So, I started this on 25th September, decided to add 1.5kg Dark LME, give it a bit of depth, plus 50g of Columbus in a hop tea (I does like 'em hoppy!)
Dutifully stood the bag in boiled water to soften up, only to realise: Disaster!! I hadn't removed the yeast packet from the bottom. What to do? I assumed that the heat would have killed the yeast even prior to rehydration (though I would appreciate any advice on this as I still have the yeast) and didn't want to waste a whole brew in finding out. So, being a Sunday my LHBS is obviously closed, I have some wine yeast in my store but am led to believe that it can ferment to a higher alcohol level and produce off flavours. So I turn to where every lad turns when he's really in trouble, "Dad, do you have any beer yeast lying around?"
Of course he did, well lager yeast actually, but I'm sure I have read that these kits often use lager yeast anyway. so I pitched dry yeast at 22C, OG at 1049, and lidded. 4 hours later the krausen is 3" high and the smell is good! However 3 days later the airlock activity has slowed right down and 9 days later the SG is only reading around 1022. I tried rousing the yeast around day 5, but this did not seem to help. Is this a consequence of the lager yeast that the process is just going to take that much longer? or have I got a stuck ferment?
On a side note I sampled the trial jar at day 9 (purely for quality control of course) and although not unpleasant, it had no depth or body to it and just tasted a little lifeless.
I will update further in due course.
Dutifully stood the bag in boiled water to soften up, only to realise: Disaster!! I hadn't removed the yeast packet from the bottom. What to do? I assumed that the heat would have killed the yeast even prior to rehydration (though I would appreciate any advice on this as I still have the yeast) and didn't want to waste a whole brew in finding out. So, being a Sunday my LHBS is obviously closed, I have some wine yeast in my store but am led to believe that it can ferment to a higher alcohol level and produce off flavours. So I turn to where every lad turns when he's really in trouble, "Dad, do you have any beer yeast lying around?"
Of course he did, well lager yeast actually, but I'm sure I have read that these kits often use lager yeast anyway. so I pitched dry yeast at 22C, OG at 1049, and lidded. 4 hours later the krausen is 3" high and the smell is good! However 3 days later the airlock activity has slowed right down and 9 days later the SG is only reading around 1022. I tried rousing the yeast around day 5, but this did not seem to help. Is this a consequence of the lager yeast that the process is just going to take that much longer? or have I got a stuck ferment?
On a side note I sampled the trial jar at day 9 (purely for quality control of course) and although not unpleasant, it had no depth or body to it and just tasted a little lifeless.
I will update further in due course.