First post, first brew, first question

[SafetyThird]

Evening all. I'm about to brew my first beer kit since Tom Caxton kits of my teenage years, which were rather a long while ago. I've picked up a Woodford's Nog kit, fermentation vessel and associated bits along with a pressure barrel from my local brew shop.

As we heat our house with wood stoves, the temperature is rather varied day to day so I've set up a water bath trug with a heater and controller in my workshop and I've surrounded the trug with a box made from offcuts of celotex that I had spare to keep it insulated. Hopefully that will give me a reliable temperature for brewing.

Now, reading the instructions for when you put the finished beer in the barrel, it says you can add sugar to the brew for a second fermentation or you can leave it and just add CO2. Now, I have a CO2 bottle to put on the barrel but wouldn't you normally add the sugar to make it fizz and then just add CO2 to help pressurise the barrel as the volume drops?

Hope it's not too daft a question, I'm sure there'll be many more coming as I explore brewing again.

 

[-Bezza-]

Still learning everything myself so there will be a load of other people on here far more qualified to comment, but since nobody else has replied so far...

I think the kit is suggesting you "force carbonate" the beer with the CO2 bottle. Through other threads on here, I've been told that a plastic pressure barrel won't hold as much pressure as one might hope, so you might struggle to get sufficient Co2 into the beer using this method. I would personally suggest sticking with sugar, although again noting that you can only get so much carbonation using that method as the pressure will similarly build up. Assuming you're not looking to go too fizzy, the PB will be sufficient though, so don't feel I'm trying to cause alarm.

You can use the calculator here to figure out how much sugar to add. A "British Ale" level of carbonation will be fine in a PB.

https://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/

 

[SafetyThird]

That's great, thanks. I did wonder if they were expecting something similar to a pub setup where you're making the beer fizzy by injecting CO2 rather than just adding enough for home use to keep the beer flowing out of the barrel.

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
Unless you plan to drink the beer very quickly, you should be able to serve the beer without needing a lot of extra CO2. Naturally carb by priming with sugar and add gas only if the beer doesn't pour easily, and definitely if it begins to glug when the tap is open.

 

[SafetyThird]

Thanks very much. Think I'm sorted now.

Put the brew on this morning :)

 

[-Bezza-]

Looks like a tidy brewspace you've got going on there!

 

[SafetyThird]

OK, day 2 and nothing's happening. Temperature is correct, I was scrupulous in sterilising everything, temp of the mix was 22º when i pitched in the yeast and gave it a stir and this morning, nothing. no bubbles, no head on the mix from what I can see looking through the lid (I haven't removed the lid so far).

Any thoughts on what might be wrong?

 

[Covrich]

OK, day 2 and nothing's happening. Temperature is correct, I was scrupulous in sterilising everything, temp of the mix was 22º when i pitched in the yeast and gave it a stir and this morning, nothing. no bubbles, no head on the mix from what I can see looking through the lid (I haven't removed the lid so far).

Any thoughts on what might be wrong?

When did you pitch the yeast? last night? how many hours ago.. don't worry just yet plenty can be sluggish to get going

 

[terrym]

First the Woodefords Nog kit is in the same range as the Wherry and that has proven to have an unreliable yeast due to quantity supplied with the kit, but usually at the other end of the fermentation since it sticks or finishes before it should. More on that here
Simple strategies for dealing with stuck fermentations
However if your yeast has started you should be able to see a ring of bubbles on top of the wort which will later form a krausen or foam. The other sign is from airlock, but these can be unreliable since the lid to FV seal may look OK but it is actually not leak tight and so the airlock is bypassed.
So after 24 hours if you really think its not started take a peak under the lid and see what is happening, thats what I'd do.
If has started leave well alone if not leave it another 12 hours or so then take another peek. If its not going by then it will require more yeast. If you have Wilko close by they sell Ale yeast which is fine. In any case you are well advised to buy a packet anyway in case it sticks later on.
As far as your PB is concerned try this. I run 3 PBs and only use priming sugar to pressurise.
Guide to a Standard Home Brew Pressure Barrel

 

[dad_of_jon]

you can buy a packet of yeast from wilkos and pop that in if there's no activity. At 22 degrees the kit yeast should have started within a day. Also note that the yeast used in woodfordes wherry often sticks at 1.020 so a spare packet of yeast in the fridge is always useful just in case. Unless you have a tight seal you might not get airlock activity. If you do see airlock displacement ( doesn't have to bubble but nice if it does) that is an indicator fermentation is working.

 

[dad_of_jon]

pretty close posting terrym time and advice wise :thumb:

 

[Drunkula]

Google rehydrate yeast because it seems really important with what they give you in the Woodforde's kits. You can also give it a rouse in a few days if it's still playing up.

 

[SafetyThird]

Thanks for all the replies. I pitched the yeast yesterday afternoon so I'll leave it till later today and have another look. If it's not working then, I'll pop down to my local brew shop and pick up some more yeast, sounds like having a couple of packs put to one side would be useful for emergencies anyway

 

[SafetyThird]

Went out just now and it's working. There's a thin layer of foam/bubbles all over and the temp in the FV is sitting at 18.8 with the water bath at between 19 & 20. The airlock is bubbling *very* slowly but it does seem to be starting now at last.

Thanks for all the advice. I'm still going to pick up some ale yeast in case it stalls later on.

 

[terrym]

Good to hear.
The next piece of advice is to leave it alone for about 10-12 days, then take an SG reading to confirm its finished, then another 2 days at 19*C, then move to a cold place for 2 more days to help drop the yeast, You should then have nearly clear beer going forward into your PB, but with enough yeast to carb up.

 

[Dutto]

A rather belated "Welcome to the Forum." :thumb:

The only bit of advice I have so far is "Don't hurry, don't worry and remember to smell the brews!"

 

[SafetyThird]

OK, so the fermentation has slowed right down and appears to have about stopped, tomorrow will be 10 days and I'll take a gravity reading and then wait another 2 days to take a second. if it's the same, it's out of the water bath to cool and then leave for a couple of days for the yeast to drop.

Once that's done, I can syphon into the pressure barrel and prime with sugar. Do I need to pop the pressure barrel into the waterbath for a few days to help the secondary fermentation?

I'll be going away for a week so I either leave the barrel in the bath at a set temperature or just leave it in a cold workshop for that period. Suggestions?

 

[-Bezza-]

I'll be going away for a week so I either leave the barrel in the bath at a set temperature or just leave it in a cold workshop for that period. Suggestions?

Couple of weeks in the warm to carb up.

 

[SafetyThird]

thanks very much, I'll leave it in the bath while I'm away then.

 

[-Bezza-]

thanks very much, I'll leave it in the bath while I'm away then.

Fill up one or two small PET bottles and put those in the same place as the pressure barrel. You'll feel the bottles firm up as they carb, which will be a good indication, and you can more easily keep an eye on what's going on.