First time brewing and need help

DomBray · Oct 20, 2009

Hi all,

I've bought a home brew starter kit and one of the woodfordes (Nelson's revenge) sets of yeast and wort.

I followed all the instructions but I've hit a snag. The instructions say the brew should sit in the fermentation bucket for 4-6 days untill the gravity is below 1.014. Well my brew has been in the bucket now for 8 days and the gravity has just reached 1.018 (on saturday is was at 1.020 so it is fermenting). So I have some worries.. The instructions tell me to transfer this to my keg (once it reaches 1.014) and add some sugar (1/2 tea spoon per pint) and leave it for 14 days.

Well I had timed my brew to be ready for a party on Halloween. So this is what I need to know, should I add some yeast to speed up the remaining fermentation and the conditiong once in the keg, or leave it alone keg it once it reaches 1.014 and see how good it is or isn't when my party arrives?

Any advice would be awesome...

Dom

A T · Oct 20, 2009

Hi Dom, i usually leave my beers in the fermenter for 10 days, it gives the yeast a chance to clean up after themselves

What temperature are you fermenting at? if it's to cool the yeast will work slower.
The general rule is to bottle or keg when you get the same reading for 2 days, i would expect it to drop a few more points but don't be overly worried if it doesn't reach the stated FG

prolix · Oct 20, 2009

I agree 10 days ok for fermentation to finish and yeast to start dropping.

If you use finnings you can clear the beer in next to no time and be able to drink at Halloween

get some gelatine sachets from the super market and a 1 pint measuring jug

open one and add cold water about twice as much as the powder leave it 10 mins to soak up the water put kettle on leave for the ten mins aswell then add 100ml of slightly cooled hot water to the gelatine and stir until all disolved. Add beer from the fermenter to the jug to get nearly a pint stir well then gently pour back into the fermenter and stir gentlly to mix.

leave for the last two days of fermentation. then barrel with 80g of sugar.

should leave you with clear beer that should be ready by halloween, probably a bit green but I like to leave mine 4 weeks to condition before drinking.

hope that helps

DomBray · Oct 20, 2009

Awesome!! :thumb:

*leaves for supermarket immediately*

I'm fermenting in the warmsest room in the house, I suppose it's around a steady 19-20 centegrade in here most of the time. Do i need to be warmer?