Lager Fermented After 3 Days?

[craigmtc]

I am brewing lager for the first time. I started my lager off on Saturday night. It was fermenting on Sunday morning and had stopped yesterday. Hydrometer reading indicated it was fully fermented and ready. Is this possible.

Also what do I do with it now. Shall I rack it off in to another 5 gallon bin to clear. Also it seems flat. ANdy advice would be appreciated.

Cheers

Craig

[chairmanmaw]

Hi craigmtc,

It sounds like you have experienced exactly the same thing as me. My lager started off well and seemed to stop fermenting after a few days, 3 tops. I have been advised by people with far more experience than me to leave it for a few more days.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=17042 is my post with all the useful info on it.

You mention that;

Hydrometer reading indicated it was fully fermented and ready. Is this possible

What reading are you getting?? What is the desired reading?

Im brewing this http://www.easybrew.co.uk/product_detail.php?id=851 but it doesnt state any recommended hydrometer levels.

Maw

[Prozac]

Does sound a bit quick, though I've had kit's that have suggested they'd be finished fermenting in as little as 4 days.
I now leave all mine for 10 days, irrespective of activity.

As for being flat, once fermenting has finished, I'd expect it to be, reasonably stillish.
This isn't what dictates whether the final brew will be fizzy or not...... that's more to do with secondary fermentation after priming in the bottle.

Personally I'd leave it at least a week, bottle and prime, leave, (get next brew going), drink, enjoy.

[craigmtc]

Thanks. You got some brewing going on haven't you Prozac?

[Prozac]

It Just sort of happens.
I'm trying to build up a BIG supply, 200+ pints of various brews. I'm a fussy drinker...... I only drink Bitter.
And Stout. And Lager. And Cider. And Wine. And Whisky. Just can't make the Whisky.

If I've a big enough stock, I'm not tempted to drink the young stuff.
So, as soon as the FV is empty, I refill it with something different. I've not had the same kit twice yet and there are loads more to try. I've now got both FV's full as I'm away next week and they might as well be doing something
Even if I spend £10 or £15 a week on a kit, it's still way less than I'd have spent on 15 or 20 bottles at £1.50 a bottle, and in all honesty, I think the beer I'm now drinking is better than the bottled stuff.
So, using the same theory, I've started on the wine kits for SWMBO.
I did a Beaverdale Chablis Blush a month ago, and it's awesome!!!!! Paula loves it. So today I've kicked off another Blush Demijohn and also a Californian Red. These are only 6 bottle kits, I'm not geared up for making 30 bottle kits yet, but give me time

[arturobandini]

Reading through a serious bundle of posts on the forum there seems to be a lot of conflicting opinions as to the best sugars to use for different homebrew packs/beer types. I've got my Brewferm Diabolo kit and intend to use Candi Sugar for both the fermenting and priming. This "Youngs Brewbuddy" Lager kit I'm intending as my trial run before the big one is where i'm conflicted. I've seen a lot of people eulogising spray malt or DME or LME even but does this depend on what kind of beer you're after? For a lager say is it better to use this "Beer Enhancer"? Go for one of these malt sugars? Or is good old builders tea granulated the way forward? As a result of scouring the forums I'm definitely getting my own yeast for the Lager brewing and I don't see why spending a few extra bob on a good food for the yeast shouldn't be worth the potential dividends.

So fellas, in your experience, what's the best food for a Lager?.....just don't say Vindaloo.

[craigmtc]

Thanks Prozac. I am planning to use a King Keg for the end brew. How do you store all of your brew's when they are conditiong?

Cheers

Craig

[BlackBag]

arturobandini - I'd use a beerkit enhancer mix (this is just 500g of dried malt extract and 500g of glucose/brewers sugar). Muntons produce 2 of these, both exactly the same. One's called muntons BKE, the other is called Geordie BKE.

prozac - your post, spooky. It's word for word exactly where I am now in respect of my brewing!

[bevanjon74]

arturobandini - I'm with Black bag on this one, just made a Youngs lager kit with Muntons Beer Ki enhancer - turned out a very nice pint indeed, much better than when I made my first kit with a load of granulated sugar.
Even my usually fussy dad enjoyed a few pints of it last weekend.. Praise indeed!

[Prozac]

Thanks Prozac. I am planning to use a King Keg for the end brew. How do you store all of your brew's when they are conditiong?

Cheers

Craig

Under lock and key.... as Oscar Wilde famously said " I can resist anything except temptation!"
Nah, in reality I have a big garage. It's sort of a juggling act. Yesterday's purchase of a Cornelious keg has provided more storage options. I have decanted my King Keg Top Tap (KKTT) into the Corny. This is now replete with 36 pints of 'bright' Muntons IPA, which will be devoured over the next week while we're caravanning in Kielder Forest. Being 'bright', there is no sediment to get muxed up in the beer during transportation
Additionally, this has free'd the KKTT for the Coopers Stout, which should be ready to be kegged when we return.
This will then empty my 2ndry FV (which currently has the Stout in (it's temporarily been promoted to a Primary )
which I'll be able to siphon off the Coopers European Lager into prior to bottling.

This will free up the main Primary FV..... which will have the Muntons Highland Heavy put in.....

Still with me?

The Corny will be also be empty upon our return (and possibly before!!) and will be ready for the Stout in due course.....

In reality I don't feel I have much of a stock yet..... I reckon I keep drinking the flippin stuff!!!!