Has My Kit Died?

[GaryJS]

Hi folks,

I posted in the sticky at the top but I guess it's not checked often so I thought I'd start a topic. Hope you don't mind.

I am brewing (or not as the case may be!) my first brew. It is a slightly out of date (May) Geordie Lager kit that I inherited from someone who planned to give it a go but never got around to it. I followed the instructions and was very careful about the sterilization (although I filled the bucket from a hose pipe which I have since read can be a bad idea). All started off well (on Saturday) with the bucket almost blowing it's lid off for the first 36 hours but since then it seems to have gone dormant. On Monday (after reading this forum) I gave the bucket a gentle stir but this didn't seem to have any effect.

On Tuesday (after almost two days of inactivity) I measured the gravity at 1030 (started at about 1040) so bought some fresh yeast (ale yeast, since I believe that's what they use in this lager kit) and yeast nutrient hoping that it would give it a kick. I added these and things seemed to get going again for a few hours but then stopped. I now (Thursday) have no measurable bubbles coming through the airlock. Is this a lost cause? Is it time to send it to the big beer pump in the sky (via the kitchen sink plug hole)?

I'm not much of a lager drinker so this was more of a practice run before I get an ale kit (Woodfordes Wherry @ £15 from Wilko's is looking promising if I add some safale yeast instead of the kit yeast judging from what people are saying). I'm trying not to get put off by my initial likely failure.

[EoinMag]

Don't bother with bubbles, what does the hydrometer say?

[GaryJS]

Thanks for the reply!

I haven't taken a measurement since Tuesday since I wasn't sure if it was a bad idea to keep lifting the lift and dipping the sample jar in. Would it cause a problem to take more measurements? And should you pour the sample back in or do you pour it down the drain?

[OldSpeckledBadger]

Sanitise your hydrometer, drop into the FV and leave it there until you're ready to bottle/keg. It's a lot less messing about.

[GaryJS]

Good idea! I'm not sure I'll be able to read it through the foam but I guess I can always clear a bit.

So no bubbles doesn't necessarily mean that it's drain fodder then? I have seen people talking of bubbles every 90 seconds and thought that I must be fighting a loosing battle.

[EoinMag]

Good idea! I'm not sure I'll be able to read it through the foam but I guess I can always clear a bit.

So no bubbles doesn't necessarily mean that it's drain fodder then? I have seen people talking of bubbles every 90 seconds and thought that I must be fighting a loosing battle.

Bubbles is one way of seeing active fermentation, no bubbles does not mean there is none.
My tip, leave beers longer in the fermenter, I leave mine from 4-5 weeks, go into the room once a week and pick up the fermenter and rouse the yeast. If after 4 weeks the fermentation has stalled, then there is a real problem.

In all I am surprised that people leave their beers too short in the fermenters on this site, it seems to be a race to drink them, good things take time.

[GaryJS]

4-5 Weeks! Wow! I was lead to believe that a week was normal and that if it got to much over two then you'd left it too long!

I was hoping that I'd be supping it whilst watching Michael Schumacher race but that could give me some time now!

[EoinMag]

I have some beers on now since the 26th of last month that I might bottle/keg this weekend although normally I'd have done them the week after, but all told they'll be 44 days old when being served at a party in September. That way they're properly matured and conditioned and people are drinking good beer.
Time is your friend.

[GaryJS]

I have taken OSB advice and dropped the hydrometer straight into the bucket and it looks as though I was panicking prematurely! SG now at 1012! So.. Lesson learnt.. No bubbles doesn't mean no fermentation apparently! Thanks!

[GaryJS]

Just a little update.. It got to it's final gravity on Saturday and I bottled it in 2L pop bottles on Sunday (12p for 2L of sparkling water from Morrisons.. What a waste of water but cheap bottles!)

Looking forward to tasting it! It looks to be settling out well (anybody got any easy tips on how to pour it without stirring up the dregs?)

[EoinMag]

Pour the lot out into a jug, or use smaller bottles.

[GaryJS]

Anybody sell 2L glasses

[Chase24]

Funnily enough a yard of ale would do the trick but I'm not sure whether you'd really want that...

On the serious side it's best to keep the bottle cold and then pour very carefully without glugging. if the bottle is kept upright then the yeast should settle back down after you've poured it.