New Brewer.....a bit of help!

scottyhope · Dec 7, 2012

Hi all,

I have read various posts and have got a bit of info together but wanted clarification on what I am doing.

I am new to home brewing and I am currently on my second kit.

The first kit (Woodfordes Wherry Bitter) was a bit of an experiment as I wasn't 100% confident in what I was doing but thought I would do it as close to the instructions as I could. I left it in the fermenter for 8 days (as apposed to the recommended 4-6 days). It said once the level remains constant below 1014 and my brew was at 1010 for a good 3 days so I took this as thinking my brew was ready to put in the pressure barrel. Again, I left this in the barrel for longer than recommended but the brew was still cloudy. It said store in a cool place and as I didn't have a thermometer at this time, I put it in the back bedroom with the window open which was cooler than any other part of the house. Since this I have bought a thermometer, and the temp in the back bedroom is 18 degrees.

My question is, should the gravity level been a little lower than the 1010 or was the secondary fermentation not cool enough?

That's the first question.....

The second question is, my second brew (St Peters Ruby Red Ale) has currently been fermenting for 7 days now and the level has again remained constant at 1010. Is this the right level or should I leave it for longer? If I leave it for longer and it doesn't get past the 1010 level, is there anything I can do to help this? Also is the back bedroom temperature of 18 degrees cool enough?

I suppose the main question throughout all of this is, what is making the beer cloudy and not clear? The gravity level or the secondary fermentation temperature?

Sorry if some of this doesn't make sense, as I said I am new to this and everything I do is new!

Thanks in advance.

PD · Dec 7, 2012

Your beers will clear just give them time after you have bottled.
1.010 is a good figure and usually the beers are ready for bottling at that stage.
Fermentation and conditioning temps want to be around 21 degrees if possible.

St Peters may take a bit longer to clear as I found while fermenting it was a " dirty " brew, clears well tho after the yeasts have dropped.

bobsbeer · Dec 7, 2012

Welcome. Sounds like you are doing fine. Just needs a bit of patience. :thumb:

scottyhope · Dec 7, 2012

OK thanks....good to know it's not something I'm doing wrong!

I am not bottling the beer though, I'm putting it in a pressure barrel.....is it the same temp for a pressure barrel as bottling?

When you say 'the yeasts have dropped' I still have a little bit floating on top of the brew. Do I need to wait until all these have disappeared or is a few OK to leave?

And I take it by patience, you mean wait until it is completely clear? Can you leave it too long or the longer the better?

Thanks for your help

LeedsBrewer · Dec 7, 2012

When bottling you want to leave them in the bottle at least 6 weeks though about 3 months would be better. You'll then get a decent pint. In a barrel I think there is a limit to how long you can store it. I heard around 3 months though i'm not sure where i heard that.

PD · Dec 7, 2012

you will always get floaters...don't worry about them, as long as the body of the beer is clear.

scottyhope · Dec 7, 2012

Sorry to be a complete idiot but when you say the body of the beer is clear.....do you mean the beer in the 1st fermenter should be completely clear? or you mean clear as in no yeast floating in it?