Re: St Peters Cream Stout

[Bernie]

I ordered this yesterday, can't wait for it to arrive and get brewing
A quick question, should I follow the instructions and add the hop sachet at the start with the yeast or leave it a few days then add it?

I add everything at the start else I forget. I put a 6 month old bottle in the fridge and drank it at 8 °C. Liquid chocolate with right bitterness and alcohol. Perfect.

 

[neilb]

I add everything at the start else I forget. I put a 6 month old bottle in the fridge and drank it at 8 °C. Liquid chocolate with right bitterness and alcohol. Perfect.

Yeah I added everything at the start aswell. It's had 3 weeks in the bottle so far, trying very hard to remain patient!

 

[White Rose Al]

Hi All

Had the St Peters Cream Stout in a 25l FV and it started off like a rocket with OG at 1044.

After 48hrs I actually had a blowout and had to create a blow out tube, I suspect not enough head height in the FV. Kit brewed to the recommended level. Only the kit ingredients used.

1022 at day 5, day 8 its stuck at 1020. Given it a stir and its only just got down to 1018 on day 11.

OK to leave in the FV for more time to try and get to that magic 1014 as listed on the kit? Temp on a heat band at 24 so may have been too warm

 

[Hopperty]

St Peters Cream Stout has been my only failure as a kit, 1040 to 1018 (giving 2.88 abv) far from impressed and over half of it got poured down the sink.

 

[White Rose Al]

I am praying Hopperty that it kicks back into life to after a stir.

It smells good, I suspect it started to quickly and has run out of legs

 

[terrym]

Hi All

Had the St Peters Cream Stout in a 25l FV and it started off like a rocket with OG at 1044.

After 48hrs I actually had a blowout and had to create a blow out tube, I suspect not enough head height in the FV. Kit brewed to the recommended level. Only the kit ingredients used.

1022 at day 5, day 8 its stuck at 1020. Given it a stir and its only just got down to 1018 on day 11.

OK to leave in the FV for more time to try and get to that magic 1014 as listed on the kit? Temp on a heat band at 24 so may have been too warm

Try this
Simple strategies for dealing with stuck fermentations
24*C is unlikely to have been responsible for a stuck fermentation, but I certainly would not go any higher

 

[neilb]

Hi All

Had the St Peters Cream Stout in a 25l FV and it started off like a rocket with OG at 1044.

After 48hrs I actually had a blowout and had to create a blow out tube, I suspect not enough head height in the FV. Kit brewed to the recommended level. Only the kit ingredients used.

1022 at day 5, day 8 its stuck at 1020. Given it a stir and its only just got down to 1018 on day 11.

OK to leave in the FV for more time to try and get to that magic 1014 as listed on the kit? Temp on a heat band at 24 so may have been too warm

Hi, I had the same issue with mine, it got stuck at 1.020 iirc. I stirred it, then added 50g of diluted sugar. That didn't do much so I added some more yeast. After a week it finally dropped to 1.016 so I bottled it. It's all good now

 

[White Rose Al]

Hi, I had the same issue with mine, it got stuck at 1.020 iirc. I stirred it, then added 50g of diluted sugar. That didn't do much so I added some more yeast. After a week it finally dropped to 1.016 so I bottled it. It's all good now

Hi Neil

Thank you for the tip, as I have only used kits can you recommend the yeast to buy, quantity you used and do you simply sprinkle on top on the wort like you do as part of the kit.

This sounds promising

Al

 

[terrym]

Hi Neil

Thank you for the tip, as I have only used kits can you recommend the yeast to buy, quantity you used and do you simply sprinkle on top on the wort like you do as part of the kit.

This sounds promising

Al

If you are going to try fresh yeast, CML Ale yeast should be OK. Buy two packets and keep one in the fridge as a spare.
https://www.crossmyloofbrew.co.uk/online-store/CML-Brew-Original-Yeast-p93773089I would rehydrate. Instructions on how to do this come with the yeast.
There is a small Forum discount through Paypal. Look up 'Discount Cheatsheet' on here.
Failing that Wilko Ale yeast should be fine

 

[neilb]

Hi Neil

Thank you for the tip, as I have only used kits can you recommend the yeast to buy, quantity you used and do you simply sprinkle on top on the wort like you do as part of the kit.

This sounds promising

Al

I had a Young's harvest lager kit knocking about so I just sprinkled that yeast on top and hoped for the best
It's the only yeast I had at the time, I've now learnt from the experience and keep a spare pack in the fridge now

 

[Bernie]

Hi All

Had the St Peters Cream Stout in a 25l FV and it started off like a rocket with OG at 1044.

After 48hrs I actually had a blowout and had to create a blow out tube, I suspect not enough head height in the FV. Kit brewed to the recommended level. Only the kit ingredients used.

1022 at day 5, day 8 its stuck at 1020. Given it a stir and its only just got down to 1018 on day 11.

OK to leave in the FV for more time to try and get to that magic 1014 as listed on the kit? Temp on a heat band at 24 so may have been too warm

Often I have kit ferments that linger around 1.020 and seem to start up again when I transfer to a secondary fermenter. Maybe it's the stirring or a bit of oxygen that revives the yeast.

 

[ShaunK87]

Hi All,

Looking for some advice from anyone who can help. I’m brand new to brewing after getting a St Peters stout kit for Xmas. I started the kit on Monday 12th July and it still isn’t ready. It’s been sat behind the sofa at a temperature fluctuating between 23-27 degrees. I also gave the yeast and hop powder a good stir at the beginning. I’ve followed some advice from here and added a few teaspoons of dissolved sugar and placed in the cellar where it’s a steady 21-23 degrees. It’s been sat at 1018 on the hydrometer since day 5 in the bucket and still is after adding the sugar. I suppose I’m asking if it’s doomed to fail now or is there any way to save it and if so, how? Any help much appreciated, cheers.

 

[White Rose Al]

Hi All,

Looking for some advice from anyone who can help. I’m brand new to brewing after getting a St Peters stout kit for Xmas. I started the kit on Monday 12th July and it still isn’t ready. It’s been sat behind the sofa at a temperature fluctuating between 23-27 degrees. I also have the yeast and hop powder a good stir at the beginning. I’ve followed some advice from here and added a few teaspoons of dissolved sugar and placed in the cellar where it’s a steady 21-23 degrees. I suppose I’m asking if it’s doomed to fail now or is there any way to save it? Cheers.

Very Common with those kits.

Lift the lid, give it a stir with a sanitised spoon etc. Try avoid disturbing the yeast cake at the bottom. Return the lid and you should see movement again over the coming days bringing you closer to the 1.015 mark

 

[ShaunK87]

Very Common with those kits.

Lift the lid, give it a stir with a sanitised spoon etc. Try avoid disturbing the yeast cake at the bottom. Return the lid and you should see movement again over the coming days bringing you closer to the 1.015 mark

No need to add more yeast? I gave it a good stir last night. I’m going away for 5 days tomorrow and was hoping to have it kegged before I left. I thought a kit might be straightforward. Is there a point it becomes unuseable?

 

[White Rose Al]

No need to add more yeast? I gave it a good stir last night. I’m going away for 5 days tomorrow and was hoping to have it kegged before I left. I thought a kit might be straightforward. Is there a point it becomes unuseable?

No kits are balanced for the correct amount of yeast and nothing needs adding apart from the ingredients supplied. (Unless you a pimping it up!)

A good stir and a take a reading on your return. Mine finished shy around the 1.015 mark at which I bottled.

This is a good tasting beer, from my notes when I did this I used a single carb drop to every 500ml PET bottle and stored them in the warm for 2 weeks for secondary before moving a cooler location. Tasted great 4 weeks after this, finished after 8 weeks when it really did develop into a great beer.

I do plan to make this again but stick it in the Corny keg, too many other kits to get through first

 

[ShaunK87]

No kits are balanced for the correct amount of yeast and nothing needs adding apart from the ingredients supplied. (Unless you a pimping it up!)

A good stir and a take a reading on your return. Mine finished shy around the 1.015 mark at which I bottled.

This is a good tasting beer, from my notes when I did this I used a single carb drop to every 500ml PET bottle and stored them in the warm for 2 weeks for secondary before moving a cooler location. Tasted great 4 weeks after this, finished after 8 weeks when it really did develop into a great beer.

I do plan to make this again but stick it in the Corny keg, too many other kits to get through first

Ok, thanks a lot for the advice. I was apprehensive as the hydrometer says something like bottling before 1006 and the bottles/keg will burst. A lot of what you said in that third paragraph made no sense to me. I’d better buy a copy or brewing for dummies I’ll post my results in about a weeks time. Fingers crossed!

 

[White Rose Al]

Ok, thanks a lot for the advice. I was apprehensive as the hydrometer says something like bottling before 1006 and the bottles/keg will burst. A lot of what you said in that third paragraph made no sense to me. I’d better buy a copy or brewing for dummies I’ll post my results in about a weeks time. Fingers crossed!

Good luck, it will be fine

 

[ShaunK87]

Good luck, it will be fine

Right, I managed to get it barrelled before I went away. SG was steady so I did it 2 weeks ago last night. When I got home on the following Monday it looked like it’s had a bit of a “blowout”. I let some out and waited a few days when it’d happened again. I’ve been letting about half a pint out every couple of days and now it seems settled bar a constant drip for the tap. It tastes ok but I’m wondering if I should give it a shot of co2?

 

[White Rose Al]

Right, I managed to get it barrelled before I went away. SG was steady so I did it 2 weeks ago last night. When I got home on the following Monday it looked like it’s had a bit of a “blowout”. I let some out and waited a few days when it’d happened again. I’ve been letting about half a pint out every couple of days and now it seems settled bar a constant drip for the tap. It tastes ok but I’m wondering if I should give it a shot of co2?

Did you add sugar directly to the pressure barrel for secondary fermentation? If so no further Co2 needs adding until you start dispensing.

 

[ShaunK87]

Did you add sugar directly to the pressure barrel for secondary fermentation? If so no further Co2 needs adding until you start dispensing.

Yea. The recommended 1/2 tsp for every pint. I’ve already dispensed about 4/5 pints in total. Will this make a difference? It is dispensing rather quickly when I do it.