Young’s IPA three weeks in still fermenting

[Milesey]

Ay up lads

is this normal ? It’s bubbling away like the clippers but there’s still activity

I’m quite happy to leave it until there’s nowt going off , but just wondered if this was about right

it’s not in a cold environment either steady 19 degrees whilst am at work minimum

cheers

 

[terrym]

I have done this kit and it took 3 weeks too, also at 19*C. Just be patient. Have you added the hops yet and/or taken a recent SG reading? Note the FG could go as low as 1.006.
And there is no danger it will go off provided to try to keep the lid on.
Huge kit review here
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/youngs-american-ipa.45221/

 

[Milesey]

I have done this kit and it took 3 weeks too, also at 19*C. Just be patient. Have you added the hops yet and/or taken a recent SG reading? Note the FG could go as low as 1.006.
And there is no danger it will go off provided to try to keep the lid on.
Huge kit review here
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/youngs-american-ipa.45221/

Yes added hops 5 days ago , not took a gravity reading , will do this ASAP and report back

cheers

 

[terrym]

Yes added hops 5 days ago , not took a gravity reading , will do this ASAP and report back
cheers

It really is a shame that kit instructions advise that hops can be added after, as in this case, achieving an SG reading or worse after a set number of days, rather than when the fermentation has finished, which then keeps the brewer in control of how long the hops sit in the brew before packaging, rather than having them in there for longer than necessary due to an extended tail end of the fermentation.

 

[gmc]

I have just done a batch of this Youngs AIPA and it did take a very long time at every stage. I did 3 weeks Primary, 3 weeks in bottles and 2 weeks in the fridge. Just opened it yesterday. I made a post here a few days ago about it taking a long time to clear up, but the advice was that it should be ok

 

[Milesey]

I have done this kit and it took 3 weeks too, also at 19*C. Just be patient. Have you added the hops yet and/or taken a recent SG reading? Note the FG could go as low as 1.006.
And there is no danger it will go off provided to try to keep the lid on.
Huge kit review here
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/youngs-american-ipa.45221/

hi

did a sample and read 1,006

hops are still in suspension (top of brew)

still chugging away every now n again especially when heating come on for an hour n half in morning

I’d have thought after a good week the hops would have dropped into sediment , I normally use a bag And weight with marbles but find been finding the hops just mass into a big ball , makes me think they’re not circulating in the brew enough to flavour sufficiently

so just sprinkled on top as per the instructions

what Dya reckon ?
Thank you

 

[terrym]

@Milesey
Assuming you have a standard plastic FV try gently rapping the sides of the FV at the liquid/headspace level all the way round. Say once every hour or two or when you can. This often sends at least some of the hops to the bottom.
At 1.006 it probably done. I suggest you take another SG reading in one or two days time and if its the same you can bottle. However it would be better if you moved your FV to the coldest place you have for a couple of days before bottling since this will help clear the beer of yeast, and will also help to drop the hop bits.

 

[Didge]

been finding the hops just mass into a big ball

I had the same problem with my hop filter clogging up whenever I used more than 50g of hops. I experimented with 2 solutions.

The first was to suspend the filter into the bucket using thin fishing line tied to the bucket handle. Every now and again I very slightly loosen the lid and give the line a good tug up and down, not too different to dunking a hobnob into a cuppa.

The second approach is to drop 2 carbonation drops in with the hops. These seem to concentrate localised yeast activity, the extra bubble agitation helps to break the lumps apart.

A third option would've been to just buy another hop filter but I'm too tight for that.

 

[Milesey]

I had the same problem with my hop filter clogging up whenever I used more than 50g of hops. I experimented with 2 solutions.

The first was to suspend the filter into the bucket using thin fishing line tied to the bucket handle. Every now and again I very slightly loosen the lid and give the line a good tug up and down, not too different to dunking a hobnob into a cuppa.

The second approach is to drop 2 carbonation drops in with the hops. These seem to concentrate localised yeast activity, the extra bubble agitation helps to break the lumps apart.

A third option would've been to just buy another hop filter but I'm too tight for that.

carb drops now or for future when dry hopping ?

thanks

 

[Milesey]

@Milesey
Assuming you have a standard plastic FV try gently rapping the sides of the FV at the liquid/headspace level all the way round. Say once every hour or two or when you can. This often sends at least some of the hops to the bottom.
At 1.006 it probably done. I suggest you take another SG reading in one or two days time and if its the same you can bottle. However it would be better if you moved your FV to the coldest place you have for a couple of days before bottling since this will help clear the beer of yeast, and will also help to drop the hop bits.

I’ll turn rad off in kitchen, it’s on a tiled floor so quite cool

I’ll give bucket a tap as you advised as well

thanks

 

[Clint]

Doesn't this kit come with a hop filter for the end of the syphon tube? You can reuse these as long as you properly clean and sanitise.

 

[terrym]

Wot he said

 

[Milesey]

Doesn't this kit come with a hop filter for the end of the syphon tube? You can reuse these as long as you properly clean and sanitise.

no

 

[BrewMeHappy]

From a tip I spotted on here, I've started to use one of them wire things off a bottle of prosecco on the end of my syphon tube, and then pop a hop bag tied around it. The wire bit that you untwist from the bottle can be twisted on to secure it around the tube. It works a treat stopping the hops clogging up the tube.

 

[Ale House Rock]

What Brewmehappy said and you can rock your fv gently this will send your hops down through your brew. Keep doing this for a few days and you'll see a layer of hops settling on top of your yeast at the bottom of fv.

 

[Pavalijo]

@Milesey
Assuming you have a standard plastic FV try gently rapping the sides of the FV at the liquid/headspace level all the way round. Say once every hour or two or when you can. This often sends at least some of the hops to the bottom.

I saw Terrym’s same advice on an earlier thread and so tried it - every time I tapped I saw hop (pellet) bits raining down through the bucket. I did this 3 or 4 times a day over the 3 1/2 days of dry hopping and by the end it had all dropped to the bottom. I anticipated that this would have extracted maximum flavour.
The brew before that I had experimented with putting hop pellets in a weighted large nylon bag (sanitised Sainsbury’s veg bag) tied with fishing line to the bubbler bung. Two or three times each day I very carefully raised and lowered the bag (without oxygenating). However at the end, when I fished out the bag it was clear that the hop pellet particles were so fine that they had clumped densely together and I doubted that much flavour had been imparted.
The taste test confirmed that way more flavour had been imparted by sprinkling the pellets on top and using the Terrym tap!