Newbie with first batch questions?

[tommo]

Hello guys, im new to the forum and have been impressed with the amount of knowledge and tips ive read so far and wish id stumbled upon here before starting my first batch. what ive done so far.

6 days into fermentation with a coopers real ale kit. Tested SG and the Hydrometer is reading 10 (scale is from top 0.998, 0.999, 1.000, 10, 20 and so on. slightly confused (didnt get start S.G to compare).
Fermentation has been steady,along with temp 21c-23c with bubble rate tailing off this last day.

questions are:-
1 have i ruined my batch by lifting the lid to draw sample?
2 do i bottle next allowing secondary fermentation (using 1 carbonation drop per bottle.
3 or do i decant into barrel and if so how long do i leave it in there before bottling.

Any advice much apperciated

Thanks Ian

 

[clibit]

You've not ruined it. You can bottle straight from the FV but allow 2 to 3 weeks before bottling, to let it settle and condition.

 

[glynb]

Hi Ian,

I tend to test my brews over a few days, if the hydrometer reading stays the same, I take that as done.

It's unlikely that you would have ruined your brew as long as you cleaned and sterilised everything. I use star san too and spray everything if I'm taking the lid off the FV. But, alas, even this is no guarantee.

It's up to you what you do next, some people batch prime (adding lots of sugar all at once to it all) by putting sugar into another fv and carefully syphoning the fermented brew into it before bottling. It's at this stage you'll want very little oxygen getting into your brew.
Other people just syphon straight to the bottle from the fv, add sugar/carbonation drops and leave to condition.

What ever you decide, enjoy!

Cheers

Glyn.

 

[Duffman]

Hi Ian

With the Coopers kit you'll have the 500ml Pet bottles and carbonation tablets, my neighbour bottled up a Coopers ale with just one carbonation tablet and they were pretty flat, he's since gone to two tablets and they are better, i've bottled up today some with granulated sugar directly into the bottle and some with the Coopers carbonation tablets.

As others have said, leave the brew for a couple of weeks, bottle and then let it condition in the bottles for 2 weeks and finally chill for 2 weeks before drinking, they will get better with age, some people leave them months before drinking, i'm not that patient

 

[tommo]

Thanks for the sound advice guys, i think ive got this right my options are.

1 Syphon into Pv with priming sugar (carbonation drops) and leave for 2-3 weeks then bottle direct.

2, Bottle directly with priming sugar (carbonation drops) and leave for 3-4 weeks.

I should have said im going away for 3 weeks this sunday so wanted to get the brew in a state where i wouldn't need to touch it.

Will get some star san for cleaning the kit sounds good stuff,

Thanks again for the help.
:

 

[clibit]

Don't add sugar til bottling time, you need the sugar to ferment in the bottle, not before it goes in the bottle.

 

[Duffman]

Don't add sugar til bottling time, you need the sugar to ferment in the bottle, not before it goes in the bottle.

Unless you bulk prime and then bottle immediately !

 

[Duffman]

Thanks for the sound advice guys, i think ive got this right my options are.

1 Syphon into Pv with priming sugar (carbonation drops) and leave for 2-3 weeks then bottle direct.

2, Bottle directly with priming sugar (carbonation drops) and leave for 3-4 weeks.

I should have said im going away for 3 weeks this sunday so wanted to get the brew in a state where i wouldn't need to touch it.

Will get some star san for cleaning the kit sounds good stuff,

Thanks again for the help.
:

Ok if were you, i'd check the gravity today and tomorrow, if its sitting at 1.010 and the same tomorrow then go for bottling on Saturday, leave it in the garage and then go of on holiday for 3 weeks, use the coopers bottles and carbonation drops, sanitise everything up completely first, it will have had 9 days in FV and continue to ferment in the bottles, the secondary fermentation is caused by the sugar (or carbonation drops which really are just sugar) kick starting the remaining yeast, the by production is the carbon dioxide which gives the beer the fizz factor

 

[Fil]

hi Ian,

1) Probably not, but in future crack the lid, and peek in and draw a sample from the side, its all the mirco life thats floating about in the air, dust n spores etc that can pose a risk, in 99% of cases when something does get in the yeast out populate and eat all the food before anything else can establish itself but its best to err on the side of caution..

2) with a gravity of circa 1.010 your ready to bottle now, secondary fermentation is a term applied to a few things, some use a secondary fermenting bucket to rack off the beer into to let it stand and clear off the majority of the trub/sedimant that has already dropped out. and it can also be used to describe the fermentation used to condition a beer when in the bottle or pressure barrel..

3) racking off into a secondary FV in order to mix in the priming sugars evenly isnt a process in itself but just a step of bottling and the sugar primed beer shouldnt stand for any time whatsoever.. its just an alternative to priming each bottle individually to avoid the odd dead bottle that got missed

 

[tommo]

That's great, thanks again for the advice, I'm a lot more confident on what to do now and what to look for. Its quite a science and now realizing that syphoning in itself poses a massive risk to the brew.

Hope to start contributing to the forum once I get adept at this and start experimenting,

Thanks Again

Ian

 

[Mjgclutch]

You'll be able to drink your first bottle when you get back from your 3 week break! Something to look forward to on your return. Though the bottled beer will benefit from leaving for a longer period.