Looking for a pointer please – this is my very first brew and I’ve been reading a ton for a week or more and getting lots of information… not sure what I should do for the best…
It looks like I may have stuck fermentation (or a long lag time down to amount of yeast / brew strength) . I started my brew on Saturday and whilst there is some bubbling in the air lock, not as much as I’d have expected.
Let me give you the details as I recall them:
Kit is a Belgian Tripel (https://www.home-brew-hopshop.co.uk...rupaks-botw-belgian-trappist-ale-tripel-.html) which makes up 10 litres of ~ 6.5% abv
I did not use the included yeast (which was a 6g packet), I substituted it for Mangrove Jack’s Belgian Tripel M31 - (https://mangrovejacks.com/collections/craft-series-yeasts/products/belgian-tripel-m31-yeast-10g)
I re-hydrated my yeast at the start of the process (possible problem no 1) whilst I started the brew. I used about 2/3 of the packet giving approx. 9g in about 100ml warm water. The book I’ve been reading recommends pitching slightly more yeast as opposed to slightly less and probably more yeast for higher ABV brews. The yeast was in a clean and sanitised wine glass, covered by a sanitised piece of cling film.
I put the kit extract in the fermenter ( 15 litre bucket) along with a couple of kettles-full of hot water.
I made up the volume of 10 litres from a sanitised tap, using standard, domestic tap water (possible problem no 2) and gave it a good swish using a couple of bursts from a handheld electric blender. O.G at this point was 1.050
I did not pitch until the wort temperature had reduced to about 24-25 deg c (possible problem no 3) , The (cleaned and sanitised) fermenter was covered with a (clean and sanitised) lid whilst I attempted to reduce the temperature, which took ages, probably over 1:30hours (possible problem no 4)
I fitted the lid, along with a sanitised airlock containing sanitiser. This has been left in the garage at an ambient temperature of ~18-20 deg c. The temp on the fermenter itself has been running at about 2 deg c higher although I have not seen how low it gets through the night (possible problem no 5) – but it’s been pretty mild and the garage isn’t that cold (yet)
I know that there isn’t a leak on the fermenter, as there is a nice constant bow on the lid and the water in the airlock is not level - there is positive pressure coming from the fermenter side.
Yesterday I moved the fermenter to an inside room which is pretty constant at 20 degrees c and I slowly warmed the bottom of the fermenter with a hot water bottle. The temp on the fermenter is now about 22 degrees, well inside the 18-28 degree range specified by Mangrove Jacks
It's now Wednesday and still very little on the bubbly-bubbly front. Since I started writing this post, I’ve tested a sample and its coming out at 1.010 – suggesting that (according to the original instructions) readings remaining static below 1.015, fermentation is complete. (I will check again tomorrow and Friday)
Should I wait some more?
Should I stir the wort (making sure I don’t splash and introduce oxygen)?
Should I warm it up some more?
Should I add some more yeast?
Or
Is fermentation actually complete? Could it have completed so quickly and without visible signs of bubbling though the airlock?
Or something else?
Sorry for the long post, I like to be as comprehensive as possible.
Thank you all in anticipation.
Phil
It looks like I may have stuck fermentation (or a long lag time down to amount of yeast / brew strength) . I started my brew on Saturday and whilst there is some bubbling in the air lock, not as much as I’d have expected.
Let me give you the details as I recall them:
Kit is a Belgian Tripel (https://www.home-brew-hopshop.co.uk...rupaks-botw-belgian-trappist-ale-tripel-.html) which makes up 10 litres of ~ 6.5% abv
I did not use the included yeast (which was a 6g packet), I substituted it for Mangrove Jack’s Belgian Tripel M31 - (https://mangrovejacks.com/collections/craft-series-yeasts/products/belgian-tripel-m31-yeast-10g)
I re-hydrated my yeast at the start of the process (possible problem no 1) whilst I started the brew. I used about 2/3 of the packet giving approx. 9g in about 100ml warm water. The book I’ve been reading recommends pitching slightly more yeast as opposed to slightly less and probably more yeast for higher ABV brews. The yeast was in a clean and sanitised wine glass, covered by a sanitised piece of cling film.
I put the kit extract in the fermenter ( 15 litre bucket) along with a couple of kettles-full of hot water.
I made up the volume of 10 litres from a sanitised tap, using standard, domestic tap water (possible problem no 2) and gave it a good swish using a couple of bursts from a handheld electric blender. O.G at this point was 1.050
I did not pitch until the wort temperature had reduced to about 24-25 deg c (possible problem no 3) , The (cleaned and sanitised) fermenter was covered with a (clean and sanitised) lid whilst I attempted to reduce the temperature, which took ages, probably over 1:30hours (possible problem no 4)
I fitted the lid, along with a sanitised airlock containing sanitiser. This has been left in the garage at an ambient temperature of ~18-20 deg c. The temp on the fermenter itself has been running at about 2 deg c higher although I have not seen how low it gets through the night (possible problem no 5) – but it’s been pretty mild and the garage isn’t that cold (yet)
I know that there isn’t a leak on the fermenter, as there is a nice constant bow on the lid and the water in the airlock is not level - there is positive pressure coming from the fermenter side.
Yesterday I moved the fermenter to an inside room which is pretty constant at 20 degrees c and I slowly warmed the bottom of the fermenter with a hot water bottle. The temp on the fermenter is now about 22 degrees, well inside the 18-28 degree range specified by Mangrove Jacks
It's now Wednesday and still very little on the bubbly-bubbly front. Since I started writing this post, I’ve tested a sample and its coming out at 1.010 – suggesting that (according to the original instructions) readings remaining static below 1.015, fermentation is complete. (I will check again tomorrow and Friday)
Should I wait some more?
Should I stir the wort (making sure I don’t splash and introduce oxygen)?
Should I warm it up some more?
Should I add some more yeast?
Or
Is fermentation actually complete? Could it have completed so quickly and without visible signs of bubbling though the airlock?
Or something else?
Sorry for the long post, I like to be as comprehensive as possible.
Thank you all in anticipation.
Phil