Newbie question

[purewhitesnow]

Hello, I am brewing a Wilko "classic lager" which has been in the FV for 10 days and still bubbling away.
The initial temp was 20-22C for 3-4 days which I believe is a bit high for a lager but was due to the warm weather. The temp then came down to 18C for the past 5-6 days and now up to 20C due to the hot weather. The FV is in my little downstairs bathroom - the coolest place in my house, not in direct sunlight.
I've noticed the beer seems quite murky and there's quite a lot of bits floating - is this normal? I added the hop pellets on day 4 as instructed and I think maybe not all of it has dissolved.
Do I need to stir the brew gently or will this cause problems? Also is the temp fluctuation likely to ruin the beer?
SG was 1.037 and latest reading was 1.012 - does this sound normal?
Thanks

 

[TOM LLOYD]

if it was me i would not worry about tep dont want it getting much higher mind, the bit floating are bits of hop dont worry, Don,t stir , stick the lid back on stop having a peak leave it alone for total 2 weeks !or until Fermentation is complete no air bubbles 24 hours & you get 2 readings the same, you can strain of "Bits" when bottling or keging , enjoy ...

 

[AnimatedGIF]

I'd say take another gravity reading 2+ days after your 1012 reading. If the reading is the same, then crack on with the next step, be it bottling/kegging etc.
The airlock may still be bubbling as dissolved CO2 comes out of solution. Essentially, you can pretty much ignore airlock activity as any real indicator of fermentation activity.

 

[purewhitesnow]

if it was me i would not worry about tep dont want it getting much higher mind, the bit floating are bits of hop dont worry, Don,t stir , stick the lid back on stop having a peak leave it alone for total 2 weeks !or until Fermentation is complete no air bubbles 24 hours & you get 2 readings the same, you can strain of "Bits" when bottling or keging , enjoy ...

Thanks for the advice

 

[purewhitesnow]

I'd say take another gravity reading 2+ days after your 1012 reading. If the reading is the same, then crack on with the next step, be it bottling/kegging etc.
The airlock may still be bubbling as dissolved CO2 comes out of solution. Essentially, you can pretty much ignore airlock activity as any real indicator of fermentation activity.

Thanks for the advice

 

[Budgie]

Good advice above. As for temperature, the kit will have included an ale yeast as opposed to a true lager yeast (which require cooler temps) so your 20-22 will be absolutely fine. Keep us posted on how it turns out.

 

[purewhitesnow]

Ah right thank you, I was worried about the temp as had read 15-18C is the ideal fermenting temp for lager but as you say not a true lager yeast so you have put my mind at rest ! Thanks

 

[terrym]

I've noticed the beer seems quite murky and there's quite a lot of bits floating - is this normal? I added the hop pellets on day 4 as instructed and I think maybe not all of it has dissolved.
Do I need to stir the brew gently or will this cause problems? Also is the temp fluctuation likely to ruin the beer?
SG was 1.037 and latest reading was 1.012 - does this sound normal?
Thanks

Your beer will remain murky whilst the yeast is still seeking out those last few traces of fermentable sugars. When theres nothing left it will start to clear. Leaving it a little longer after the fermenation has definitely finished would normally be beneficial but since the hops have already been in nearly week perhaps its best to bottle when you are happy the fermentation has done
Hop pellets don't dissolve they just break up into tiny pieces . Some of them sink to the bottom. Some dont. To encourage them to sink rap the side of the FV at the liquid /gas interface from time to time.
And next time, irrespective of what the instructions say, I suggest you add the hops when the fermentation has done, or almost done, and then leave them in for just 4-6 days, then go ahead and bottle.

 

[purewhitesnow]

Thanks for your comments Terry, this is only my second attempt at home brewing and already feeling very passionate about it. I've just been using kits to get me started before I start on the real home brewing. I will probably be popping up here and there to ask for further advice from the pros like yourself! Thanks!