Bit of a Bad Start

[Jamesmcuk]

Hi Everyone, so i did my first brew today but I got too giddy and made a bit of a mess. I am using a Fermentasaurus Conical Fermenter with a Coopers Larger Kit. I ended up pouring the Malt in to the FV and adding cold water on top and having to stir it like made to mix it all up. Anyway it did eventually mix and I thought it was now going well. The temp was fine so I shoved in the yeast which it said to sprinkle on top but I couldn't really do that as the hole at the top is small so I just stirred it in.

At this point I sat back only to realize there was a 1kg bag of sugar there doing nothing. So I just dumped it in and stirred like crazy again.

Since this I have got it right in my mind now about what I should have done but I am worried that its not right now. Just a few hours after mixing it all up again and there is a lot of sediment in the bottom and seeing as the only powder thing in it was the sugar I am worried its that.

It is that or is it normal? Heres a pic. I have swirled it all round a few times and it just keeps settling.

Thanks in advance.

James

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
Welcome to the forum.
Do you have any other brewing vessels, e.g. a plastic 25 litre food-safe bucket?
I believe that the kit extract needs to be mixed with boiling water to get it to dissolve, then the sugar (or whatever fermntable that is being used) is added and stirred to dissolve it, then cold water added to bring the mixture up to the desired volume.
The fermentasaurus is rated to 40°C max, so you must do the mixing in another vessel and transfer when cool enough.

 

[Jamesmcuk]

Many thanks for the reply amd yes I think thats what I will do next time it makes much more sense. That said the instructions don't mention hot or boiling water at all, it just says mix with 2 litres of water. Anyway its too late now its in haha

What do you think that stuff in the pic is thats settling out so soon?

 

[terrym]

Looks like sugar to me, far too much for a 7g packet of yeast!
If you can mix up the contents of your FV I would do that, but not heat it or you will kill the yeast.
Otherwise just leave it and see what happens. Sooner or later the sugar and malt gloop will go into solution and the yeast should be able to get going.

 

[Mavroz]

Looks like the sugar hasn't dissolved to me.
As Col said, the norm is to mix the Malt Extract up with the sugar and a few litres of hot or boiling water.
Then again as said, top up with cold water.....

As it is, if it is the sugar, i doubt the ferment will go well.

What temperature was the liquids in the vessel, especially if you used cold when you added the yeast?

Too cold and you may have also shocked or killed the yeast.

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
Could it be the sugar?
I've found two sets of instructions for Cooper's kits, and both ask for 2 litres of boiling water.

 

[Jamesmcuk]

It was at 20 degrees when I aded the yeast as I did put in some boiled water to help thin the malt.

Like you say Bigcol it makes sense for it to be that but see these pics. 1 is the instructions the other is the website the instructions refer too.

 

[Ciaran12s]

I have chucked the brew enhancer in once topped off to brewlength to find it clumps up solidly and no amount of stirring or scraping on the sides is going to break up. The kit yeast was pitched and the expected FG was reached. I think it will probably be fine going by my experience. It's hard not to worry though!

 

[Linalmeemow]

If you're worried give it a really good shake to get whatever the sediment is back into suspension. The wort colour looks OK so I'd guess the syrup dissolved OK.

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi @Jamesmcuk
Those instructions are poor - I'm surprised at Coopers!
The usual way that I do it is to get as much boiling water as is needed to dissolve the fermentables - dry malt extract (DME) is a bugger to dissolve as it clumps up and needs a damn good thrashing!
This means that I need to allow cooling time before pitching the yeast.

 

[Jamesmcuk]

Thanks for all the answers its good to hear that others have done similar and its turned out. I will swill it about a bit for a day or two and then just let it sit and see what happens.

@BigCol. yes they are poor but at least I know for next time. Even just knowing to stand the can in hot water to heat and thin the malt would have been good to be on the instructions - very strange.

Thanks again - will update if there are any changes

 

[Jamesmcuk]

Well after settling to about an 1 inch deep in the collection jar and about the same above the valve, this morning it is bubbling away nicely and pretty much all the stuff above the valve is gone and only about half an inch is left in the collection jar so its looking much better.

 

[Mavroz]

You can only wait to see what it is like and tastes like after a few weeks conditioning.

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi @Jamesmcuk
I don't have a fermentasurus (but want one!) and I am ready to be corrected, but I thought that the valve would be closed when it is filled with wort i.e. the capture bottle would be empty. I imagined that the valve would be opened only to drop trub after fermentation is over.

 

[Ciaran12s]

I'd have thought the same @Bigcol49 . I haven't got one either, i would like three of them. I reckon the yeast and trub will displace that liquid in the bottle as it begins to settle out anyway though

 

[Jamesmcuk]

There is a new fermentasarus - Gen2 - coming next year. It has a better stand, bigger butterfly valve opening - less clogging, and a larger catch bottle.

I am not sure BigCol/Ciaran if it should or shouldn't be open. The manual doesnt tell you how to brew in it. The only reference to the Bottle and valve says that its primary use is collection and harvesting of yeast, but I don't know at what point you would do that anyway? It also says it can be used for Dry hopping, sampling, Trub removal and Pitching Yeast. The last point of pitching yeast would lead me to believe that the valve would therefore be open from the start and removed closed only when you wanted to empty it.

Like I say though I don't really know as the instructions are poor and without good instructions I am like a one legged man in an ass kicking contest.

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi @Jamesmcuk
You may find better instructions by trawling the internet, especially You Tube. There are a few clips about the Fermentasaurus.

 

[Ciaran12s]

Mind you, if it's left closed from the beginning and the bottle is full of air, when the valve gets opened after fermentation has finished, that air is going to bubble through the beer. An oxidation risk perhaps?

 

[dan125]

I usually leave the valve closed on my FS until I'm ready to start removing trub/yeast, when fermentation is nearly done.
But like @Ciaran12s says you don't want to be introducing O2 at that stage, so I purge the bottles with CO2 before attaching.

EDIT - should be fine with the bottle attached from the beginning though - when the yeast flocculates it should settle in the bottle OK

 

[Jamesmcuk]

Cheers Dan - I take you have one of these FVs then and judging by your wording I assume you use it quite a bit? How do you find it. I am a total novice brewer so I got this trying to give myself the best chance of achieving something drinkable even if it was a bit pricey.

She is certainly looking more like I expected now.