Is it time to admit defeat on this one?

[inthedark]

Well this kit has certainly been a learning experience, but I'm starting to think it's a lost cause.

John Bull IPA kit + 1Kg spray malt in place of sugar. Made up on 28 Sept and used the yeast from the kit. Starting gravity was 1040ish.

No bubbling through the airlock, left 2 days and nothing. Opened the lid and there was a tiny amount of froth on top - nothing you'd call foam. Didn't think to check gravity then, but looked pretty dead.

I'd been a bit worried about the kit yeast, so had made up a starter with another pack the day before (DaaB's insructions) so I pitched that. Better this time, bubbles started from the airlock. Not really frequent, but certainly more than before.

Left it a couple of weeks during which time the temperature dropped off. Checked gravity because the bubbling stopped completely. stuck at 1023. Assumed the temperature drop to 16C overnight had stopped it happening, so I moved the FV to somewhere a little warmer - temperature only fluctuating between 19-20C now. Gave it a stir (no splashing) to get the yeast from the bottom, refitted the lid and hoped for the best. Bubbling started again in same way as before.

1 week on, gravity is now at about 1020. I've heard of slow fermentation but is this really still OK, or is it time to try something else?

[Frothy]

My last brew stuck at ~ 1.020 after 3 weeks but tasted great. Give it a taste and see what it's like. If it's ok & you have a pressure barrel just rack it off the yeast and pressurise it with CO2 as this will overcome any contamination problems (the biggest worry) generally the less fiddling around with it the better.

Matt

[inthedark]

OK, I've given it another stir and placed an order for some of the Brupaks stuff. At this rate,it might just about be ready for Christmas!

Matt, thanks for your advice too - it's still bubbling, albeit slowly, so I don't want to risk racking it just yet.

Cheers

Paul

[eskimobob]

I've definitely seen yeast give up at 16C so guess that is the cause of the slow ferment. Hopefully you will be able to encourage the slackers back to work

[inthedark]

OK, I've used a sachet of the dry beer enzyme. That seemed to perk things up for a bit, but as of yesterday the bubbling stopped completely. I tested gravity then and again today and it's steady at 1012 ish.

It tastes vaguely like beer and has a certain amount of condition, so I'm thinking this is as low as I'm going to get it - what do you reckon? It's still very cloudy, should I wait until it clears a bit or will that happen in the bottle?

[eskimobob]

It's still very cloudy, should I wait until it clears a bit or will that happen in the bottle?

Personally I'd leave it till it clears. That way you are sure fermentation is finished and you have bright beer to bottle.

[inthedark]

Thanks guys, another week it is then. Learning patience now.

[inthedark]

Back again. Just checked again and the beer doesn't seem to have cleared greatly. Still only tastes vaguely of beer (quite yeasty i think). Any suggestions about where to go from here? If I prime it and bottle it now, am I just going to be disappointed in a months' time?

[inthedark]

Given the catalogue of problems that I've had with this kit, I think I'm going to put it down to a learning experience - I'll bottle some up to see if anything changes, but I think the rest will go down the sink. Free up the FV for another crack at it! Thanks for all you help, and hopefully I'll have better results next time.