Help please - putting fermenter together.

[cellone]

Sadly; I really Could demonstrate and explain the whole f**king process, well inside an hour, in my kitchen. Maybe I should run classes?

Youtube mthafka.

You, Youtube, got to be done.

[Fil]

Generally wait till below 22C and dropping imho before dropping yeast in.. while fermentation may appear more active and healthy at 24C+ its at these temps that flavors we generally dont want get created, but as the beer should continue to chill overnight its not so crucial..try and keep the beer between 18-20C if you can,,Dont forget to take a gravity reading

your probably ok with the odd splash on the arm dripping back in, but in general be very OCD about sanitation and cleaning.
i roll up my sleeves and after soap n water wash and GOOD rinse i dowse me hands n wrists in some no rinse sanitiser (starsan) between each task with the beer... clean and sanitise your kit on a way into a brew and if not getting another brew on asap clean and dry well all the kit before considering storing it and dont seal the bucket disposable food handling gloves wouldnt be ott.


the budget options for cleaning are unscented laundry oxi products, the £shop is best vfm, but open n sniff the pcks as they often pack scented in unscented packs.. for sanitation 5star starsan or videne may appear expensive £8-15 per bottle, but will last quite a few years once bought unlike wvp which you may end up buying every other brew or so.

[Ditch]

Cellers; It never even occurred to me!

I do think I slung a couple of clips up, on my thread, about a couple of points though? Sanitising my FV's and stirring the gear, at least.

Thing is; Where do we start, and finish, with films? Probably only worth using to demonstrate fast jobs. Much else would be easier to explain by type.

Ye see what I'm saying though; About getting Tim ~ or any other rank Newb ~ in our kitchens? They could fire off a dozen questions, and have them answered, even as we hose out four gallons of water

[cellone]

Wish I had had that opportunity bud. It would certain sped up the initial learning curve.

[timbo41]

Sadly; I really Could demonstrate and explain the whole f**king process, well inside an hour, in my kitchen. Maybe I should run classes?

Youtube mthafka.

You, Youtube, got to be done.

Yeah.." Ditch does demo's " ....wanna see the spume!!. And get a tour round the cottage.
not bad idea Nick.
But....would the secretive retiring being that is the Ditch show his face...Who knows..!

[timbo41]

Saw the drill one...and the lob in a soaked bleach cloth...but they're well buried in that magnum opus of a thread...not sure the one where Pest licks the froth up is ideal sanitising instructional for newbs though!

[GalootUK]

Just checking in - the brew is on!! Boooyaaa

Starting OG was 1.050 - it was originally sitting in my dining room but when I got up this morning the temperature was still a bit high at 25\26c so I moved it to my cellar and now it's sitting at around 20c which I believe is better? It's all old stone down there and is much cooler.

The bubble trap isn't doing anything and I haven't opened the lid (even though I want to) as I am worried about must nastys getting in the lid down there. But I think maybe I can see that a slight foam is developing. Hopefully.

Anyway thanks again for help - here's hoping it'll all go good I'm gonna invest in another bucket as recommended for next time.

[Ditch]

But....would the secretive retiring being that is the Ditch show his face?

Would I f**k as like! I'd greet ye wearing a green army jacket, circa 1980's. And a three holed balaclava

Bet That would get some fun responses .....

[Ditch]

The temperature was still a bit high at 25\26c ..... now it's sitting at around 20c which I believe is better? It's all old stone down there and is much cooler.

Not many kits, that I've ever come across, can do much good at 25C, mate. I actually destroyed my own first one, just recently. First out of hundreds. F**ked heater sent it to 25C.

The bubble trap isn't doing anything and I haven't opened the lid (even though I want to)

Top tip; Take that f**king bubbler off. Take it out doors. Throw it as far from ye as ye can.

Then, get the book that told ye to use one. Tell me its title. Then, burn the f**king thing. I'll be sure to burn any copies I ever come across too.

Forty f**king years has shown me ye Never need stick an air lock on an FV. Perhaps someone will turn up and say;

" Excuse me! But; When I make some exotic, Belgian, super strength beer gravy that takes six months to ferment ..... "

I'll excuse them and carry on. Air locks are for Wine. Fruit Flies are the Wine makers enemy. FFS. Drosophila. " F R U I T Fly ....? Ever heard of a f**king Malt Fly?

Forgive me, Galoot. But, this sort of sh!t boils my piss. It's urban myth. One f**ker reads it, on a forum and it becomes a " Fact ". Bring me the head of anyone who cares to argue that ye can't make perfectly good kits without an air lock.

Meanwhile? That cellar sounds like a fantastic place to ferment ye kits

[GalootUK]

Thank's Ditch, I'm glad I moved it to the cellar then as I don't wanna a funky flavoured brew.

I still haven't lifted the lid... however I did think to myself 'why not do a test with the hydrometer just to make sure it's doing something'

So I took a sample even though it's only been a day and a half - and low and behold the colour is already turning a nice gold\amber, the gravity is down to 1.032 (2.5% alcohol?), it seems to have a bit of fizz (guessing that's the yeasty stuff) and even better it actually honestly tastses pretty nice already! is this even possible in such a short space of time. I'm impressed I could actually pull a pint from it and happily drink it haha! I'll check the gravity and have a cheeky swig in a few more days.

Meanwhile yes I will ignore said bubble piece of crap from now on - it's clearly doing its thing without any bubbles.

[Ditch]

I still haven't lifted the lid...

Why not, Tim? Is this another old wives tale ye've picked up along the wall of chinese whispers?

Why Not lift the lid on a FV? I can't tell ye why ye shouldn't ~ unless ye happen to have some creature bouncing off the walls and liable to belly flop right in there. Bird, maybe? Cat? Dog? My Dogs would try to stick their heads in there and drink the malty goodness.

Dogs like beer. But, a table spoonful, once a week, is plenty. None at all is fine too. They never learn what they're missing. And so they don't.

Listen; That wort (We're not allowed to call it 'Beer' yet, or the purists will rain air locks down on us ) will be giving off enough gas to please Höss. That sh!t can drop a cow. Seen it. So, unless ye keep cows in ye brew room ....?

I think nothing of popping the loosely slung over lids of my FV's. I just like to stare, like a proud father, at what I'm bringing on in the world. Fruit flies zooming round my head don't bother me in the least.

Why not invest in a Mini / Maxi wall thermometer for that cellar? It genuinely sounds like a potentially god given location to brew.

My own brew room is of a certain compass bearing, and of mad thick walls. So, it never gets too hot in the hottest Summer. But, I need to Raise the wort temp's for much of the year.

If ye cellar can hover between 18 and 23? I f**kin hate ye!

[GalootUK]

So I had a peek (thanks for letting me know it was a load of todge that I shouldn't lift the lid Ditch) and it had a very thin bubbly head so it's doing something. It's now day 5 and it's down to 1.025 from the original 1.050 - taste is good and it's is a nice amber colour.

Yup sorry the cellar is a good spot it seems the temp of the beer is hovering around 18c with a blanket round it in the evenings as the temp was dropping a degree or so overnight - gonna invest in a brew belt with an STC-1000 to keep my brews warm in the winter as the cellar will likely be a few degrees cooler in a couple of months.

Looking forward to bottling it over the next couple of weeks!

[Ditch]

gonna invest in a brew belt with an STC-1000 to keep my brews warm in the winter!

Why not do what I've done? Single / 4' x 2' electric blanket. Argos were doing them for a tenner! There's ye pair of FV's taken care of, right there.

Cover it in plastic and seal that with silage tape. Put a sheet of jabolite under it .....

[GalootUK]

That's a good idea thanks I'll look into that to see if it works out cheaper - hopefully won't need for another month or so as the temp with a blanket round it is still sticking at 18c.

Quick question - I've been testing the gravity every few days (too often I know). The starting gravity was 1.050, then 4 days later it dropped to 1.025 and it's now been stuck at 1.025 ever since and I'm now at 7 days total. I've read that the fermentation can take up to 14 days, but the fact that it now hasn't moved in three days does that indicate somethings wrong and it's stuck? 3.4% ABV would be a bit weak!! Should I gently stir it or something or just leave it for a few more days.

The target final gravity on the instructions is 1.014 by the way.

Cheers

Tim

[Hopping_Mad]

Sanitise you stirring spoon and, without splashing (so nice and gentle), stir right down to the bottom of the FV. This gets the yeast back into the wort.

Try getting the temperature up to 22/24*C too for a brief period.

Both these things can help get fermentation starting again.

Even if they don't, there's always the option of pitching more yeast.

Still no need to worry!!! Loads of people have had brews in their vessels for weeks with issues like this and sorted them out with nice beer the outcome!