A couple of things...

[james_m_r]

I have just finished making up a Fixby Gold and want to mention a couple of things.......

Firstly, tonight is around the 5th time I have re-hydrated yeast that has not foamed/frothed up as I have seen in various pics. I don't think I am doing anything wrong although I don't think there is much you can do wrong re-hydrating yeast. What I would say is that they have all fermented down ok though.

Secondly, after I have poured the water into the fermenter from hight & finished thrashing the wort with for 10 mins with my big spoon, there is so much foam on top I cannot take an accurate og reading so could somebody kindly tell me what a Fixby Gold og reading should be please?

Thirdly, as this is my sixth kit since the turn of the year (and sixth in total) I feel quite the prolific brewer but can't help but wonder, how many kits/extract/ag brews other people on this forum have brewed so far in 2007?
What I will mention is that I have only completely drunk 2 of those brews although the 3rd is very close to completion. I have 2 others conditioning & 1 in the fermenter of course.

That is the lot. Thanks in advance everyone.

James

[james_m_r]

Actually I have thought of one more thing. My current brew has been drunk at a rate of 6-8 pints at the weekend and maybe 1 or 2 in the week. There is approx 4 pints left. It's in a budget barrel with the small gas cylinder (sparklets?) set up.
I have only had to use 1 bulb and that was on a night when my dad came round and we had 3 pint each in a short space of time.
Is this a freak of nature or totally normal as I expected to use at least 4-5 per keg?

[J_P]

Hi James m R

I took a small sample of the Fixby Gold I brewed up on Sunday into a measuring cylinder and got a reading of approx 1045. I made it with 20 litres of water if that's any helps.

Regarding the yeast I have been taking a small amount of warm wort out in a sterilised pyrex jug, cooling it to a sensible temperature with water and then sprinkling the yeast in, I then stir it with the paddle I am using to beat the wort into submission! I then carry on boiling and diluting and by the time I'm ready to pitch it's got a lovely thick yeasty head on it, I'm always careful to keep a little of the water back to swill the jug out with to ensure none of my unicellular friends go to waste!

I've currently just opened my first kit brew (it tastes great) so I'm no expert but my fourth is currently in the primary and all others seem to have gone according to Daabs instructions.

Unfortunately I have decided to bottle my brews so I can't help with the query about the keg

[jaytee1]

Hi James

I have just kegged a Fixby Gold and its og was 1046.

I also havent experienced the foaming of re-hydrated yeast yet either and y brews seem, fingers crossed, to be coming out ok. Although this last thread from daab was interesting about using a small extract starter.

On the brew front I have only done a couple so far this year but do have quite a stash of kits lined up for the next few months...

JT

[james_m_r]

If you don't already, try rehydrating the yeast in preboiled water cooled to 30-35 deg c by evenly sprinkling over the surface.

That is exactly what I am doing so I don't understand the lack of foaming action.

[james_m_r]

I took a small sample of the Fixby Gold I brewed up on Sunday into a measuring cylinder and got a reading of approx 1045. I made it with 20 litres of water if that's any helps.

I have just kegged a Fixby Gold and its og was 1046

Thanks both

[inthedark]

there is so much foam on top I cannot take an accurate og reading

If I get that problem, I take a pipette and use it to remove the foam at the top of the trial jar

[james_m_r]

there is so much foam on top I cannot take an accurate og reading

If I get that problem, I take a pipette and use it to remove the foam at the top of the trial jar

I always try clearing the foam but can never get it to stay cleared for long enough to take a reading.
Stupidly I have never thought to take a sample in a trial jar. I presume it's ok to pour the contents back in to the fermenter if the trial jar has been steralised before hand? I do not like to see beer go to waste.

[Wez]

I've always taken trial jar samples then poured back, as long as it's sterile I think it's fine. Don't waste that beer!

[eskimobob]

I presume it's ok to pour the contents back in to the fermenter if the trial jar has been steralised before hand? I do not like to see beer go to waste.

Well you can but in my opinion you increase the chances of ruining the batch and for the sake of 100ml in the trial jar it's simply not worth it - besides which, I always drink the trial jar contents as a quality check - it helps you to get to know how it tastes at different stages