Second brew

[dx4100]

First Wherry is now under the stairs and is cooling... So decided to get the next batch going!

Woodfords Nelsons Revenege...

It's meant to be 5% but the commercial version is only 4.5%....

I am not doing something right with the first stages... Got the water perfect this time (put to much in when doing the Wherry) and gave it a REALLY good mix before taking my hydrometer reading.

It came out at 1042 after adjusting it for the temp using the online converters. The kits says it should hit around 1014 again, so that wold give me a ABV of around 3.7%

I am at a loss at why I am getting low readings. I have tested the hydrometer in water and got 1000.

Anyway...

Bad boy looking good so far...

 

[eggman]

Done alot of Woodfordes kits and Nelson's Revenge in particular, i quite often struggle to hit a high enough og too. I counteract this by adding a bit of brewing sugar usually about 10 or 12 tablespoons, it usually brings mine to 1046 or 1048ish. I know alot of people would advise against this sort of tinkering but it works for me and i like the taste like that, just dont add too much extra sugar
:

 

[RobWalker]

My honest opinion, unless youre doing all grain or large partial mashes, dont worry about it, just go by calculations. Its a hassle when most of the point behind kit and extract is simplicity.

Good luck with it my friend :-)

 

[shearclass]

You are not doing anything wrong.

The kit manufacturers, I am convinced, lie with the ABV predictions. They must assume a FG of at least 1.008 to get the advertised ABV.

Know matter whether you, I, or the most experienced brewers on this forum takes a kit and mixes it thoroughly with a given amount of water at a set temperature, everyone will get the same OG. It is not possible for it to be anything different (give or take a point).

Best way to ge a higher strength is to bre it short, 18 - 20 litres perhaps.

 

[dx4100]

It's stuck! At the magical 1020 number everyone seems to get stuck at...

I have given it a stir and up the temp to 20c on the temp control...

Will that get it going again or do I need to add more yeast?

 

[dx4100]

It's started bubbling again now :)

 

[RobWalker]

I'm going to send you a big P;

P

:mrgreen:

 

[dx4100]

Whats a big P ?

It stopped again so I chucked in some more yeast... Seems to have started again...

This ones giving me trouble :)

 

[eggman]

Just give it time for the yeast to do its job mate, after the initial froth has died back it can look like nothing is happening but the yeast is still busy devouring all that sugar.
Try to resist the temptation to keep looking at it, i leave mine in the fv for at least 10 days
:

 

[dx4100]

Got you now :) Patience... Doh

The bubbles had totally stopped and it's been in longer than it took the wherry to finish..

For future reference.... If I am getting zero bubbles in the airlock and no visible activity in the wort, you guys think it is still active ?

 

[eggman]

Lol, patience is the key!
The times stated on the kits are VERY optimistic, personally i dont use airlocks though i just use my hydrometer. I usually start a kit off and leave it for 7 days then drop my sanitised hydrometer in the fv and leave it there, take a reading every day to see how it's progressing and once it's reached a fg near to stated on the kit or it's been the same for 3 days then go ahead and keg or bottle it
:

 

[dx4100]

Well got it down to 1014....

Tastes bloody great :)

Just bottld it :)