Too Hot?

Don't think you pitched the yeast while the wort was too hot though you were at warmer temp than I would recommend, so I'd say just have some patience and relax. I've had yeast take as long as 48 hours to decide to really get going, particularly if you didn't make a yeast starter first.

The yeast wouldn't have died at that temperature. Wait another couple days. If fermentation doesn't begin within a couple of days, then your yeast was bad to begin with, so go buy some fresh yeast (look for a "best before" date or try a different brand).

Thanks for replies. Was just a little hasty. Down at 20 degrees now, with an inch of froth (I'm sure there's a name for this).

Will look at yeast starters, and less kit based approach...

Alex

Success?? KGB

Well, fingers crossed, it'll be a few days yet.

I'm not supposed to be stirring it, am I ?

How will I tell it's ready for bottling ?

Cheers, Alex

keep it closed & don't disturb it. Primary should take from 5-7 days, maybe a day or 2 longer. If you're not taking Specific Gravity readings, you won't really have a definite "it's done". Otherwise, just give it the 5-7 days, if the top surface is calm (no Krausen) and it starts to drop bright & clear, you should be ready for bottling or you can transfer it to secondary (another carboy) and give it a couple weeks to "age" and clearify.

No rush...patience young padawan, the beer will be with you...always.

I have quite a collection of brewing equipment here, it came with the flat(apartment). I have a wine hydrometer with SG markings, but no instructions. Is this any use ?

What does 'drop bright and clear' mean ? The Krausen is already starting to clear, it this going too fast ? It has been at 20*C +/- 2*C generally, I have a digital thermometer probe in the brew.

Thanks, Alex

Actually, that is a good thing! Lucky you!!!! You should also have a clear plastic tube with a base, fill the tube with your freshly cooled (15C) & boiled wort (before you pitch yeast) set it on a level, flat surface and slowly lower the hydrometer into it, it should float freely in the wort and read the SG at the "meniscus" or where the level top of the wort is in comparison to the hydrometer. This will be your OG reading. Do the same thing after about 5-7 days of fermentation or when bubble stop in the airlock, the only difference is you want to do it about 3 days in a row, if the readings stay the same for 3 days, fermentation is completed and you can either transfer to secondary or bottle. Use the 2 readings to determine your ABV%.

"dropping bright" is a phrase used when any suspended particles (yeast & so forth) literally drop out of suspension and make the beer clear...not completely clear but you can see down into the beer a little way. All styles of beer have various degrees of clarity. Most pale ales or light lagers should be "bright" and sparkly clear whereas a hefeweisen should be cloudy with suspended yeast. Of course you won't be able to truly see how clear the beer is until you pour a glass of it, in a bucket the limited lighting doesn't do it justice.

Honestly, I want a fast fermentation, the faster it ferments the less chance there is of contamination or bacterial growth, someone else may tell you differently, but that's what I hope for.

Hope thats helpful,

Kent

oops...change that to "freshly boiled & cooled wort" my dyslexia kicked in....

Kent

Yes, very. Too late to take an original gravity, now I know why it's called that, but I suppose I could use it to check the fermentation is finished. I didn't put an airlock on, because the little instructions with the kit didn't suggest it, but it probably would have been a good idea if only to see the bubbles. The top is covered though.

Cheers, Alex

Bah!!! Don't worry about it, sounds like you have a good start!!! You had Krausen, it started going away after a couple days, you're monitoring the temp, sounds like it and you are pretty much doing everything the way you should.

What was suggested to me was, when you buy a "beer kit" the first thing you should do is throw away the little instruction booklet!!

Sounds to me like you'll be pleased...you have to understand, this isn't an exact science, especially when you're first starting out. There is always room for experimentation, modification & sometimes safe recoveries from goof ups. You can always alter recipes to suit your needs. Sometimes you can come up with some interesting things, for instance: I was simultaneously making 2 different batches, one was a Wheat Ale which I was going to add raspberries to and make it a raspberry wheat ale, at the same time, I was also making a Honey Amber Ale, both by themselves are AWESOME. I forgot to mark which was which (all my fermenters look the same) and I got them mixed up & added the raspberries to the Honey Amber and bottled the Wheat Ale with honey...they both still turned out spectacular!!!!

Anyway, keep at it, it gets better & better with every batch!!!

Kent

Hi

Errr!! Not necessarily.

For example, my hydrometer has printed on it:- "SG at 20 degrees C".

You should cool your wort to the temperature at which the hydrometer was calibrated - which hopefully will be printed on the hydrometer somewhere (in my case 20C; yours may be different)

This is the only temperature which will give you an accurate reading directly from the hydrometer (i.e. without compensating for temperature) - and assuming of course that your hydrometer is accurate.

Regards KGB