Need some advice!

[NathanB]

I'm currently brewing a Mexican Cerveza and its on its 4th day of fermentation but the bubbles in the airlock are only happening every 30 to 45 seconds, does this mean that the primary fermentation has finished or is nearly finished?? I've had it at a constant temperature of 21/22C as this is as cool as i can get it because of how warm it is, which i know is higher than the recommended. I haven't purchased a hydrometer so i can't measure it If it has finished would it be ok for me to leave it in the bucket for a few more days as i'm not able to bottle it until next week?

Any advice would be appreciated. :

 

[brydo]

hi mate, general opinion is to leave the beer in primary for two weeks minimum. the yeast will continue to work and "clean up" the beer during this period. patience and a hydrometer are your best friends here

 

[lukehgriffiths]

Doubt it has finished, should stop bubbling completely, give it another week to 10 days, it'll help.

 

[NathanB]

Ahhh, patience... the one thing i don't have lol. I just wondered because the instructions said primary fermentation should be done between 4 and 6 days. I'm going on holiday next Saturday for a week so would you suggest i bottle it when i get back?

 

[brydo]

im sure all the guys with more expirience than me will agree with me here, ignore the kit instructions when it comes to timings. its a good marketing ploy to say you can have beer ready to drink within two weeks but it will definately be better if you leave it for longer. i reckon when you get back from holiday will be perfect time to bottle. then two weeks to carbonate at room tempreture and if you can put it somewhere cooler for two weeks and your ready to go. it seems like ages and i remember when i did my first brew i was opening a bottle almost every day to see any change but invairably it went down the sink. best advice i could give is to start a new batch off straight away after bottling this one. hope this helps mate

 

[NathanB]

Yeah it did mate, thanks! :smile: I've already done a cider before but it didn't turn out right. Thinking about doing a Newkie Brown or an IPA after this one

 

[NathanB]

The lager was a success only thing is it could have done with a bit more carbonation. Started a Geordie Yorkshire bitter kit yesterday

:

 

[timcunnell]

The lager was a success only thing is it could have done with a bit more carbonation. Started a Geordie Yorkshire bitter kit yesterday

:

Nice one mate glad to hear it turned out good!
Re the carbonation, did you bottle or keg the beer then? And - particularly if you bottled - how much priming sugar did you use in each bottle? I am fermenting a lager at the moment (not a "real" lager as using ale yeast, and also fermenting too warm) and I want to try and make it fairly fizzy. I was planning to use 5g granulated sugar per 500ml bottle.

 

[wfr42]

Nice one mate glad to hear it turned out good!
Re the carbonation, did you bottle or keg the beer then? And - particularly if you bottled - how much priming sugar did you use in each bottle? I am fermenting a lager at the moment (not a "real" lager as using ale yeast, and also fermenting too warm) and I want to try and make it fairly fizzy. I was planning to use 5g granulated sugar per 500ml bottle.

On the bus and haven't checked the calculators and still very inexperienced, but that would be a 200g+ batch prime for 20litres. Pretty sure the 'norm' is only 80g. Hopefully someone else will pitch in before you bottle.

 

[Tony1951]

Nice one mate glad to hear it turned out good!
Re the carbonation, did you bottle or keg the beer then? And - particularly if you bottled - how much priming sugar did you use in each bottle? I am fermenting a lager at the moment (not a "real" lager as using ale yeast, and also fermenting too warm) and I want to try and make it fairly fizzy. I was planning to use 5g granulated sugar per 500ml bottle.

Whoooa there! I reckon you might have them squirting up the walls.

Check out this priming calculator.

http://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/

Six or seven grams a litre would be likely enough. You are proposing ten...

 

[NathanB]

I bottled it up and i used carbonation drops (not be using them again!) but it seems like one drop wasn't enough, but people who said they used two drops said that the caps popped off or that it was over carbonated

 

[stevej]

I bottled it up and i used carbonation drops (not be using them again!) but it seems like one drop wasn't enough, but people who said they used two drops said that the caps popped off or that it was over carbonated

I have brewed that kit several times Nathan tbh i always used 2 carbonation drops per 500ml bottle, carbonation is a personal thing i guess but i did prefer using 2 drops, never had any caps pop of either :lol: