First kit went down the drain

newbie_jacko · Post by **newbie_jacko** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 10:40 pm

I made my first kit up last Friday. Followed DaaB's step by step instructions (yeast starter the day before kept in a sterilised diet coke bottle). All went fine and was looking good (big yeast head like in DaaB's photos) when I went to bed on Friday night.

Saturday night, I cracked the top off the fermenter and there was not a proper yeast head, just some foam on top of the wort and it smelt sort of "mouldy".

Same on Sunday, forum was down so I left it, and still on Monday no head and didn't smell too good. Forum was still down so I chucked it away. Gave the ferementer a good shake before I binned it and it foamed up and popped the lid off. The yeast was sitting in the bottom like a sludge, Ordered another Nelson's Revenge kit for another go.

The only things I can think of that may have spoiled it are

1. DaaB's instructions are for a kit using added spray malt and a hop tea-bag. Nelsons revenge kit is a two-can job and maybe i shouldn't have made up a yeast starter?

2. My starter kit came with VWP steriliser. Maybe I didn't rinse the equipment off enough times before using it and the chlorine in the VWP killed the yeast?

3. The most convinient place for me to put the fermenter (to keep SWMBO happy) was the cupboard under the stairs. It may be slightly damp/too cold overnight in there.

The last thing I want to do it tip another Ã‚Â£15 kit down the drain so any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks Guys

newbie_jacko · Post by **newbie_jacko** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 10:44 pm

sorry, posted in wrong section - can a mod please move to Kits

Many Thanks

Reg · Post by **Reg** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 10:46 pm

Thta's a pretty long yeast lag. I would have tried another starter before packing things in.

Post by **Andy** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 10:50 pm

Moved to Kits forum

Vossy1 · Post by **Vossy1** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 11:40 pm

Never a nice feeling losing a kit NJ.
I lost one of my 1st and tonight I threw another.

I've no idea what went wrong. I started it on th 4/8/06, racked after 10 days with finings, racked again 10 days later with more finings and it still wouldn't clear. Tonight I didn't like the smell and down the drain it went.

Just get another on the go. Analyse where you can improve and try again.

I gotta say with my failure above that it was the 1st kit where I didn't boil everything, so I have my susp's that the extract was possibly to blame, or maybe the finings!

Having said that, I'm not going to dwell on it...it's one of them things

newbie_jacko · Post by **newbie_jacko** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 7:32 pm

Thanks for the advice guys - I forgot to bring the sodium met home with me (it's at work).

Will it be ok to leave the VWP in the fermenter overnight with the beer paddle , pyrex jugs and can opener in it and rinse it all off when I get home tomorrow evening?

newbie_jacko · Post by **newbie_jacko** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 10:17 pm

Second kit is in the primary tonight.

VWP'd everything (it came with the starter kit but have ordered standardized betadine at the chemist), rinsed everthing off several times, rinsed everything in Sod Met, rinsed everthing thoroughly again. Followed instructions to the letter.

Like beer too much to be put off by one failure. Maybe shouldn't have been so hasty in chucking it away but hey-ho.

Got Safale standby yeast just in case.

Vossy1 · Post by **Vossy1** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 10:43 pm

Good stuff NJ

newbie_jacko · Post by **newbie_jacko** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 11:30 pm

24 hours and it's all looking good - good yeast head and no god-awful stink - keeps SWMBO from creating - I told her at least one thing in this house is getting good head!

So I've got the old "picture, no sound" at the moment (ie: she's not talking to me)

Vossy1 · Post by **Vossy1** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 11:33 pm

at least one thing in this house is getting good head

Ha Ha....soon to be x mrs swmbo

newbie_jacko · Post by **newbie_jacko** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 11:55 pm

Vossy1 wrote:
at least one thing in this house is getting good head
Ha Ha....soon to be x mrs swmbo

SWMBR = She Who Must Be Replaced

newbie_jacko · Post by **newbie_jacko** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 7:43 pm

Kit's now been in the primary about 3 days - yeast head has sibsided to leave a foam on top of the brew - please reassure me this is normal!

Also, when I rack to the keg and add priming sugars disolved in boiling water (i assume it's ok to use spray malt) do I have to wait until it's cooled to a certain temp before adding the wort from the primary to the keg via the tubing?

Many Thanks

Jacko

newbie_jacko · Post by **newbie_jacko** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 8:22 pm

Thanks for the advice DaaB. Kit says leave in primary for 4 days, I know you like to wait for the full 10.

Would I expect to see any further activity if I leave it for 10 days or do you just ignore it until it's time to rack it?

mysterio · Post by **mysterio** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 9:57 pm

I've no idea what went wrong. I started it on th 4/8/06, racked after 10 days with finings, racked again 10 days later with more finings and it still wouldn't clear. Tonight I didn't like the smell and down the drain it went.

Argh, you're kidding me??

Never throw away a beer that doesn't clear! That's like suffocating a child because it still can't speak at the age of 4. Give it time! Homebrewing is all about patience.

Vossy1 · Post by **Vossy1** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 7:30 pm

Never throw away a beer that doesn't clear! That's like suffocating a child because it still can't speak at the age of 4. Give it time! Homebrewing is all about patience.

That's so my sense of humour Mysterio

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First kit went down the drain

First kit went down the drain

please move to Kits