I need help in the next couple of days

[Doobury]

I am new to forums and may have miss-posted my question or have missed any replies :-(
I have just rekindled my interest in home brewing, can't believe it's been nearly 40 years since my first brews, some of which were OK. I have brought loads of basic kit in the last few days (for kit brewing) and wish to progress. only post so far was this in the wine and cider forum "best time to pick elderflower: -

Hi all,
This is my first post, having had a quick look around I am very impressed with the forum.
I have never made a brew from Elderflower. I picked my elderflower Wed 3rd June on a loverly sunny day, did my infusion to make 25 L of Elderflower Champagne (added 2 kg white sugar I did not take OG, no hydrometer) hopping to use their natural yeasts. No obvious fermentation after 3 to 4 days so brought some Champagne yeast and pitched it as I was worried about it spoiling, fermentation still slow @ about 20 C. Yesterday, I lost my nerve and strained the brew into a fermentation vessel fitted with an airlock. At this point the OG was 1045 (having brought a new hydrometer) Does anyone think the brew will be any good as I don't want to waste valuable swing top bottles and space. Hope someone can help. (can't use that quote thingy yet)

This afternoon the gravity was down to 1028 so I need to decide, ditch it or bottle it, Had a taste and its got no off or bad flavors yet. I have a Coopers lager in a FV and would like to bottle this.
Basically do I order some more bottles or ditch the elderflower.

I also have a Woodforde's Wherry Bitter in a FV that may have stalled. It started with a very promising head of foam for the first couple of days and has now settled down with a clear ring around the top of the brew ,1025 and has not moved in 24 hours, tastes sweet but OK. can I put it into one of my cornelius kegs and hope for the best.

Note to me: - You will improve leave these folks alone.

 

[Vossy1]

Hi Doobury and welcome back to the wonderful world of home brewing :thumb:

Regards the Wherry kit, I assume that you made the kit as per instructions and aerated the wort well. There seems to be a common trend whereby kits are stalling if the yeast supplied is used, and they stick at quite a high gravity, like yours has. You could try rousing the yeast ie, stirring it back up into the beer taking care not to introduce oxygen by splashing. A few people have tried repitching a different yeast once a kits stalled, S04 being a popular choice.
Some have tried dry beer enzyme as a last resort. Personally, I'd try rousing and new yeast and see what happens. Fingers crossed it will work.

The elderflower champagne/sparkling wine, it's got a long way to ferment yet, I don't even think it's half way through. Where did you get the recipe from as there doesn't seem to be enough sugar for a 25ltr batch. A 'typical' kit white wine would have an OG around 1.080 and a FG of around 0.990. A CCJ Berry recipe would have around 1-2kg of sugar per 4.5ltrs.

I'll move this topic over to brewing discussions in a while :thumb:

 

[tubby_shaw]

At a gravity of 1.028 I would think it a little risky to bottle your elderflower brew just yet, there is still a lot of sugar to ferment in there and It will build up a lot of pressure in the bottle :shock:
Leave it until it drops in gravity to at least 1.005 assuming that it is still fermenting.
Bottle your lager and wait for the elderflower brew to finish :thumb:

It is common for Wherry kits to stall
The best you can hope to do is to rehydrate a packet of good yeast like SO4 or Nottingham and gently stir this into the fv and hope for the best :pray:
If you don't mind the sweet taste just keg it and sup it and put it down to experience :thumb:

Note to me: - You will improve leave these folks alone.

Yes you will improve :thumb: but don't be afraid to ask questions somebody will always try to help :

Beaten to it by Vossy

 

[Doobury]

Thanks for the comments

Instinct must have told me to gently stir up the bitter to suspend the yeast in the brew, hoping that some vestige of life still exists within it. Unfortunately I am too late to order a new yeast today, but will do that tomorrow and keep some in hand.

The elderflower is/was my own very simple design and is intended to be a "mildly" alcoholic summer pop intended to be drunk very cold and fizzy :drink: :drink: .
I would like to make a ginger version (again 25 lts) but I need some suggestions of an addition to give it a bit of body (sultanas ?) or has anyone got a recipe.

I will let you know how things turn out.