Gravity and fermenting newbie

[DMB]

Hi.

I'm brewing my second kit and don't want this one to go wrong too....!

The fermentation got off to a slow start due to our low and variable house temp (16 to 20 degrees max), but developed a good foam.

Fermentation appears to have stopped after 4 days, so I have checked the gravity, which reads high at 1030. It certainly tastes like beer, but too sweet.

Should I agitate the yeast and leave it for a few more days, or just leave it as it is?

Thanks, David.

 

[clibit]

Yes rouse the yeast gently, and be patient. 16-20 is fine, it will be slow at 16 but it's better than fermenting quickly at 25.

 

[Fil]

+1, try insulating the bucket with a spare sleeping bag or anything you have to keep the low temps off it, the yeast will generate a lil heat too so it may be all you need.

 

[melotone]

If the rousing does not work you could try adding half a packet of yeast. Drain a little wort and put the dry yeast in it for a while till it starts foaming a bit. Then add it to your wort by spreading it evenly over the surface. Be sure to sanitize everything before you start: container, spoon, etc. As Fil mentioned a good insulation round the bucket like a blanket or an old quill will help keep the temp steady.

 

[ericmark]

I made an error with a kit lager instructions said 18ºC to 26ºC so I set temperature controller to 18ºC. After 6 days raised to 20ºC but as a result of being too cool bottled too early. This was back 14th Dec 2014 and today 18th I have poured all bottles back into the fermentor. My house was 16ºC at night and 20ºC in the day but the fermentor was more like 17.5ºC to 18.5ºC and it was common for a brew to take 30 days. The idea of the temperature controller was to reduce that time but I guessed wrong at temperature. At 19 ~ 19.5ºC the kits run great but at 18ºC near to stalled.

At the start the fermenting produces heat and an old body warmer is ample but as the fermenting continues the heat produced tails off and there is really no option but to warm it. Problem as I found out even though 18W is ample if your not watching you can easy over shoot.

I fiddled around for 2 years before I bit the built and built a temperature controller. I know many use fish tank heaters even a pygmy bulb at 15W gives out enough heat and I at one time used an old cat flee catcher under a plastic stool with the fermentor on top with body warmers. Body warmers are great as air lock sticks out of the neck.

But placing closer to a radiator may be enough. Until temperature controller I used a stick on temperature strip and a lot of hit and miss. But still some good beer. Today it's a switched off fridge freezer in garage and an old demo under floor heating tile controlled by a temperature controller with the sensor held to side of fermentor under a sponge under a rubber band. It does not need the fridge a body warmer would do the same.

But 40 pints takes both some heating and cooling so any temperature change is slow. So in my kitchen 14 ~ 20ºC fermenter was 16 ~ 18ºC and really at 18ºC it's too cold. Put a body warmer on at night and that can just tip the balance and get it running again.