fermatation

[Kozzi]

Hey folks, cause i've been desperately looking for procrastination devices (I'm in the uni exam fortnight at the moment) I decided to brew up my Coopers lager kit that came with my 21st present immediately instead of waiting until a non-weekend day to buy more cool stuff and brewing up something nicer.

I decided to do this by the book/video to make sure it turned out well.

There is a bit in the video where Paul Mercurio says to pour in some of your cold water using the wort tin so you can get as much of that wort in the brew as possible.

I did this, and i'm not sure if its my water or if its meant to happen but it made the tin really frothy. Like uber head etc

I'm thinking, well paul told me to do this, so I pour it in a couple of times and go back to using a water bottle to fill it up once the tin is looking pretty clean. I sprinkle my yeast on the top and wait.

And wait.

And wait.

My problem is this foamy stuff is still evident in the fermentor, and I think its prevented the yeast from reaching the wort. These is no evidence of fermentation and the OG hasn't gone down over 3 days.

Is it safe for me to open up the fermenter and fold in the yeast into the wort trying to reduce the oxygenation as much as possible? Or how else do I try and fix this up

Cheers for bits of advice.

Btw my first brew is happily bottled and has been sitting on the floor of the spare bathroom for 4 days now, I dont know how you guys have the patience to let it mature properly

[thehipone]

Well, if you're having trouble waiting for beer to mature, just crack one open. The flat, sickly sugary sweet beer that you get will surely convince you that it's worth waiting.

I'd say your yeast were toast. A few mm of foam isnt going to keep those hungry yeast from getting to your wort. Depending on where your kit came from, I'd doubt that it was stored in the proper conditions for yeast, and the dry yeast simply died. Just get another packet of yeast and re-pitch.

The good news is that since the OG hasn't dropped it's unlikely that the wort has been infected.

[BPJ]

Kozzi,
you don;t mention teh temp of the brew. I will assume it is in the range of between 15 to 30 degrees, although the lower end would be way better. High temp makes fast brews, low temps make slow but better brews. lager yeast should be even lower. Rather than open it rock the fermentor back and forth to create waves sloshing around that should wash at least some of the yeast down into the brew.

Paul Mercurio can dance, but I'm not sure if he can brew!

to get the most out of the tin i warm the tin in teh sink of hot water, then open and empty the tin, then fill with boiling water and stir with my brewing spoon. then tip this into the fermentor, using oven mitts, cause it is bloody hot. this gets most out, with a second half can of boiling water to rinse.

The way i add yeast is to get a clean glass before I start and 1/2 fill with warm water. I add a teaspoon of sugar/dextrose and stir, add the yeast and cover with gladwrap. By the time it comes to add the yeast to the fermentor, the glass has started to foam, indicating the yeast is working and then pour into the fermentor.

As for waiting for the bottles to mature, chuck one in the fridge and try tonight. It will be crap, flat and a little sweet, from the unfermented priming sugar. Give it a few weeks, and try another one. you should be able to taste the massive improvement. A few more weeks and it is even better

The solution.
brew a heap of differnet batches, so that in a few months time you will have several different beers that are ready to drink and several more matuirng for future use.

[Dogger Dan]

Kozzi,

First thing, Don't worry man, grab yourself another yeast open up and sprinkle away and re-seal. These guys are going to tell you not to do that because you will get infected. Here is a word to the wise, you have brewed 1 batch, there are no beer loving bacteria in your brewery because you are new to it so they have no reason to be there because there was nothing for them to eat. (Chicken/Egg Scenario) You get an infection, go buy the lottery ticket. All you guys ready to pounce, this is the only occassion I would say to not worry about this, actually I don't get to worked up over it either and there are a couple of really cool guys here that brew it open top. Additionally give it a good slosh to get some air in there. Yeast needs that to giddy up and go.

Second, if you want to guzzle flat beer please do so, you made it and if tastes good flat then just think how good it will taste carbonated. Again there are folks here, me included that suck it back at damn near anypoint. and in my first Uni days, 5 mins in the bottle was enough carbonation for me.

You don't need boiling water to rinse the can, warm water (60-70 deg C) and a gentle scrape of the can with a spoon will work out just fine. As some one pointed out to me in my early kegging days, don't be greedy.

The first thing is not to worry though, sorry it will cost ya an extra buck for a yeast

Dogger

[kozzi]

Cheers folks for the speedy replies,

I'm happy to take a buck hit for some decent beer.

And yeah i'm sure i can wait for the beer to taste good, its just tempting as i've never seen so many longnecks that I own sitting in one place at the same time

I'm sure waiting for them to mature will give me a good motivation to brew up more different types so once i get started i'll never have to wait again

In response to the earlier temperature question:

At the moment because its been such an unusually cold summer for sydney, my beer is sitting at 18degrees. They rekon thats at the bottom of the fermentation range.

I doubt it'll get colder until winter here, if anything i'm worried that what will happen with my first brew will happen to my second.

Last week i set the beer down at 22degree, it stayed about that temperature for a day, then the next two sydney days were around the 30 degrees mark. I used alot of ice trying to keep it below 25.

So it wouldn't suprise me if i buy a lager yeast that like its cold if i jynx the weather and tomorrow will be 35 or something

[BPJ]

Kozzi

Where do you have your setup? Inside a tin shed is the worst, massive temp variations. Inside a room with constant temp is best. I have mine in the garage, which is under the house so temp is fairly stable, between 16 to 24, year round. Only getting to 12 after a few freezing cold days, which for Melb, is only a few times.

I couldn't remember, which string dealt with cooling, but the ideas revolved aroound filling the lid with water and having a towel wrapped around the fermentor, and into the water. as the water soaks the twoel it evaporates, drawing the heat out of the brew, the same way evap air conditioners work.

in winter to heat the brew these are a few ideas. http://www.homebrewandbeer.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=92 I used to put the fermentor in a tub of water and the fish tank heater in the water. contant temp, just lift the fermentor out the day before bottling.


Seriously this batch put a few into stubbies to "sacrifice" for taste testing. try one after a few days, then every week or so to get a good understanding of how time helps. I drink them after a week in the bottle if my supply has run down not good but drinkable.

Get an exercise book or some other way to keep a record of EVERYTHING. Temps, dates, SG, recipes, taste etc. that way you can replicate a great brew, and avoid remaking a crap brew that you did some time earlier.


I think we would all agree, with brewing, have fun, try different things, ask questions. What I lilke, you like and what others like aren't neccesarily the same.

[Kozzi]

My fermentor is in the laundry downstairs

Its a brick room which is under the house.

Its moderately stable temperature wise, I think i'm just a little panicky because its my first batch so i'm never sure exactly what to expect.

Yeah i'm recording everything about the beer, took that example from this website and the records they keep.

The heating ideas were great, cheers for that

[Dogger Dan]

Kozzi,

You mentioned a nasty word, basement, I had a hard time explaining that one Stupid me for not saying it was a room under the house

All in good fun folks

Thank You

Dogger

[Dogger Dan]

Actually, I guess you didn't mention basement, just the room downstairs, Thats what we call a basement over here. Sorry about that, my slip. Mind you is it under ground?

Dogger

[Kozzi]

Yeah its not really a basement cause its not indoors.

But its similar.

Its difficult to describe because my house is on a hill, so its 2 stories without actually having 2 stories, its more like 2 houses sitting ontop of each other.

So the bottom house it my bedroom and the laundry, and the laundry is where i'm keeping my home brew

[Kozzi]

bjp,

tested out one of my first brews

you're correct its definitely lost alot of its sour front taste.

Correct also on the flatness of the beer, not overly sweetthough.