Is it time to take action?

[daveyk]

Hi, I know this is a similar post to "Minus The Bear's" but as this is my first brew, i could do with some advice.

Mine also is a brupaks. "Birkby Bitter", I'm also aiming for a reading of 1.010 and I'm currently at 1.015. This is how it been progressing.

OG 1.038
day 5 1.020
day 7 1.016
day 8 1.015
day 9 1.015

The instructions say fermentation should be done in 5-7 days but from reading this forum, that sound optomistic.

So, is it time to rouse the yeast? If so do I stir up everything or try and leave the 'cake' in the bottom?

How should I then expect the reading to progress? and when should I consider it done and bottle?

Thanks in advance,

Dave.

[StrangeBrew]

At what temp has it been fermenting at?

If the temp is on the low side then try raising it a couple of degrees, add dry beer enzyme and gently stir the yeast back in to suspension with a sanitized spoon. Hopefully you will end up with a lower FG.
If this doesn't work then 1015 will be ok to keg...you have made beer!

Good luck & enjoy.

[daveyk]

The temp has been on the low side I guess.

It has been fairly constant between 18 and 21 degs. When it has dropped, a couple of times to the 17deg mark, I've raise the temp to 20-21. (As per the instructions).

I will try stirring up the yeast but am I supposed to stir in ALL of the sediment from the bottom of the FV?? What about splashing? Do I need to be careful?

Dave.

[Bugno]

Hi Dave, your OG of 1.038 seems a bit on the low side for starters. Once the kits get down to about 1.015~1.014 you are generally safe to bottle but given the low original gravity you will have a low alcohol beer. If you add the enzyme, as suggested in a previous reply, your beer will no doubt go towards 1.000. I have used said enzyme on a few occasions and even though some people report a thiner beer, I found it to have no ill effects. I think it may be your only option.

[Minus The Bear]

It's odd that both of our Brupaks kits ended up with an OG of 1038, less than the expected 1040.

[StrangeBrew]

I will try stirring up the yeast but am I supposed to stir in ALL of the sediment from the bottom of the FV?? What about splashing? Do I need to be careful?

Yes, gently stir the yeast sediment from the bottom of the FV back into suspension and yes, you need to be careful not to slash or add oxygen to the beer. A slow gentle stir will be enough. If you have a sachet of dry beer enzyme it would be a good idea to add it just before you stir. Don't worry, the sediment will settle/fall back out of suspension.

[daveyk]

thanks for the advice guys.....

In the absence of any dry beer enzyme, I'm going to give the FV a stir and see what the reading is in a couple of days.... probably bottling then.

(Note self, buy some enzyme to have in reserve for the next kit).

Yes it is interesting that the readings are both started at 1.038, but where did you get the target of 1.040 from? I was looking all over for what the reading should have been.

Off to clean my spoon.

Dave.

[daveyk]

Well... I took another reading. Today (day 10) it has dropped another point to 1.014 (at 18.5degrees).

I gave it a stir anyway and I'll check it again over the next couple of days.

Dave.

[daveyk]

Hi all, sorry to keep hassling you with these simple questions, but could do with some more advice.

As you can see from my previous posts, the gravity is dropping, Stired up the yeast yesterday and measured again today.

Day 11 now 1.013 @ 19degrees C.

Thing is i really wanted to bottle tomorrow. Do I need to wait for the gravity to stop dropping or can I assume I'm now at a safe level?

I'm worried cause the instructions said ferment for 5-7 days i'm well beyond that now but is that not such a worry?

Thanks and sorry again, your impatiently!

Dave.

[Aleman]

Davy,

I have read all the thread but some time ago and I don't want to read it all again.

If you have not added any dry beer enzyme then I would say you are safe to bottle, but to reduce your priming rate to a 1/2 or even a 1/3rd of what is normally used. You obviously have some residual fermentables in there that will continue to ferment, and this will contribute to the conditioning.

On the other hand if you have used Dry beer Enzyme don't touch it with a barge pole, the enzyme will continue working on your residual fermentables to dry the beer out and you will end up with bottle bombs.

On trick you can use to see when its going to stop that no one has yet mentioned. is to take a yeasty sample put it in a PET bottle and shove it somewhere warm (25C+ or the airing cupboard ) - it should ferment out in 24 hours or so. Chill it and release the gas (Or if you release the gas while its fermenting don't bother chilling) then measure the gravity. Commercial brewers normally keg within a couple of points of the FG, and I would bet that with skill you can bottle that way too.

[daveyk]

Well, it hadn't moved today so I bit the bullet and bottled. So as per the kit instructions, I bottled.

Thanks for all the help, it really is appreciated.

i notice people on the forum, talking about the 'warm week' the Brupaks instructions say two weeks.... what is the thinking on this?

Dave.

[daveyk]

thanks dabbs.

I'll move half in a weeks time and the other half the following week.

Dave.