Help needed

[charchar84]

Hi all

I’m a newbie to brewing and thought for my first go I’d try a ready made kit. I purchased a Woodforde Wherry kit and followed all instructions. It said to brew for 7 days at room temp.

The only place I can keep the bucket is in a spare room but it’s been quite chilly in there.

When I first made up the kit I used the hydrometer which floated and was in the yellow section.

7 days later and after a check it seems to have yeast floating on top and the liquid has reduced. I popped the hydrometer in and the beer only goes up to the red section (I hope that made sense)

Have I gone wrong somehow? Has it brewed too cold? I’m supposed to bottle it tomorrow and add sugar. Should I do that or does it have to ferment longer?

Hope someone with more knowledge than me can help.

Thanks

 

[cushyno]

What is the reading on the hydrometer? Most hydrometers have numbers indicating specific gravity. Just read off the scale at the surface of the liquid. If it's in the red zone near the top of the hydrometer then it is likely fermented out or close to being finished.

 

[charchar84]

Thanks Cushyno.

I’ll do a proper check tomorrow to get a specific reading but with my hydrometer it’s in the section of ‘start beer’

When I first made the batch it was in the yellow section for ‘bottle, or add sugar’

 

[cushyno]

That seems upside down to me. Should be the other way round.

When you first measured with the hydrometer was the liquid still hot? That may account for a low reading. My hydrometer says it should be used at 20°C.
If you ever need to compensate for the temperature being more than a few degrees from 20 there is a calculator on Brewers Friend website that adjusts the reading back to what it should be at 20°C.

Something else sounds odd. You shouldn't see any reduction in the volume of liquid while fermentation takes place. Best check your fermenter for leaks!

 

[charchar84]

I’ll defin check the hydrometer tomorrow. Just has a quick look and there’s no leak, I think it may be where I’ve mixed it or it’s bubbled up it’s left a residue on the sides so I thought that the beer had reduced but I took a measurement at the time of mixing and just now and they’re the same. There’s some bubbles on top and yeast floaters. I did have a cheeky little taste and it tastes great. Not sure whether to bottle up tomorrow or not.

 

[Zephyr259]

Ideally you want to check the final gravity 2 - 3 days apart and get the same figure. Especially important with Wherry since it's know to stick at 1.020 I believe.

It's possible that the extract wasn't fully dissolved and evenly mixed in to start with so you got a lower reading that what would be accurate, that is often an issue with getting a reliable OG with mead too.

I made that kit as my 2nd go at brewing with no reference to anything but the kit instructions and didn't bother with the hydrometer due to fear of contamination. It was a decent pint but the bottles were all very lively, bordering on gushers. Guess I bottled it too soon.

Good luck.

 

[KHS]

I’m doing a wherry at the moment as my 3rd brew.
I’m following some advice from here and this is what I’m doing

2 weeks in the fermenting bin (left in garage on a heat tray)
1 week outside in the fermenting bin (in lean-to at side of house)
Boil up 100ml of water, add brewing sugar and then add to direct to fermenting bin
Gently stir fermenting bin and then leave for 30 mins.
Bottle and store for 2 weeks at room temp
Finally store back outside in the lean-to for 2 weeks
Drink

I’m currently at stage 2.

The advice I got above is quite different to the end-to-end 3 weeks in the wherry kit instructions, so it’ll be interesting to see how it goes

 

[Sandimas]

That seems upside down to me. Should be the other way round.

+1 just looked at my hydrometer and it's the same, red indicates start gravity and yellow end gravity. There maybe a black band on there too, which is 1010 the typical final gravity (FG) of a brew.

Don't be tempted to bottle too early or you could end up with exploding bottles. Leave it a minimum of 2 weeks. Then measure the FG and if it's consistently low for several days, then it's ready to bottle: should be in the range 1012-1008, but as has been said sometimes Wherry sticks and stops fermenting at 1020.

 

[charchar84]

KHS how much sugar did you put it?

Darrellm - I’ll leave it for another week and see how I get on. It’s been rather cold dark and raining here in London so it’s been cold in the spare room. We do have the heating on today so hopefully it will start to warm up.

As I’m leaving it for another week do you think I should give it a stir? There’s yeast and bubble at the top and as OP says it may have not mixed right.

 

[BarnBrian]

Leave it for another week, no need to stir it. Patience is key.

 

[charchar84]

Ha ha BarnBrian I’m the most impatient person. I’ll try and leave it alone as long as I can

 

[KHS]

KHS how much sugar did you put it?

Darrellm - I’ll leave it for another week and see how I get on. It’s been rather cold dark and raining here in London so it’s been cold in the spare room. We do have the heating on today so hopefully it will start to warm up.

As I’m leaving it for another week do you think I should give it a stir? There’s yeast and bubble at the top and as OP says it may have not mixed right.

I’m at that stage next weekend, but the plan is to put 80g brewing sugar into 100ml or so boiling water. Then add that to the bin and gently stir.

I wouldn’t stir at the stage you’re at now, just let it do it’s thing for another week.
I’m still new to this as well though, so I’m willing to be corrected there.

 

[MarkBowie]

Are these the newer kits with extra yeast in? As a lot of problems have come from small yeast sachets.

 

[GerritT]

I’m at that stage next weekend, but the plan is to put 80g brewing sugar into 100ml or so boiling water. Then add that to the bin and gently stir.

I wouldn’t stir at the stage you’re at now, just let it do it’s thing for another week.
I’m still new to this as well though, so I’m willing to be corrected there.

Brewing sugar is nice, plain white sugar works too. It's way cheaper and always around

And sticking to the 2-2-2 schedule never hurt anyone.
Though my first test/taste is always 2 weeks after bottling, because I'm curious!