Help needed for first timer

[Del]

First attempt at home brewing.
Using a Woodfords Sundew kit. Fermenter in a temperature controlled water bath at 20° Extremely active for first two days then calmed down and bubbled away for the next six days - kit says 4-6 days but not concerned. No obvious activity today so dropped the hydrometer into the bin and it's reading 1.020. Instructions reckon below 1.014 so refitted airlock but no activity even after an hour and now I am concerned. What can have gone wrong or is this pretty normal and I should keg it anyway?
Hope I haven't wasted it either way.

 

[oldbloke]

While we wait for experienced kit makers to turn up...
I recently had a Geordie Mild kit finsih above the gravity suggested. I put it down to using spraymalt instead of sugar. Cracking drink anyway.
If you are about 006 high, that's only a bit over half a percent alcohol lost. Could even be just the need for temp correction of the reading.
Checked the hydrometer in plain water?

 

[whiter shade of ale]

Don't be too worried. A lack of airlock activity doesn't mean it's stopped fermenting. If your using a bucket type FV the lids often don't form an airtight seal and co2 could be escaping there. Leave it another few days and check the gravity again. This will also help the beer clear a bit more as more yeast will drop out of suspension

 

[beermaker]

I wouldn't unduly worry, as previously said, fv's aren't always airtight. Check your hydrometer is reading correctly, ensure you correct for temperature following the instructions that came with it and then check the gravity over a period of several days. When its static for three or so days you're done :thumb:

Wassail!
Phil

 

[lukehgriffiths]

New brewer stuff...
Might be temp correction (if the liquid is 20C it is no issue) but did you check with thermometer/probe to be sure. If colder it is likely to read higher than it really is.

Also if you removed the lid/airlock to check gravity the CO2 under pressure will have escaped meaning that it would need to build up enough to force bubbles out.

Follow the safe system of leaving it a little longer (I give a min 2 weeks in primary before kegging) post kegging a min 2 weeks in warm conditions then min 1 week per ABV (plus a couple more if you can stand it longer time leads to significantly better beer). First brews never get it so try to do some more so you can give them a bit longer while tucking into the first one.

Most kit brewers seem to feel that the instructions give too short an estimate for brewing time.

 

[Del]

Thanks for all the advice. Checked the hydrometer in water at 20° and it reads 1.000. Had to prise the lid off the bin to drop in the hydrometer so pretty sure no gas was escaping though I'll bow to your greater knowledge. Appreciate the comment about the build-up of gas although 24 hours later there still isn't any evident activity. Will leave for a few more days and then re-check - although this time I won't sterilise all the kegging kit beforehand. We did have a night at minus six on Sunday although I thought the water bath should have kept the brew OK (it's in a concrete garage) so I was more concerned that the yeast had stopped and what you might do in that instance.

 

[Del]

Given it three more days, no airlock activity, and got three more readings of 1.020. Have I lost the brew?

 

[Ian...]

Give it a good stir with a sanitized spoon (without splashing). It'll start up again.
:

 

[johnnyboy1965]

Are you bottling or kegging?

 

[Del]

Intention was to keg due to a lack of space for 80 bottles (40 drinking/40 maturing). I've given it a decent, controlled, stir and popped the lid back on - presume it takes 48 hours for anything noticeable to happen.

 

[johnnyboy1965]

If you can put it in a keg, that would be better

 

[Del]

Sorry johnnyboy, you've totally lost me as a beginner. Surely I can't keg it at 1.020 - to my mind that's only half brewed so I need to get the yeast working again to get the SG closer to 1.000. Feel free to correct me.