curiosity killed the beer?

[andrewdevlin86]

ok i mite have had one or two peeks in the fermenting bin to see how things or going and was just wondering if this could impair the fermentation process?does it have to be strictly kept shut?it seemed to be on a go slow i worry that i didnt aerate the wort enough

[sparky Paul]

Peeking inside shouldn't affect it.

How long has it been since adding the yeast? It can take 24hrs to get going properly.

[andrewdevlin86]

about 3 days!i was following bad insttructions that didnt mentioning activating the yeast so about 2 hours ago i made up some new yeast and put that in (being careful not to aerate the beer of course). something was happening but not very much at all so im guessing a lot of the original glucose is still available for the new yeast. what do you think?

[sparky Paul]

Have you got a hydrometer to take a gravity reading? That's the only reliable measure that anything's going on. If you haven't seen any action at all though...

I suppose it could have been a bad yeast, or the wort could have been too hot/cold when you pitched it. You should find out soon anyway, now you've pitched a fresh yeast. Don't worry about aerating the wort at this stage, if fermentation hasn't started it needs the oxygen.

For what it's worth, I never rehydrate yeast, I always pitch it dry without any problems... (says touching wood...)

[andrewdevlin86]

ok well not even 3 hours since the new yeast went in and its bubbling away nicely so i think im on my way to a decent first brew!have i got this right if i get two stable sg readings 24 hours apart then its ready to be transferred to the barrel?and another question ( come on im new) ive acquired a barrel from my late grandad seems to be well looked after but whats the deal with the top, it seems to have a valve or something will this automatically release pressure when it builds up inside?cheers

[sparky Paul]

Yes, it will have a relief valve on the top, or a brass combined relief/injector valve.

I always look for three days with the same reading as a minimum, but it's a good idea to leave it a little longer to let some of the solids settle out a bit.

If it's your first brew, you'll be in a hurry - so don't worry about that bit!

[andrewdevlin86]

i can have patience if i want (well i can try) ill follow ur 3days i dont jus want this to be drinkable i want it to be enjoyable!cheers 4 all your help im sure if this goes well youll be hearing a lot more from me!by the way does brewing beer at 20 sound a bit sad?

[sparky Paul]

Good luck with the brewing!

by the way does brewing beer at 20 sound a bit sad?

I was brewing at your age, I only returned to it recently after a long lay off. Rather than sad, I would think that you may become quite a popular chappy with your mates if you can turn out some decent beer...


There's lots of information on this forum, and a lot of knowledgable brewers who are happy to help. Its's not unusual for beginners to be disappointed with their first brews and jack it in - it's definitely worth reading up and persevering though...

[SiHoltye]

Not sad at all. It's a hobby, it's interesting, you're in control of it, and it can get you and your mates pissed on great tasting beer! It's sure better coming back from the pub to draft beer at home for peanuts, than with a £40 box of warm Budweiser!
It sounds like the first yeast may not have fired (for whatever reason - 3 days with no visible activity is too long), the second pitch needs time to be assessed. If you're anything like I was you haven't missed anything in that fermentor (as it's your first baby!) the second yeast needs time 3-24 hours to start to show a foamy top from my experience.

[prolix]

hey when I was 20 I had 3 barrels on the go most times and coming round mine was the choice option, cheap beer and youth go hand in hand

[StevieR]

I agree, I think that it is a great hobby and more people should be encouraged to try it.

My first brew was a bit of a dissapointment but I started it before finding this forum. My brews now are of a much higher quality, and when talking to friends at work, I got them trying it too

[Zonked]

by the way does brewing beer at 20 sound a bit sad?

I've not heard you brewing beer and I live at 22

[Orkney_Rob]

I quite like a couple of peeks as it goes along!

Oh aye - think my first brew was around 19... well... other than the turbo monstrosities of my early teens onwards Only got back into it as my mate was extolling the virtues of Coopers Kits downunder so thought it was worth a stab again. First efforts were a 50/50 hit rate but this lot on here - they bully you into going to the dark side. Just you wait, it will be sacks of grain, hops, boilers and lost days before you know it!

(BTW - now 32)

[mattfuzzy]

19 here, been brewing a whole.... erm... 6 months? something like that, and spent about £100 - 200 in total for my gear including kits to brew turbo cider to explode and soon some strawberry wine to erm... get people pished on
brewing is very much cool, but i most likely will still buy the od case of lager from the shops especialy when i have nothing brewing and fancy getting wrecked 1 night
-matt

[Dan]

check out the tap room thread andrew
viewtopic.php?t=7675
a lot of peope here started out at a young age