Newbie. Advice please....

[Pivovar]

Morning. Iv'e read some fantastic advice in other threads, so hoping I can get some ideas from more experienced brewers.

Iv'e started a kit from Beerworks ( lager).

When I mixed up my water and extract I ended up with a temperature of around 27deg. I waited a couple of hours for temp to drop before pitching my yeast.

It is now day 4 and there does not seem to be much action in my airlock. The temperature may have risen to around 24 over the weekend.

Am I being impatient, or have I messed up somewhere?

Many Thanks In Advance. Nick

 

[Gerryjo]

You've answered your own question as in patience is one of the brewers valued assets.
Just sit back and let the yeast do it's work.
Your temp should be ok as the yeast whilst converting sugar get active increasing the internal temperature by a few degrees.
Give it another week and check your Final gravity and recheck another 2 days later to ensure its stable.
Then if you want transfer too a secondary for a further 2 weeks to help clear then bottle and let condition for another 2 weeks before drinking.

Gerry

 

[Godsdog]

As stated many times on here,lots of FVs won't bubble through the airlock,what kind of FV is it,? A bucket?

 

[terrym]

+1 on what others has said.
You may also find that after four days at temperatures approaching 24*C the fermentation may be nearing completion if not complete.
That doesn't mean its ready to bottle. It just means you have at least another ten days to wait before you will be able to bottle clear or nearly clear beer which has fully fermented out, the yeast has cleaned up, and yet still has enough yeast present to carb up without ending up with lots of yeast in the bottle.

 

[Pivovar]

Yes just a simple bucket. Plenty of places for gasses to leak out around the airlock seal / lid I guess. Thanks for replying, much appreciated!

 

[Pivovar]

Thanks Gerry, great advice, i'll sit on my hands a bit longer before I start meddling!

 

[Pivovar]

Thank You Terry ...more great advice! .... i'll take heed to that and wait it out ! Thank You..

 

[chewie]

Your temps seem a bit high for a typical lager yeast, where these the guideline temps that came with the instructions?

 

[Pivovar]

Your temps seem a bit high for a typical lager yeast, where these the guideline temps that came with the instructions?

Hi, No, I was meant to be aiming for 20 deg .... But I think these high temps are due to high ambient temperatures ...

 

[Gerryjo]

The yeast supplied with these kits are top fermenters as opposed to a true lager yeast which is a bottom fermenter usually around twelve so no panic.

Gerry

 

[chewie]

Hi, No, I was meant to be aiming for 20 deg .... But I think these high temps are due to high ambient temperatures ...

Kk, fermentation will be a bit quicker if you are a bit warmer than what's recommended, if you want to be 100% certain fermentation has started and finished then get yourself a hydrometer and check the specific gravity, no need to check it every day just at start and after 10-14 days then check it again daily and if the gravity remains constant and at or about the guideline reading then move to the next step.

 

[thewelshwizard1]

Yes just a simple bucket. Plenty of places for gasses to leak out around the airlock seal / lid I guess. Thanks for replying, much appreciated!

Check around the lock seal ie bung, put I bit of water Round the seal to see if bubbles appear there as I had a similar issue once where the bung needed replacing for a tighter one.

Also try putting a small weight on the lid to stop it bulging so the ferm has to come out of the trap.

If like me I like the sound and sight of the lock bubbling away hehe.

But overall patience is the the key when brewing and have another brew going at around one week after the first one is transferred so you can have a rolling brewing going. That's what I do 👍

 

[Pivovar]

Good advice ! Cheers! .. I guess even if this brew does not work out ....I should think about what to do next! onwards and upwards!

 

[Pivovar]

I'm going to be patient and wait to do the hydrometer readings ..... sitting on my hands resisting the temptation to fiddle ....

 

[Pivovar]

Thanks for all the great advice ... I have some hops to add in a few days.... so I'm going to take a Hydrometer reading prior to that and see if it has changed at all .... and TRY to be patient.

 

[Pivovar]

GOOD NEWS! .... Had a look at the Brew last night and it's bubbling away at roughly one plop every 20 seconds. I'm happy with that ...( over the moon!) ... next stop, Saturday for the Hop addition! :lol:

 

[terrym]

GOOD NEWS! .... Had a look at the Brew last night and it's bubbling away at roughly one plop every 20 seconds. I'm happy with that ...( over the moon!) ... next stop, Saturday for the Hop addition! :lol:

I usually wait until a fermentation has more or less completely finished before I add the hops. If you do it earlier, every time you get a bubble of CO2 it contains a small amount of hop aroma, which adds up, and that reduces the benefit of the dry hop.

 

[Pivovar]

I usually wait until a fermentation has more or less completely finished before I add the hops. If you do it earlier, every time you get a bubble of CO2 it contains a small amount of hop aroma, which adds up, and that reduces the benefit of the dry hop.

Ah! Great! .. I hadn't seen this reply, but by the time I added the hops the fermentation was definitely all but over.... a very occasional tiny bubble up to the surface .... Hopefully It will be ok, more through luck than judgement! ..

Thanks though! this forum is certainly AWESOME!!!