Another noob question ...

[wellyfish]

Hi,

I've had my brew going since last Sunday so, a week now.

I checked it earlier in the week and it was bubbling and had a head on it. :thumb:

Then, checked it today and it's not bubbling, has no head (or foam) on top and it looks like dishwater.

I took a hydrometer reading and that said 1010 (just on the edge of the red band on the instrument). OG was 1044.

Question is, has the brew finished fermenting and is ready for bottling ... or ... should I let it stand a few more days until the hydrometer reads lower?

Thanks in advance,
Mark

 

[darrenwest1]

that sounds right check with the hydrometer for 3 days running to ensure that it stays the same then its done

 

[corby_brewer]

It does sound like it finished to me. Out of interest what brew was it Mark?

 

[wellyfish]

It does sound like it finished to me. Out of interest what brew was it Mark?

It was a Coopers Lager kit.

 

[Cussword]

Coopers lagers generally finish at 1006, but as said before, if you get the same reading for three days it's generally done :thumb:

 

[wellyfish]

Thanks guys ... another question (or two)

I've got about 40 or so clear 33cl glass bottles which I was hoping to use to bottle my brew.

The instructions with the kit say to add 8g of sugar per litre of beer when bottling.

Working that out in relation to 33cl comes out as 2.64gms ber 33cl bottle.

Now I don't reckon I'll be able to get anywhere near that accuracy ... So, how important is it to stick to the 8gm per litre equation and ... what will happen if I'm under (or over) that ratio?

Thanks,
Mark.

p.s. brew is at 1009 today.

 

[wellyfish]

Durrrr ....

just searched around a little and read about batch priming etc.

So I'll use that technique - save me from having to count grains of sugar!! :clap:

Cheers.

 

[luckyeddie]

What I tend to do at the end of the primary is to siphon off into another fermenter to start off the secondary. That's the time I add the priming sugar. During the siphon process, just run off half a litre or so of your beer into a jug then add the sugar to that, stir vigourously then slosh that into the new fermenter - the rest of the siphoning process will ensure that it mixes thoroughly. I then re-fix the airlock and seal the lid (my fermenters are thse Youngs buckets and I've cut a hole in the top of each to accept an airlock bung) with petroleum jelly and then complete the sealing process with parcel tape.

I don't ever bottle until a day or two into the secondary fermentation - and (famous last words) I've never had a bottle bomb or flat beer.

Back in the days when I only had one fermenter, I used to siphon into my barrel (one of those Cellarman jobs), even if I was going to bottle. I would then draw off a couple of litres into a jug, mix the sugar into that and then put about 50 mls of that into each bottle before jugging the rest of the unsugared beer into the bottles. Incredibly fiddly.

You can never have too many buckets.

 

[StubbsPKS]

The batch priming is definitely the way to do it.

I usually just use my plastic Keg, but even when kegging into that I bottle a few.

The process I use is to boil the correct amount of sugar (depends on your kit instructions if doing a kit) in as little water as needed, let cool and add while siphoning from my secondary to my keg.


I then use the tap on the keg coupled with a bottling stick to bottle a six pack or so in case I want to gift some or travel with my beer : :

 

[Good Ed]

What I tend to do at the end of the primary is to siphon off into another fermenter to start off the secondary. That's the time I add the priming sugar. During the siphon process, just run off half a litre or so of your beer into a jug then add the sugar to that, stir vigourously then slosh that into the new fermenter - the rest of the siphoning process will ensure that it mixes thoroughly. I then re-fix the airlock and seal the lid (my fermenters are thse Youngs buckets and I've cut a hole in the top of each to accept an airlock bung) with petroleum jelly and then complete the sealing process with parcel tape.

I don't ever bottle until a day or two into the secondary fermentation - and (famous last words) I've never had a bottle bomb or flat beer.

The secondary phase is a conditioning phase; after the initial fermentation stage and you have reached a stable SG, the beer is allowed 4-5 days secondary conditioning, at the same temperature, for the yeast to clean up after themselves (there is a more technical description if you wish to do some research) this improves the taste of the beer :thumb: . Some people just leave it in the primary FV for longer, some people rack off to a secondary FV. After this you can then store the beer for a few days at a cool temperature to help clearing. It is then after this stage that you would batch prime and bottle; the priming sugar then ferments inside the bottle providing the carbonation and adding to the flavour.

When batch priming, work out the amount of sugar to add, then boil it with some water for 15mins, cool and add this to your bucket, then rack the beer into the bucket, taking care not to splash, as this is detrimental to the flavour, and then bottle.

Good luck :

 

[wellyfish]

Good Ed,

Little bit confused now ... so, more questions!

I wait until I get stable SG for three days, that means fermenting has stopped, yes?

At that point do I let the brew sit for 4 or 5 days doing nothing?
Then store it at a cooler temp for a few days (how many days) to clear?
Then put the the required sugar (does it matter what kind of sugar?) into a different fv/bucket, then add the brew to it?
Then prime and bottle?

 

[craigite]

You'll have figure we all do it different

After the first week or so and when you get the same hydrometer reading I say the fermentation is done (primary).

I choose this as a good time to carefully transfer to second FV and put is somewhere cool. The transfer into 2nd FV is simply to get if off all that dead yeast etc though not vital. The move to cool temp is to allow the suspended yeast to fall down so helping to get clear beer.

After a week or so in cool I then transfer into 3rd FV to which Ive already added priming sugar dissolved into little boiling water. This is simply cos this way priming sugar gets evenly distributed throughout beer. Then immediately bottle beer. Even if the beer is bright clear there is still a sufficient amount of yeast suspended to condition the beer in the bottle.

Note, at all stages after the first 24hrs into the fermentation try to minimise mixing air into brew and sterilise everything that's to come into contact with brew.

Does this help? :wha:

 

[Sussex Hopburner]

Good Ed,

Little bit confused now ... so, more questions!

I wait until I get stable SG for three days, that means fermenting has stopped, yes?

At that point do I let the brew sit for 4 or 5 days doing nothing?
Then store it at a cooler temp for a few days (how many days) to clear?
Then put the the required sugar (does it matter what kind of sugar?) into a different fv/bucket, then add the brew to it?
Then prime and bottle?

I dont bother with the cooler temp stage after initial fermentation, I tend to go straight from 1st fermentation on to 2nd Fermentation. I'm always worried I will kill off the yeasties by leaving them in the cold, and have 40 bottles of flat cider to show for where I did try leaving a gap between these stages.

I leave the cooling and clearing until after 2nd fermentation, ensuring you sample regularly :drink:

 

[wellyfish]

Thanks guys,

Does this help?

kind of ... looks like a choice between two stages (with two buckets) and three stages (with three buckets).

I think I'll go for the two stage approach.

does the beer look any cloudier because of the two stage approach?

 

[Good Ed]

As craigite says, each to their own :thumb:

welly, whatever you choose to do you only need 2 buckets/FVs; 1 full and 1 empty; and yes the general rule is 3 consecutive days at the same SG and the primary fermentation has finished.

the important principle is to allow a period of secondary conditioning, which will improve the beer. After the primary phase where the yeast converts the majority of the sugars to alcohol, the yeast then turns to the more difficult sugars and also things that tend to impare the flavour of the beer, hence the phrase "cleaning up after themselves" (clever things them yeasties). You will usually find that the beer is nice and clear after this stage, so cooling is not essential. After bottling, the beer may not be completely clear, but this is because the primary sugar is now fermenting, but after a few days to a week in the warm, this will be finished and the beer will be clear ready for storing, and sampling of course :drink:

 

[wellyfish]

Ok, so is 2nd fermentation always done in a different vessel?
Can't I simply add the priming sugar into the brew in the FV it's already in?

Whether I can use only one fv or not, how long should I leave the brew (after batch priming) in the vessel before bottling?

and there's more :thumb:

I'll sterilise the bottles (do I need to sterilise the caps too?) but what can I wash them out with after sterilisation - tap water?

Thanks for your patience!

 

[Good Ed]

Ok, so is 2nd fermentation always done in a different vessel?
Can't I simply add the priming sugar into the brew in the FV it's already in?

the idea is to siphon off the clear beer off the trub at the bottom of the primary FV; if you add the priming sugar to the primary FV you will disturb all the trub and mess up your beer; so you go from primary to secondary, and leave in the secondary for a few days.

Whether I can use only one fv or not, how long should I leave the brew (after batch priming) in the vessel before bottling?

you then siphon off the beer from the secondary to another bucket onto your priming sugar, making sure you don't splash it around, and then you bottle straight away

and there's more :thumb:

I'll sterilise the bottles (do I need to sterilise the caps too?) but what can I wash them out with after sterilisation - tap water?

Thanks for your patience!

yes you need to sanitise the caps; you need to rinse everything thoroughly several times with tap water.

this forum teaches you patience good luck :

 

[wellyfish]

you then siphon off the beer from the secondary to another bucket onto your priming sugar, making sure you don't splash it around, and then you bottle straight away

Thanks Good Ed ...what's the reason for siphoning into another bucket from the secondary FV? Can't I do it straight from the secondary?

 

[Good Ed]

again you will get settlement during the secondary, and as we are talking about batch priming your beer, you siphon the clear beer off any trub that has settled into another bucket containing your priming sugar. If you add the priming sugar to the secondary you will mix in any settlement that has occured when you stir in the sugar.

 

[wellyfish]

Cheers Good Ed,

That explains it.

Just one last question ... for now

I got a barrel with the kit I bought - got a screw top and a tap on it.

Is there any reason I can't use that as the secondary then use the tub I used as the primary fv to add the sugar to and bottle from?

Thanks again.