Problems with latest batch...
The problem with this batch is I never got any krausen, and it seems to never have begun fermentation.
I have been using this kit:
http://www.home-brew-online.com/sta...uipment-pack-all-grain-brewing-in-a-bag-p2332
My latest batch was an attempt at orange pale ale (recipe from Booze by John Wright, crony of Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall)
I slightly modified the recipe as I only had 2kg of pale ale malt, so I used 2kg of lager malt to make up the 4kg.
Strike water was 13 litres to 76 degrees (all will be in Celsius)
Brought down to about 68 degrees for the mash and added all 4kg of the grain in a bag (annoying method but otherwise afraid grains will get on the element of the boiler)
Mashed for 1 hour and a quarter at this temp.
I heated 13 litres of sparge water to 78 degrees. I took a gravity reading for the hell of it at this point (1030)
I had a difficult sparge because the grain bag was completely full and saturated so very heavy - I halved the grains and rinsed through as best I could, then removed the grains and added the other half to sparge those too.
I was aiming for a specific gravity of 1041 but it was only a bit over 1030 so the book said I could add malt extract powder to bring it up, so I did (took 250g to get to 1040 OG)
I then brought the wort to the boil and added 10g Golding hops and 200g brown sugar. I boiled for an hour and added another 10g hops and orange zest and some pulp from an organic, unwaxed orange that I had sterilised by boiling to be safe and 2 tsp of carragheen. Then 10 more minutes on the boil and a final 10g of the hops. I had 22.5 litres at this stage.
I then turned off the boiler and left to stand (as directed by the recipe) for 40 minutes. I then strained through muslin and decanted from the boiler into the fermenting bucket and used my wort chiller to cool it down to 20 degrees. Then I whisked the wort with a sterilised whisk and pitched in a sachet of ale yeast and sealed with a lid and airlock/grommet. I had 20 litres at this stage. The temperature of the liquid in the room I left it (kitchen) always comes out a steady 18-20 degrees.
After a couple of days there was no sign of fermentation and NO krausen so I re-pitched yeast mixed with room temp water (boiled and let cool down, covered). Still nothing so out of desperation I cooked up some malt extract powder and added to yet more yeast but still have never seen any activity.
It's been sitting there for about three weeks now and I've just taken a reading and it says 1020 gravity... Bucket lid is tight.
Any ideas???
Thanks SO much for your help!
Peter
The problem with this batch is I never got any krausen, and it seems to never have begun fermentation.
I have been using this kit:
http://www.home-brew-online.com/sta...uipment-pack-all-grain-brewing-in-a-bag-p2332
My latest batch was an attempt at orange pale ale (recipe from Booze by John Wright, crony of Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall)
I slightly modified the recipe as I only had 2kg of pale ale malt, so I used 2kg of lager malt to make up the 4kg.
Strike water was 13 litres to 76 degrees (all will be in Celsius)
Brought down to about 68 degrees for the mash and added all 4kg of the grain in a bag (annoying method but otherwise afraid grains will get on the element of the boiler)
Mashed for 1 hour and a quarter at this temp.
I heated 13 litres of sparge water to 78 degrees. I took a gravity reading for the hell of it at this point (1030)
I had a difficult sparge because the grain bag was completely full and saturated so very heavy - I halved the grains and rinsed through as best I could, then removed the grains and added the other half to sparge those too.
I was aiming for a specific gravity of 1041 but it was only a bit over 1030 so the book said I could add malt extract powder to bring it up, so I did (took 250g to get to 1040 OG)
I then brought the wort to the boil and added 10g Golding hops and 200g brown sugar. I boiled for an hour and added another 10g hops and orange zest and some pulp from an organic, unwaxed orange that I had sterilised by boiling to be safe and 2 tsp of carragheen. Then 10 more minutes on the boil and a final 10g of the hops. I had 22.5 litres at this stage.
I then turned off the boiler and left to stand (as directed by the recipe) for 40 minutes. I then strained through muslin and decanted from the boiler into the fermenting bucket and used my wort chiller to cool it down to 20 degrees. Then I whisked the wort with a sterilised whisk and pitched in a sachet of ale yeast and sealed with a lid and airlock/grommet. I had 20 litres at this stage. The temperature of the liquid in the room I left it (kitchen) always comes out a steady 18-20 degrees.
After a couple of days there was no sign of fermentation and NO krausen so I re-pitched yeast mixed with room temp water (boiled and let cool down, covered). Still nothing so out of desperation I cooked up some malt extract powder and added to yet more yeast but still have never seen any activity.
It's been sitting there for about three weeks now and I've just taken a reading and it says 1020 gravity... Bucket lid is tight.
Any ideas???
Thanks SO much for your help!
Peter