New Brewer Australia

If the gravity is still decreasing and the fermentation lock is still bubbling, even with 15 minutes between bubbles, the fermentation is not complete! I once bottled a Belgian Wit before it was completely fermented, and it ended up being total froth when the bottles were opened, plus 3 or 4 bottles exploded from the pressure. My advice is to keep an eye on the bubbles on the fermentation lock, and when it stops bubbling completely, wait an additional 2 or 3 days before bottling. It is possible that you've got an infection if it keeps on bubbling for weeks and weeks, or if the gravity goes below 1.000. Maybe you should taste it. If it is infected it will taste more like wine and bacteria than beer.

Best of luck to you. I know from personal experience how impatience can ruin a beer, and I also know how frustrating it can be if a beer doesn't turn out. If you can be patient and wait for fermentation to complete you will be much happier in the long run.

-- Dave "Just a drink, a little drink, and I'll be feeling GOOooOOooOOooD!" -- Genesis, 1973-ish

G'day Gladys,

I'm not sure of the instructions on Cooper's Bitter. Coopers Lager [ my last coupla brews ] instructions say about 4 days. I left my last 6 days before i bottled it - because i was lazy & to busy to bottle earlier.

Local home brew barn suggested if you test SG two days in a row and the reading is the same, then it is ok to bottle.

It sounds as though your equipment is reasonably new, but 2 in 2 years? Ok if everything's sterile / sanitised / MSo2'd.

Let us all know how you get on.

Ian C [ Brisbane]

23-24C. Alcohol content of this batch is a different story altogether, sampled a bit straight off the wort and felt like I was getting a headache, certainly above 5% (IG 1040 FG 1004) I cracked open a bottle last night and it had settled, much clearer, I bottled it with a teaspoon of 'coffee crystals' (only sugar I had int the place and they are soooo slow to dissolve) not much in the way of froth and bubble though. I used normal old refined sugar inthe fermenting as was the advice of the Home Brewing shop guy here on the central coast NSW. I think next cider batch I do I might use a honey/glucose mix rather than sugar as it leaves a few undesirbale tastes, though I imagine with a non sugar mix it would ferment even slower.

Thanks, Bob.

Glad to hear things ( brewing ) going ok. NZ cider? I haven't seen that one - but it's been a little while since i've been to a HB shop. As in apple cider?

FWIW: I was brewing Goldrush pilsener & got to know the blokes at the HB shop. Took their advice & usually good results.

60litre fermenter. Use 3 tins Goldrush pilsener mix. 2 Kg's dextrose [ originally I used brew booster & finings etc but a bit lazy now ]. Dextrose rather than malt ( sugar, etc ) as dextrose is 100% fermentable & you get less sediment. Malt is about 70% fermentable.

I also bulk prime with 540g dextrose so I can bottle into anything I like - stubbies, tallies, plastic etc.

I also use gladwrap on the bottles so i don't have to sterilise them.

One of the best brews I ever had was the Goldrush & I followed the instructions for Pilsener. Ie Wort at normal temp ie 25 or 26 deg C. Then, when fermenting starts, gradually lowering the temp of the wort. Temp must stay above 12 deg C. The brew took about 3weeks to ferment & it was a beauty.

Using coopers now due to price differential $8 or $9 versus $12 or $13 per tin.

regards

Ian C

Using your OG and FG, you are looking at 4.72% ABV.

I always wait approxamately four days after I see no airlock activity and then bottle it.

I also prefer to use malt rather than things like white table sugar or dextrose as the flavour is always better