Newbie help please, woodfordes kit a month in primary bin

[RandomDan]

O.K. folks I need your help.

I'm a complete novice to brewing, and to start with chose a woodfordes Wherry extract kit from Wilkinsons.

Around about the 2nd of June, I put a kit into a sealed primary, complete with airlock which never bubbled.

On the 10th, I fell down a bank rather badly in North Wales, breaking my left fib and tib twice. I spent a week eating welsh hospital food, had a metal rod inserted through my knee, and spent the next two weeks back home slowly adjusting to life on crutches.

I'm concerned that A) I never saw any airlock bubbles in the first week before my accident B) I have no hygrometer to test the SG.

I do have a brand new pressure barrel and some Young's brew enancer so could transfer it to secondary. My question is, Is it worth the risk? Or should I cut my losses and pour it away and start over again.

Cheers
Dan

[Uncle Joshua]

I'd start by buying a hygrometer and testing the SG. maybe you could add more yeast to restart it?

[AnthonyUK]

Hi Dan,
Taste it. If everything went OK it will taste pretty beer-like at this point. One can then prime and keg.
If not then chuck it, get another and start again.

[gnutz2]

I imagine you have a very nice brew waiting to be supped.

The good thing is its been undisturbed by anyone taking samples every 5 mins so it will have a good layer of co2 protecting it from nasty airbourne infections, quite often you wont see any bubbles in the airlock because of a slight leak on the lid.

Put it in the keg with some priming sugar be careful not to splash it around and give it a taste.

[GrowlingDogBeer]

It will probably be fine, it's had plenty of time in the fermentor so I'd give it a quick taste, if it tastes OK put it in the keg with some priming sugar and you should be fine.

Probably worth investing in a hydrometer though, not a hygrometer, they have a completely different purpose.

[RandomDan]

thanks foumers for encouraging me not to give up on it!

I went out to the garage and syphon a bit into a glass to taste. It certainly tasted "beery" and not unpleasant to taste. I sterilized and went out to syphon into the pressure barrel.

To my untrained eye, it all looks promising.. There was signs of a yeasty crust ring around the top of the bin, but the liquid is a nice clear light brown. when I got to the bottom I left a fair amount of yeasty silt behind in the bottom. It smells nice but not overpowering.

I added the geordie brewkit enhancer, about 40 round teaspoons whisked up in some boiling water then allowed it to cool off before pouring it in. Fingers crossed, I'll sit back and wait for it to mature for a few more weeks now. in the meantime, a hyDROmeter is on my shopping list.

Finally, I learned today that lifting a full 5 gallon pressure barrel from the floor onto a waist high shelf with only one leg is... very very hard indeed. Hopefully the beer will make it all worthwhile

[GrowlingDogBeer]

Finally, I learned today that lifting a full 5 gallon pressure barrel from the floor onto a waist high shelf with only one leg is... very very hard indeed. Hopefully the beer will make it all worthwhile

Glad it's all going well.

Sounds like when I got my new fermentors, I suddenly discovered that lifting a fermentor with 45 Litres of beer inside it isn't very easy.