First IPA kit

[rich92]

Started fermentation 6days ago with a gravity reading of 1.020 currently been 1.010 for few days but kit says for low carbonation drinks it should read 0.998.Is this progress about right ?
Temp has dropped to probs 17℃ once or twice, when kit says between 18-24℃. Should this be a big problem?
Also second day I found beigey bits collecting on top, wasn't too sure if this was yeast that didn't settle in mixture, but stirred back in anyway.
Froth seems to have died down quite a bit but still has bubbles floating on top.
Is it going all right?

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[DocScott]

Sounds like it is going fine. 1.020 sounds pretty low for an OG, my bet is that this was an extract kit and you didn't mix the top off water well enough before taking your original gravity reading. This will not affect your beer though, just your abv calculation.

The brown floaties were likely yeast, and don't need to be stirred back. Stirring the beer once it has fermented increases your risk of oxidizing the beer. Just let it be, and the yeast will drop.

Only way to be sure it's done is to take gravity readings an once stable on 2 readings a couple of days apart, fermentation is done. This is USUALLY 7-14 days.

It is very unusual for a beer fermented with ale/lager yeast to finish below 1.000, so I'm not sure what's up with your directions. On an ipa, 1.008-1.018 would be more common (without looking at the bjcp style guidelines this may be slightly off).

Post your recipe an we can give you help to correct the expected gravities for your kit. Congrats on the first brew!

 

[rich92]

It's a John bull beer kit so hops and that was in a glupy liquid form mixed with water and brewing sugar and added dry yeast. Seems to start smelling like beer so hopefully is fine.


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[Captain Damage]

Gonna agree with pretty much all of what DocScott said. The OGs for IPAs are usually in the 1.050-1.060+ range, and they usually finish at around 1.010-1.015. It's much harder than you'd think to mix your top up water in enough to get a "true" gravity reading. But not to worry - the churning of active fermentation will mix it up well. For partial boils, you have to deviate from the directions pretty far for your actual OG to be more than a point off of the calculation. That's part of the reason we ask for the recipe whenwe get questions like this.

But I think your beer is going to be fine!

 

[flars]

It's a John bull beer kit so hops and that was in a glupy liquid form mixed with water and brewing sugar and added dry yeast. Seems to start smelling like beer so hopefully is fine.


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I looked up the recipe. You are good to have the fermentation temperature at 17°C to 18°C.

Did You make this up as a 23 liter volume or 18 liters in your fermentor?

Let it sit in your fermentor for at least three weeks. The extra time will give the yeast time to clean up after FG is reached. The extra time wil also allow the beer to clear as sediment conpacts at the bottom of the fermentor. At two and half weeks start checking SG again to determine FG.

After this 6 days of fermentation you can let the temperature rise on its own.
The flavors are pretty much set in the first three to four days of fermentation.

 

[E_Marquez]

The instructions are dodgy at best
http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/acatalog/John_bull.pdf

It's a pre hopped LME just add water and sugar, yeast and time kit.

So how much water you added (kit instructions suggests it's an option for "experienced" brewers to decide) how well you mixed it up after adding all water but before you took a OG reading will change the result.. But as others have said... your OG readings are off and it makes no difference at this point.. It'll make beer.

I have had good luck taking 3 FG readings over 5 days to confirm fermentation is done.... assuming all are the same.. it's done and in the bottles or keg it goes.

Relax, wait it out.. soon enough you'll be drinking beer.

 

[rich92]

Made to 23 litres as just started doing beer brews, probably should of done 18 as I love a high abv ale. So up to three weeks is fine in primary fermentation, as kit only says 4-8days. As for secondary fermentation in a pressure barrell, where is 'priming' sugar available in the UK?

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[E_Marquez]

Made to 23 litres as just started doing beer brews, probably should of done 18 as I love a high abv ale. So up to three weeks is fine in primary fermentation, as kit only says 4-8days. As for secondary fermentation in a pressure barrell, where is 'priming' sugar available in the UK?

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You can use most any sugar to prime with.
Use one of the calculators http://www.northernbrewer.com/priming-sugar-calculator/
or http://www.tastybrew.com/calculators/priming.html
or another and select the beer style (or the level of CO2 you want in your beer), temp of the beer, amount of beer to be bottled.

4-8 days is shorter than many will suggest... but common for kit instructions... the problem is, yeast can not read.

It's done when it's done.... best known for sure with a hydrometer reading .. 2 readings a day or so apart and no change (going lower) gravity and it's done.. 3 week is a pretty safe fudge factor on just leave it and it'll be beer.

 

[rich92]

Got a problem! Gravity reading according to my slightly broken hydrometer has gone back down to 1.020 and no bubbles are forming. By broke I mean the glass has shattered a bit at the top and the end has come off nowhere near the readings.

So as the reading has gone back to original gravity after 7-8 days what do I do now? Can you add more yeast to restart fermentation?

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[rich92]

Deffo got a stuck fermentation so gave it a stir and going to pop out and get some extra yeast nutrient.

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[DocScott]

No way that the gravity can go up unless you added more fermentables. Rather than getting yeast nutrient, buy two new hydrometers. (As soon as you have two, they will never break again...with one, it is sure to break just when you need it most)

The likely reason your gravity increased is the broken hydrometer isn't reading accurately anymore. Also, I find it very unlikely that your of was 1.020. Go pick up a couple new hydrometers an let us know what the reading is.

 

[rich92]

OKay will do. Wasn't too sure if the broken hydrometer would work tbh but does sound wrong.

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[rich92]

Right, new hyrdometer reading reads at 1.010 and advises not to bottle/keg until reaching 1.006. So I shall have to wait a bit longer. Is finings recommended at the end or just leave it to naturally set at the end of primary fermentation.

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[rich92]

As I had 1.010 with my old hydrometer when it wasnt broke 3 days ago, I read on a stuck fermentation help page that if your less than 5points away from your fg and getting the same readings over consecutive days it's fine to carry on to secondary fermentation in a pressure barrel. Really don't know what to do as both my instruction kit and hydrometer says don't keg til 1.006 to avoid keg/bottle explosions.

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[E_Marquez]

As I had 1.010 with my old hydrometer when it wasnt broke 3 days ago, I read on a stuck fermentation help page that if your less than 5points away from your fg and getting the same readings over consecutive days it's fine to carry on to secondary fermentation in a pressure barrel. Really don't know what to do as both my instruction kit and hydrometer says don't keg til 1.006 to avoid keg/bottle explosions.

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Three SG reads the same over 5 days (test wait a day, Test, wait a day TEST)

All three readings the same, it's done fermenting.. could it benefit from sitting on the yeast a bit longer, many say yes, and very few see harm in doing so for up to 3 or so months.

When in doubt WAIT.. longer is not going to hurt anything but your anticipation levels.

 

[flars]

As I had 1.010 with my old hydrometer when it wasnt broke 3 days ago, I read on a stuck fermentation help page that if your less than 5points away from your fg and getting the same readings over consecutive days it's fine to carry on to secondary fermentation in a pressure barrel. Really don't know what to do as both my instruction kit and hydrometer says don't keg til 1.006 to avoid keg/bottle explosions.

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The instructions/recipe is just a guide. There are many variables which influence fermentation. When the hydrometer readings have stabilized fermentation is complete.

The yeast still have one more job to do though. Leaving your beer on the yeast cake will allow the yeast to clean up the naturally produced off flavors of fermentation. Give the yeast at least 3 to 5 days to finish. When the beer clears the yeast have finished their work.

There really is no such thing as secondary fermentation. A second vessel can be used for additions of oak chips, fruit, dry hopping, or as a brite tank. Fermentation should be allowed to complete in the primary. If there will be no additions the beer will clear just as well in the primary without the added risk of oxidation or infection.

Next step to the bottle or keg.

Congratulations on your first brew.

 

[rich92]

Head retention? As for this brew i can't see how the beer will be foamy and have a head? Having read up on it, is there anything i can do since i have an extract kit and heard that heading agents wouldn't do much on these kits at the priming stage?

as for the gravity readings there dropping nicely now.

 

[Captain Damage]

Head retention? As for this brew i can't see how the beer will be foamy and have a head? Having read up on it, is there anything i can do since i have an extract kit and heard that heading agents wouldn't do much on these kits at the priming stage?

Why would you just assume head retention would be a problem? Almost all extracts include some kind(s) of caramel/crystal malt in them, often specifically for the purpose of improving head retention. If you've got caramel/crystal malts in the steeping grains then that's more help to the head retention. But then again, I've made beers with no head-helping malts at all and they've had great head.

If your glasses aren't properly clean then head retention will be a problem regardless of your ingredients. Automatic dishwasher rinse-aids are know to be head killers. I add a scoop of Oxy Clean Free to each dishwasher load and get great results, I've also hand washed my glasses with Oxy Clean.

There are heading agent/priming sugar combos such as KreamyX and some brands of carb-drops (Muntons, I think?), but seriously, don't assume it's going to be a problem before your first batch of this beer is even done. If you find the beer has poor head, and you're absolutely positive it's not your glassware, and you like it enough to make the same kit again, then maybe add 1'4 lb of carapils to your steeping grains.

 

[rich92]

Why would you just assume head retention would be a problem? Almost all extracts include some kind(s) of caramel/crystal malt in them, often specifically for the purpose of improving head retention. If you've got caramel/crystal malts in the steeping grains then that's more help to the head retention. But then again, I've made beers with no head-helping malts at all and they've had great head.

If your glasses aren't properly clean then head retention will be a problem regardless of your ingredients. Automatic dishwasher rinse-aids are know to be head killers. I add a scoop of Oxy Clean Free to each dishwasher load and get great results, I've also hand washed my glasses with Oxy Clean.

There are heading agent/priming sugar combos such as KreamyX and some brands of carb-drops (Muntons, I think?), but seriously, don't assume it's going to be a problem before your first batch of this beer is even done. If you find the beer has poor head, and you're absolutely positive it's not your glassware, and you like it enough to make the same kit again, then maybe add 1'4 lb of carapils to your steeping grains.

I thought I would start seeing signs in primary fermentation but read another piece of text where it says priming before putting into keg adds a head. Well not making it flat anyway.

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[Captain Damage]

You only prime when kegging if you're not force-carbonating from a CO2 cylinder, as the vast majority of kegging brewers do. Priming is usually only for bottle conditioning - that's where you add a small amount of sugar to the beer immediately before sealing it into bottles. The residual yeast in the beer will eat the newly introduced sugar and make CO2, but since the bottles are capped, the CO2 goes into solution and makes the beer carbonated. Usually we add this sugar to the bottling bucket so it's pre-mixed into the beer before it goes into the bottles; but you can also add the sugar in the form of "carb drops" such as these, where you add one or two to each bottle before filling.

Uncarbonated beer will not have a head, no matter what kind of additives you put into the ferementer.