day hops, 5 days clearing... then longer for better beer.. Looking like The new years gonna be a good one :)

merry xmas

 

[Rwilts]

Great, keep the production line running

 

[Old Fart At Play]

Great, keep the production line running , obvs don't agree with 15 day timeline suggested by manufacturers, why rush it . Leave it two weeks in fermenter etc..

+1