Newbie

[No Use For A Name]

Hello all, I'm very much a beginner brewer and have done a few kits since lock down with varied results.

I have a question about a kit I'm doing at the moment which is the Beer Works Bohemian Pilsner and I have to add hops in at a certain time. It tells me to add the hops in on day 10 but the fermentation has stopped after 5 days. Should I wait the whole 10 days or can I add the hops if fermentation is done?

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

Some kind of name is actually quite helpful, when it comes to participating in the forum.
I hear what you are saying and I'm sure you won't go too far wrong adding the hops now; but are you certain fermentation has done - e.g. as opposed to having slowed down due to the yeast switching to a different metabolic pathway for less fermentable sugars?

 

[Obadiah Boondoggle]

Hello all, I'm very much a beginner brewer and have done a few kits since lock down with varied results.

I have a question about a kit I'm doing at the moment which is the Beer Works Bohemian Pilsner and I have to add hops in at a certain time. It tells me to add the hops in on day 10 but the fermentation has stopped after 5 days. Should I wait the whole 10 days or can I add the hops if fermentation is done?

I would be inclined to wait until day 10

Just because there is no obvious activity doesn't mean it's finished. In the turmoil of active fermentation the yeast do produce by products. Once all the sugar has gone they will get rid of these by products, so your brew will taste better

The secret of being a good brewer is patience

 

[Obadiah Boondoggle]

Some kind of name is actually quite helpful, when it comes to participating in the forum.
I hear what you are saying and I'm sure you won't go too far wrong adding the hops now; but are you certain fermentation has done - e.g. as opposed to having slowed down due to the yeast switching to a different metabolic pathway for less fermentable sugars?

I wish I'd have said that TETB

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Some kind of name is actually quite helpful, when it comes to participating in the forum.

I agree -

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/how-to-request-a-new-username.76740/post-750898

 

[Obadiah Boondoggle]

I agree -

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/how-to-request-a-new-username.76740/post-750898

N what about the name Arthur Clutchbucket?

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

OK - yeast metabolic pathways... I'm absolutely no cell biologist, but I learned how to manipulate yeast metabolic pathways as part of one of my other hobbies: sourdough baking: Back to Uni. First Lecture

It's one heck of a clever organism.

 

[The Baron]

Yeah a name that we can quote easily would be better, Now the dry hop addition I am going to go against what the instructions say and add them now and for 3 days then remove and cold crash the beer after 14 days then bottle/keg

 

[No Use For A Name]

Thank you for the replies! It turns out there was some more action with the air lock so I will put off hydrometer readings until closer to the allotted time. Great advice though, I will take note... Can I ask what cold crashing means? And can I do this with my basic bucket fermenter?
Regarding my name, it is an old band I used to listen to and is the first thing that came to mind! I'll look into changing it in future, cheers!

 

[The Baron]

Hi Cold Crashing is putting the beer usually in the Fermenting vessel/bucket into a cold area ( as cold as possible or some use a fridge) to help all the residue yeast and any other bi products of the fermenting drop to the bottom so that you are transferring as clear a beer as is possible to the bottles or kegs and should only be done once fermentation as ceased or virtually stopped

 

[No Use For A Name]

Oh excellent thank you for that. I don't have access to a fridge for my fermenter but I may be able to sit it in a larger vessel with water, hopefully that will do a similar job!

 

[Obadiah Boondoggle]

Oh excellent thank you for that. I don't have access to a fridge for my fermenter but I may be able to sit it in a larger vessel with water, hopefully that will do a similar job!

I repeat the comment I made earlier i.e. the secret of good brewing is patience

Cold crashing will achieve nothing that time alone won't

 

[MickDundee]

Regarding my name, it is an old band I used to listen to and is the first thing that came to mind! I'll look into changing it in future, cheers!

I actually came into this thread to ask if your username was after the band. Clearly went over the heads of some of our regulars. Late 90s/early 00s American punk and ska is “my” music!

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I actually came into this thread to ask if your username was after the band.
Clearly went over the heads of some of our regulars.
Late 90s/early 00s American punk and ska is “my” music!

 

[MickDundee]

It’s the band that Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett made his name

 

[Knuckles]

Hello all, I'm very much a beginner brewer and have done a few kits since lock down with varied results.

I have a question about a kit I'm doing at the moment which is the Beer Works Bohemian Pilsner and I have to add hops in at a certain time. It tells me to add the hops in on day 10 but the fermentation has stopped after 5 days. Should I wait the whole 10 days or can I add the hops if fermentation is done?

I've just had this same kit delivered...... and when I make it I'll be waiting at least 14 days before adding the hops. Let the yeast have time to do its thing, as others have said...patience is key.
Let me know how it turns out, Love Brewing claim its the best pilsener on the market.

 

[No Use For A Name]

I've just had this same kit delivered...... and when I make it I'll be waiting at least 14 days before adding the hops. Let the yeast have time to do its thing, as others have said...patience is key.
Let me know how it turns out, Love Brewing claim its the best pilsener on the market.

Yeah I ended up adding the hops in at day 7 as my hydrometer readings were the same over 48 hour period. The yeast took over again and it's slowly been doing its thing. I'm expecting to bottle tomorrow night.
I was a little apprehensive to wait longer, maybe its my inexperience but I thought letting it sit when the fermentation had stopped would cause bacteria to build?

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

I was a little apprehensive to wait longer, maybe its my inexperience but I thought letting it sit when the fermentation had stopped would cause bacteria to build?

There's little to be concerned about leaving a normal ale for a bit longer, because the yeast will have used up the vast majority of the readily available nutrients so there's little left for other organisms to get their teeth into. Also the alcohol has a suppressive effect.
I always leave my brews in the FV for a couple of weeks. Regardless of what the hydrometer says there's still quite a lot going on in there: the yeast is clumping together to go into its dormant state and still s-l-o-w-l-y consuming some of the less fermentable sugars and other stuff left over from the main fermentation.

 

[No Use For A Name]

There's little to be concerned about leaving a normal ale for a bit longer, because the yeast will have used up the vast majority of the readily available nutrients so there's little left for other organisms to get their teeth into. Also the alcohol has a suppressive effect.
I always leave my brews in the FV for a couple of weeks. Regardless of what the hydrometer says there's still quite a lot going on in there: the yeast is clumping together to go into its dormant state and still s-l-o-w-l-y consuming some of the less fermentable sugars and other stuff left over from the main fermentation.

I had conflicting advice from the company I got the kit from saying to add the hops in earlier! But I was probably in the wrong thinking the first fermentation had finished completely.

I wish I joined the forum earlier I've already learnt so much, thank you for the advice.

 

[Applesnmore]

Yeah I ended up adding .....
I was a little apprehensive ....
letting it sit when the fermentation had stopped would cause bacteria to build?

A couple of things.

Leaving the beer alone for an additional week will not do any harm. Yeast is a part of the flavour of beer (as opposed to wine).

Alcohol helps preserve the beer. Oxygen getting to the beer spoils it.

When adding post ferment hop pellets, they will cause CO2 to be released from the beer, which is most likely what you saw after adding the hops, rather than the yeast kicking off.

Not wanting to sound like a stuck record. Let the yeast do its thing over time. The hydrometer reading, whilst valid, isn't the be and end all of the brewing process.