help needed i think?

[trikerjim]

Hi all . i bought a starter kit from the range, and a pilsner kit. i followed the instructions to the letter and started it all off on Sunday 12th. it bubbled vigourously for a couple o days and developed a frothy head , now it all seems to have subsided and i am left with a bit of froth on top as it has all died down. it smells very sweet. i didnt have a hydrometer at the start so have nothing to compare it to but i do have one now, and it reads 1.018. my hydrometer has 3 coloured increments at the top , red yellow and green . this figure is at the very bottom, about to enter into the red , nowhere near the yellow or green. the kit says to leave 10 days then bottle. i am wondering if it has come to a stop due, if at all, due to temperature. it is sitting at between 17 and 19 degrees in front room, depending if the heating is on or not.or am i just worrying and should i leave it till wednesday (day 10) at least. your advise as to where to go from here would be appreciated
jim

 

[fermentall]

Hi Jim,basically take the kit info with a pinch of salt m8,temp is slightly low but nothing to worry about it will just take slightly longer to ferment out.Let it carry on fermenting & check it in a few days, when the hydro readings stay the same over 3 consecutive days it's finished, leave it for a couple more after it's finished for the yeast to clean up & prime/bottle or keg.Don't try & rush it :nono: & enjoy :thumb: : ken.

 

[trikerjim]

thanks Ken. Thats what i was hoping someone would say. If the hydro readings stay as high as it is now tho, for 3 consecutive days, is that too high? does this mean that the sugar hasnt all been used up, fermentation not took place fully. i dont want to rush it but likewisw want to take remedial action sooner rather than later if need be
cheers

 

[lukehgriffiths]

Hi,
Having not done kits I cannot say if 1018 is high. I leave mine in primary for 11 days then test 3 days. That has always been constant at 1012 about 70% conversion
I then chuck it in a cold place for a day or two before barrelling.

 

[trikerjim]

mmm. because we work full time and we only put the heating on when we get in the temp in our living room does fluctuate depending on the weather. i am wondering, would it be beneficial to use a aquarium heater, to keep the temperature at a constant 20 degrees. there is no room in our airing cupboard so i have the bucket in the front room.i am just concerned of how to run the lead into the bucket without risking infection getting in
jim

 

[pittsy]

hi jim , your on to a good thing there only place the fv into a larger bucket with water in it (some use builders buckets , i have 70l containers around £7 from budget stores ) and place heater in bucket not fv , and also get 2 digital aquarium thermometers with probes (£4) the reason is place 1 in fv and 1 in bucket , the yeast heats fv up by around 2 to 3c in the first few days but will drop to water bucket temp after that so you can see real fv temp and adjust heater as needed.

 

[joe1002]

1.018 is a bit high to bottle. If it doesn't shift from there have a read of the stuck fermentation in the how to section.

Re aquarium heater, get a larger vessel, something like this which you can fill with water and put an aquarium heater in (and your fv of course) :thumb:

Edit: Pittsy can type faster than me :lol:

 

[trikerjim]

That is perfect, would i need the water level in the container at the same level that is in the FV or will a few inches in it heat up all the liquid in the Fv. This seems a great way to go for me as i van then put it all in the garage if i can keep the temperature constant.
jim

 

[pittsy]

That is perfect, would i need the water level in the container at the same level that is in the FV or will a few inches in it heat up all the liquid in the Fv. This seems a great way to go for me as i van then put it all in the garage if i can keep the temperature constant.
jim

Exactly mate :thumb: yes a few inches lower than fv level is ideal (p.s fill it after placing fv in as a third is enough to overflow if fv placed in after)

 

[trikerjim]

wicked, thanks for the idea guys. thats that sorted then B and Q it is tomorrow. happy days. :

 

[joe1002]

I would also add the water to your bucket around 18-20c otherwise it will take the heater some time to bring it up to temp, especially if it is straight from the tap at this time of year :thumb: