Kit fails... no time to restart.. help!

[dedken]

Hi all,

I write in desperation. I made up some Milestone Black pearl stout but it has fermented really really slowly, probably because of the cold. It has now been sitting there ten days. I stuck my hydrometer in and it reads 1.145. The real problem, however, is that I'm going away for xmas for 10 days from tomorrow evening and during the day I'm at work, so I need to bottle it up tonight... or leave it until I come back..

I don't know what to do - any advice greatly appreciated. Presumably if I bottle it I risk exploding bottles and covering my landlords dining room in sticky stout, but what will happen if I leave it until I come back

Ken

[djrm]

Hi Ken,

I have recently made some Black Pearl and its OG was 1.044 in 22 litre and I bottled it when it reached 1.016, i dont know where you get 1.145 from but I presume you mean 1.045 in which case it hasnt really started fermenting.

If it had started then I would sugest that you just leave it but I suspect that you may need to add more yeast and or warm it up to above, say, 18 C. It may go off if left as it is with no alcohol in it. But if it survives until you get back then you could retry then, nothing to loose I suppose.

Good luck, David.

[EoinMag]

Taste it and see if it's gone sour, if not then add more yeast or maybe simply try moving it to another room where it's warmer. If it's sour it's not to be saved. 1.145 is not possible unless you really messed up as djrm said. If it's not sour yet then simply placing it somewhere warmer for the ten days should do the job.

[dedken]

Hi David,

I guess I meant 1.045, but It has definitely been fermenting - big bubbles and everything! and when I stick my nose in the neck of the fermenter I get that powerful CO2 blast. I suppose it has just stopped. It tastes kind of beery, not too sweet but there is still some yeast on the top. So maybe I should just leave it until 29thDec??

Ken

[Ditch]

Black Pearl Stout, eh?

Just give it to me. I'll sort something out with it

[dedken]

Hi all,

Thanks for the replies. I have to announce that I appear to have been a bit of a dunce - distinct inability to read my hydrometer properly. What it actually reads is between 1.01 and 1.02, but still not exactly near to the "bottle" line. So should I just bottle it anyway and perhaps add less priming sugar??

Ken

[EoinMag]

Hi all,

Thanks for the replies. I have to announce that I appear to have been a bit of a dunce - distinct inability to read my hydrometer properly. What it actually reads is between 1.01 and 1.02, but still not exactly near to the "bottle" line. So should I just bottle it anyway and perhaps add less priming sugar??

Ken

If the reading was your problem then just leave it until you come back, nothing will happen with it.

[MightyMouth]

1.01 and 1.02 are very far from each other on a hydrometer, you 10 degrees in between them so what does it actually read? It should finish about 1.015 anyway so if it is directly between 1.020 and 1.010 then bottle as directed.

[dedken]

Right,

Checked again. It reads almost exactly 1.02. Froth takes it just above.

[MightyMouth]

Well it should be ok to bottle then, I am guessing that its at 1.018 without the froth. it might have made it to 1.014 in an ideal world so not far off really, I would bottle it with a little less than 1/2tsp sugar per pint.

[scottmoss]

1020? You should not bottle at this stage! My Black Pearl stopped at 1020 after 8 days so I gave it a stir everyday for a further 5 days and got it down 1012!

[EoinMag]

leave it until you return, why is everyone in such a hurry with 3kg kits? They take a little longer mostly.