First time home brewer - a few questions

[Hoppus Extremus]

Hi Everyone,

I'm making my first ever batch of Woodforde's Wherry and have a few questions:

So far I have put the contents of the cans into the fermentation tub, poured in the required amount of boiling water and topped with cold, stirred, added the yeast and stirred again.

It's now in the tub but I do not see many bubbles - is this normal? Temperature is normally constant but with this cold snap I fear it's dropped a bit below 16 during the day. Would this stop the fermentation?

Apologies for what I'm sure seem obvious, I'm still a layman!

Best

 

[carl_saint]

How longs it been in the FV? You ideally want it to between 18-20 c. Temp control is quite critical during the fermenting stage. Try wrapping a blanket around it if you cannot get it warmer!

 

[Mad Dog]

Probably should have added the extract to water, boiled to hot break, then add hops for their boil time, then cooled, then in fermentor with yeast.

 

[fuzzy]

Hello

Welcome to the forum

How long has it been fermenting for? You can’t always see bubbles in the wort, best test is to check for slight foaming on top, that way the yeast is working.

If the temperature is lower at 16c then it will just take longer to ferment.

Hope that helps.

 

[carl_saint]

Probably should have added the extract to water, boiled to hot break, then add hops for their boil time, then cooled, then in fermentor with yeast.

It's a kit he's making!

 

[Hoppus Extremus]

Thanks all. It's been in the tub since Sunday morning and I just heard it bubble through the airlock. Thanks for the tip re: blanket!

I found some instructions on here by a chap called Calum which are far better than the ones that came with the pack. I also just realised I did not take an OG reading. I know what it should finish at so I will follow these new instructions going forward.

I'm going to bottle about 10 bottles and put the rest in a keg. Cannot wait!

 

[dennisking]

Hi and welcome.

 

[Mad Dog]

I guess I've never heard of kits that you don't boil... Sorry.

 

[carl_saint]

Thanks all. It's been in the tub since Sunday morning and I just heard it bubble through the airlock. Thanks for the tip re: blanket!

I found some instructions on here by a chap called Calum which are far better than the ones that came with the pack. I also just realised I did not take an OG reading. I know what it should finish at so I will follow these new instructions going forward.

I'm going to bottle about 10 bottles and put the rest in a keg. Cannot wait!

Don't worry about the OG reading its not critical.

All advise on here is good!

 

[LeedsBrewer]

I guess I've never heard of kits that you don't boil... Sorry.

Yeah kits this side of the pond are all no boil ones. Its an "open the can and pour it into the fv, add water and yeast" thing.

They're pretty good, but you can get bored of them after a while (I like to experiment and there's only so much you can do with kits). From what i've read, most americans seem to start on extract brewing kits. We also do these in the UK. They're a good step up from our basic kits. :thumb: