Youngs Lager Kit

[broadfordbrewer]

Hello,

I'm new to the forum - hello all!
I'm also new to brewing - hello poor quality beer produced by me!!

I'm using a Youngs lager kit and om on Day 6 of fermentation and nothing much seems to be happening. It looks and smells right and still bubbling, but...

Hydrometer readings
Day 4 - 1028 (temp 20 degrees C)
Day 5 - 1028 (temp 20 degrees C)
Day 6 - 1028 (temp 17 degrees C)

The kit instructions say that fermentation should take 4-8days and I'm starting to wonder if anything is going to happen on the way of getting near to a reading of 1010?
Or, do you think I'm destined to be drinking a weak and sugary beer flavoured drink?

Thanks

 

[Wez]

Raise the temp to 22c and rouse the yeast (gently) with a sterilised paddle, it should wake them up, you can always add another sachet of yeast if you need to. Once its going again get it back to 18 - 22c

Welcome to the forum :thumb:

 

[unclepumble]

Sorry am not trying to confuse things,
But if you are using true lager yeast then its probably too warm, and if the temp has been allowed to go above 20 you could have shocked it, if it was me I would get hold of a pack of lager yeast, put it in at the brew at the temp you currently have it then transfer to somewhere cooler, (around 13 deg C) you will get a cleaner tasting brew, ale yeast gives you flavours you don't want in a lager.

Shane

 

[Wez]

Good point, I'm not sure if youngs ship those with true lager yeasts?

 

im a little confused :wha: i was always lead to believe that you femented lager at a lower temperature than beer.

 

[Wez]

im a little confused :wha: i was always lead to believe that you femented lager at a lower temperature than beer.

If using a lager yeast yep. Not sure what that kit ships with

 

[unclepumble]

im a little confused :wha: i was always lead to believe that you femented lager at a lower temperature than beer.

You are correct, most lager yeast ferments best at about 13 deg C, ales are around 18-20 deg, If you brew with lager yeast and get it at above 20 deg you can kill or shock some strains, same goes for ale yeast if you get it too cold.

 

[Wez]

It'll be interesting to now what that kit ships with, a true lager yeast or an ale yeast that makes a pretend lager.

 

Well ive been oing numerous searches on the inter web and all have come up blank. So decided to send a email to young's asking them what type of yeast is shipped in the kit.

 

[unclepumble]

I would imagine the answer lies in the intructions, if they reccomend higher temp fermentation then ale yeast,
If lower temp fermentation, then lager yeast.

 

I would imagine the answer lies in the intructions, if they reccomend higher temp fermentation then ale yeast,
If lower temp fermentation, then lager yeast.

Ive made a couple of Young's kits, altho never one of there lager as i dont drink the stuff. but all the instruction seem to be of the same standard layout. It would be interesting to know if it was the youngs starter kit which he is using.

 

[Wez]

I would imagine the answer lies in the intructions, if they reccomend higher temp fermentation then ale yeast,
If lower temp fermentation, then lager yeast.

Ive made a couple of Young's kits, altho never one of there lager as i dont drink the stuff. but all the instruction seem to be of the same standard layout.

Thanks CB, not sure if the standard layout of the instructions is of use though?

Welcome to the forum by the way ....

 

Welcome to the forum by the way ....

Thanks mate

 

[Aleman]

Without a doubt the yeast supplied by Youngs will be an ale yeast . . . it may or may not be a neutral one (like Nottingham), which can give nice lager like flavours when fermented cool (16C it can go down to 14C but that is pushing it). . . . however unless you have changed he yeast for a lager one I would suggest simply raising the temperature to 18C and stirring the yeast back into solution and allowing it to ferment at that temperature.

You are correct that lager yeast and lager fermentations usually use lower temperatures. Kit manufacturers are not generally concerned with the proper brewing practices though, so you will not get true lager from it . . . . with modifications the more expensive kits are very good though.

 

[evanvine]

Didn't spot you in "introduce yourself" CB, so I'll say welcome to the Forum here
Hope you enjoy it as much as I do! :

 

[broadfordbrewer]

Hi All,

Thanks for the welcome and thanks for the useful info and advice.
Not sure exactly what kind of yeast the kit uses, but it tells you to ferment at a temp between 18-24C. Due to the cold weather I have been keeping the temp between 17 and 20C.

Since my original post things have improved slightly without my intervention;

Hydrometer readings
Day 4 - 1028 (temp 20C)
Day 5 - 1028 (temp 20C)
Day 6 - 1028 (temp 17C)
Day 7 - 1024 (temp 19C)
Day 8 - 1020 (temp 20C)

Its going in the right direction albeit slower than the instructions state, but its not an exact science right? I read on another thread that someone using a similar Youngs kit thad to wait 14 days for fermentation to reach the recommended 1010 reading. I guess my only worry is that I will end up with a very yeasty tasting beer if I have to leave it that long? I'm now not sure whether to take some of the advice above about adding more yeast, reducing temp or stirring the exisiting yeasts back in to the lager? I appreciate everyone has there own opinion so myabe I just have to man-up and live with my own decision ... to leave it alone or not!?!?!

Cheers

 

[evanvine]

It's often the hard way, but it's the best way to learn.
You never forget it.

 

[broadfordbrewer]

It's often the hard way, but it's the best way to learn.
You never forget it.

true! but I'm so desperate for my first attempt to be a success... (thats all to do with pride and not to do with something nice tasting/strong! to drink...)

I think I will leave it at least a few more days to see if it drops to nearer the recommended SG and then decide if I need to tinker with it.

 

[evanvine]

Something I would do if I had your set of problems would be to warm it up to 24C for a few hours.
Not many (if any) others would, but then I do a lot of things that are not generally accepted :whistle:

 

[corby_brewer]

Im still waiting for young's to get back to me on what type of yeast they use. :hmm:
But somehow i dont think they will. :wha: