Youngs American IPA

[Wolfracer]

48hrs.... Still nothing visible

I think I might need to stop panicking and just cross my fingers haha

It'll happen! Watched pot n all that.

If it doesn't..... dunno.... maybe buy some more yeast???????

 

[Featherhat]

Move it somewhere warmer. I've got a John Bull IPA on the go at the mo and for the first 24hrs it went mad at about 18C then just stalled completely. Stayed at 1016 for about a week. I moved it right next to a radiator, still wrapped in bubble wrap and a sleeping bag and within 12 hours it was active again , at about 22C on average. Different yeasts, different needs. 4 djs still chugging away in the old location. Go figure!

 

[Daza1604]

Well we are now 5 days in. Still no bubbles in the air lock but I do think it's actually working... There is a large inch high layer of foam developing on the top(the barrel is slightly see through) so in hoping this is a sign of fermantation taking place

 

[ClarenceBoddicker]

I think you're alright Daza if you have that foam on top. Sounds like a dodgy airlock. Just keep an eye on the gravity after a couple of weeks. Mine is 2 weeks today - bubble every 30 seconds and I'll syphon to secondary fv on Tuesday (day off), dry hop on Thursday and bottle next Sunday.

 

[Daza1604]

Yeh it's strange. I can see the lid bulging up in the middle and the water in my air lock is strange in the fact that the water isn't even it's got more on one side than the other. There are no bubbles like I say but certainly seems there is something happening

 

[Wolfracer]

Day 20, chucked the hops into the APA as the foam head had subsided.
Day 21 the IPA followed suit.
Took a reading of the APA, 1014. Needs to get down to 1008 though will chexk the ipa in a day or two...
Will prob end up bottling next weekend...

 

[Covrich]

Yeh it's strange. I can see the lid bulging up in the middle and the water in my air lock is strange in the fact that the water isn't even it's got more on one side than the other. There are no bubbles like I say but certainly seems there is something happening

Probably just a small leak in your Lid seal on your vessel, its fine and nothing to worry about.

 

[jamie72]

Ok I took a gravity reading on my Youngs APA yesterday after 16 days in the fv. Came out at 1012 so decided to chuck the pellets in.
Doesn't smell particularly nice and I had a taste off the hydrometer which was pretty bitter and unpleasant. The question is, is this normal for this kit at this stage? Thanks in advance for any advice.....:pray:

 

[ClarenceBoddicker]

Doesn't smell particularly nice and I had a taste off the hydrometer which was pretty bitter and unpleasant. The question is, is this normal for this kit at this stage? Thanks in advance for any advice.....:pray:

I wouldn't take too much notice of the taste yet mine isn't great at 1012. It's been at 1012 for a few days now and only bubbling every 45 secs. Transferred to fv2 yesterday and will dry hop friday.

 

[Covrich]

I haven't done this kit but from what I hear the fermentation time takes a good 10 days to 2 weeks, so likely if fermentation has just only finished it probably will taste a bit harsh..

Some of my beers have tasted alright after 2-3 weeks in Bucket but they have normally had a good week or two to condition and clean up by then.

 

[jamie72]

Cheers lads hopefully nowt to worry about then

 

[Daza1604]

Just out of curiosity, how was your brews smelling a week or so in?

Mines been on the go now 8 days 20/21 degrees and last day or 2 im noticing a very sweet smell ( i want to say almost cider like alcohol type smell)

I was thinking of taking a gravity reading tonight just to see how it compares to the start measurement

 

[jamie72]

Mine was still very foamy on top after 8 days and smelt quite sour if anything?

Quick question regarding the hop pellets. Is 4 days in the bucket long enough for these or should I leave at least a week before bottling?

 

[Wolfracer]

Mine both stink. Hoppy to the extreme and very heady.
As both are similar, yet slightly different, I have no concerns over the smell.
Punching through the layer of hops to siphon is more of a concern!
Any tips on sucking up a cleqn brw? I dont have a spare fv.

 

[jamie72]

Punching through the layer of hops to siphon is more of a concern!
Any tips on sucking up a cleqn brw? I dont have a spare fv.

I am going to bottle mine tonight using a piece of sanitised tin foil wrapped tightly over the sediment trap on the cane, and then lots of fine holes pinned into it.
This worked successfully last week bottling a dry hopped wherry, although the hops in question were leaf rather than pellet. With this in mind, tonight's attempt takes me into uncharted territory...
I will add that most of the hop pellet material has sunk to the bottom of the fv anyway so should be ok. I will report back tomorrow to let you know how it goes. :thumb:

 

[Daza1604]

Took a gravity reading yesterday 1029 after a week. 1055 was the start reading.
Don't know if it was the moving of the barrel or what but my issue where I was seeing no bubbles has now gone... It's bubberling every 10/15 seconds now... Making a right racket haha

 

[jamie72]

Quick update. Bottled tonite using foil filter. Absolutely rubbish. Syphoning slowed to a halt and ended up ripping the foil off after 4 bottles. The rest was done just using the bare cane. Clogged up almost straight away with the foil attached.
Think much of it was the fact that the foil covered cane end went straight down into the trub/ hop debris right at the start and never recovered!
The good news though is that even with no filter I managed to get not much hop in the bottles. Only time will tell but feeling pretty happy with the outcome after a traumatic start!

 

[Wolfracer]

Quick update. Bottled tonite using foil filter. Absolutely rubbish. Syphoning slowed to a halt and ended up ripping the foil off after 4 bottles. The rest was done just using the bare cane. Clogged up almost straight away with the foil attached.
Think much of it was the fact that the foil covered cane end went straight down into the trub/ hop debris right at the start and never recovered!
The good news though is that even with no filter I managed to get not much hop in the bottles. Only time will tell but feeling pretty happy with the outcome after a traumatic start!

Sounds promising. Although all of mine seems to be floating on the top. Maybe I can skim it off?

 

[Daza1604]

Sounds good Jamie
What is the exact process for bottling?
My FV has a tap at the bottom, i was intending just to fill the bottles from there... is this then going to transfer a load of junk in to my bottles?
I was also thinking of wrapping the hopps in some muslin cloth creating a kind of tea bag... dont know what the thoughts are on this... just thinking it would minimize some of the rubbish floating about

 

[louis macneice]

RE. keeping the hops out - I posted this on another thread about Festival kits. So if you've had a Festival kit and still have one of their little filter bags you can do the following:

I stick a sparkling wine wire cage on the end of the syphon tube, squeeze it into a longer flatter shape and then put the bag over the whole lot (all sanitized of course). This works really well.
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Cheers - Louis MacNeice