Kit brewing questions

[BigYin]

OK, so I've got 2 kits I'm going to start soon. I've brewed 3 before with reasonably good results, but I'd like to get better results...

At the moment my two main questions are about fermentation time, and yeast.

I've tried a few searches, but words like fermentation and yeast tend to return a LOT of hits on a forum like this :lol:

Firstly - yeast - I've always simply used the yeast supplied with the kit, and sprinkled it, dry, into the brew mix pretty much last thing, given it a really good stir, and left it to get on with it.

I don't think I do enough brewing to justify buying a specialised yeast as I suspect I'd get very little used up before it got too old to use :hmm:

I've read about activating the dried yeast in some water first? Good idea? Not really needed? Bad idea?


Next - fermentation time - a 6 or 7 day time suits me as that lets me do weekend to weekend brewing. Reading a lot of chat on here has made me wonder if I should be leaving the brew longer before bottling - and if that allowed more yeast to drop out of suspension that might help with clarity and of course reducing any yeastiness left after bottle conditioning?

I don't have a second FV (yet - no immediate plans to get one though) so the brew will have to stay in the original FV for the full duration, and although I'm meticulous about disinfecting everything, since you have to open the lid on the FV to do initial stirring, and later SG testing, ther eis always a risk of some bacteria getting in, and if it was sitting an additional week, that seems to me to present a much higher risk of a spoilt brew... am I being over-cautious??

Thoughts, opinions appreciated!!

 

[Duncs]

With my kits, I just sprinkle the yeast on the top, I don't stir it at all. If I'm going for a lager kit, I'll get a lager yeast but otherwise I'll just use the yeast in the kit.

I normally leave it in the FV for 14 days without checking it, it starts to clear by that time, 6 days is far too short a time for the yeast to do it's job fully, it has a lot of cleaning up after itself once it's done producing that alcohol

 

[Moley]

I usually sprinkle my yeast on dry while I'm thrashing the wort to get some air into it.

I also brew weekend to weekend, but that's two weeks, not one. Like Duncs said, mine stays in Primary. I will check the gravity after 4-5 days, by which time fermentation should be just about finished, but then I put the lid back on and leave it alone until the second weekend.

 

[chrisb2k]

With my kits, I just sprinkle the yeast on the top, I don't stir it at all. If I'm going for a lager kit, I'll get a lager yeast but otherwise I'll just use the yeast in the kit.

I normally leave it in the FV for 14 days without checking it, it starts to clear by that time, 6 days is far too short a time for the yeast to do it's job fully, it has a lot of cleaning up after itself once it's done producing that alcohol

I left my last lager kit for 10 days when I went on holiday, with the lid undone on one side. I came back and it was very clear so I heartily agree with Duncs - double the fermentation time given in the instructions at least. It's well worth the wait :thumb:

 

[artyb]

i leave my brews for a couple of weeks to clear,
i have a lager in the fv, that has just finished fermenting after 8 days, the airlock has stopped, but i will leave it for another week b4 bottling...

 

[LiamGo]

interesting thread, glad its been clarified to me as to why you leave the brew in the FV for 2 weeks, useful to know.

sorry to hijack but SG testing? is this where you fill the measuring tube up via the tap on the FV and then drop in the hydrometer and it has to bob up and down on the black marker? im a little unsure on this part

 

[Moley]

sorry to hijack but SG testing? is this where you fill the measuring tube up via the tap on the FV and then drop in the hydrometer and it has to bob up and down on the black marker? im a little unsure on this part

Yes, but learn to read the numbers properly and ignore any coloured bands, which are only a rough guide.

Many hydrometers have differently coloured bands, or none at all, so it gets very confusing when forum members refer to the black/green/red/blue/whatever band.

There's a “How To” guide here but if there's anything you don't understand, ask again.

 

[BigYin]

Thanks for the input so far :drink:

So next brew I will add the yeast as normal - sprinkle over after giving the brew a right good stir to aerate it, and then stir in a bit.

I'll also leave the brew the full two weeks before bottling :drink:


So, next few questions..

The kits suggest leaving the paddle in the FV for the first 2-3 days, and stir the brew up each day to give some aeration. Do folks generally do that? After day 3 I remove the paddle and then leave the brew to get on with it..


Next question - the tap I've fitted at the base of the FV sits about an inch proud of the base, to allow sediment to settle around it. On the internal side (i.e. inside the FV) the back of the tap has a blue cover with a square hole that is where the beer will flow through.

I can turn that blue cover so the hole is facing up, down, to one side - 360 degrees of choice! Initially I've had it facing up - I lose the first half pint of brew pushing the sediment out of the tap that has settled into it. I've debated turning the cover so the hole is facing down - that will prevent sediment settling into it, but at bottling time will mean the flow of beer is being pulled into the tap across the top of the sediment.....

If I ever fit a tap again, I'll fit it about a half inch higher to get around this, and just tilt the FV towards the end of bottling to get the last of the clear beer through the tap. In the meantime though......

 

[abeyptfc]

So, next few questions..

The kits suggest leaving the paddle in the FV for the first 2-3 days, and stir the brew up each day to give some aeration. Do folks generally do that? After day 3 I remove the paddle and then leave the brew to get on with it..


Next question - the tap I've fitted at the base of the FV sits about an inch proud of the base, to allow sediment to settle around it. On the internal side (i.e. inside the FV) the back of the tap has a blue cover with a square hole that is where the beer will flow through.

I can turn that blue cover so the hole is facing up, down, to one side - 360 degrees of choice! Initially I've had it facing up - I lose the first half pint of brew pushing the sediment out of the tap that has settled into it. I've debated turning the cover so the hole is facing down - that will prevent sediment settling into it, but at bottling time will mean the flow of beer is being pulled into the tap across the top of the sediment.....

If I ever fit a tap again, I'll fit it about a half inch higher to get around this, and just tilt the FV towards the end of bottling to get the last of the clear beer through the tap. In the meantime though......

for the first question about the paddle - I would just close the lid and leave it to be honest, more chance of infection if your opening and shutting the lid , maybe check after day 1 or 2 to make sure if its fermenting, then if not give a gentle stir.
and the other about the tap on the bucket - Its probably best to get another bucket, syphon your brew from one to another and bottle from there, you may still lose a bit of brew at the end but less yeast will get into it.