18 Degrees Constant Temperate

[quantocks]

which is the best yeast to use in this instance? my first K&K hasn't fired yet, after a day it was 25 degrees but overnight dropped to a constant 18 and it appears no activity yet. If there is no bubbling in a day or so, can I get a better yeast for this temperature and pitch it over the top or will this have a bad effect on the brew?

 

[BenH]

Patience, grass-hopper!

 

[quantocks]

ah sorry, it was a Brigalow Superior Bitter?

kit yeast, chucked it all in and still not much activity, I'll leave it for another full day and see how it goes

 

[beeroclock]

i fement mine at 25 degrees like can tells me, i find it gives my yeasts a head start
you get 2 drink yourbeer quicker to

 

[beeroclock]

Yeah, but this is the same joker that claims that using 1kg of plain white suga (sic) gives a better tasting beer than all malt.

No, not white suga, raw suga is better, wite suga is for nancy boys

 

[muckey]

Air lock activity or lack of it often appears on the forums. However it is only 1 piece of evidence to indicate the brew is fermenting.

As stated before, there are countless reasons why the airlock might not bubble, yet fermentation is happily traveling along.
Age and type of yeast make a big difference as does how is has been stored and prepared. Higher brew temps can make the yeast more active, conversely a low temp means activity will be slower

The trick here is in the method. Never base your theory on just 1 piece of evidence. Unfortunately kits always put that in the instructions. I guess they don't want to frighten people away by making it sound like you have to be measuring and testing all the time. temperature, airlock activity, grav readings, taste and smell can all tell you how the brew is doing. If you have the chance to see a ferment in a clear glass carboy, you'll also see how much activity there is in the liquid when the yeast is active. This really cant be seen in a plastic fermenter.

Certainly watch the airlock and its extremely soothing gloop gloop sound.
Give the fermenter a few days and then take a sample and see if the reading has dropped a few points

If the reading hasn't changed much then it may be time to take action

after a while you'll get to know through experience how your brew is going and when there is a problem

in the mean time relax and have a home brew, or an appropriate substitute.

On a side note, I've become extremely lazy with my fermenting. I tend to brew the same each time and have done for some time I've got a pretty good idea how the ferment is going so I haven't actually taken a hydrometer reading for quite a long time. I do keg rather than bottle so that gives me a little lee-way as I don't need to worry too much about bottle bombs. I just make sure the sanitize routine is OK, the temp control is good and look after the yeast. I know its dry in the kits but try and make sure it stays in a cool place while your not using it because it will be much healthier when it comes time for it to go to work.

:blink: end rant

BTW - happy brewing - once you get to the final product, all your worries will be distant memories

 

[muckey]

Ahh, I see butters is on the sugar rant again

 

[beeroclock]

hey butters i only stir my beer i am not sure whatyou mean, sugas and 25 degree fermnt are ok on my bilo draught kit?
i do not ready very good but i know it says thiz

 

[Hutch]

hey butters i only stir my beer i am not sure whatyou mean, sugas and 25 degree fermnt are ok on my bilo draught kit?
i do not ready very good but i know it says thiz

:blink: Ummm, yeah, what he said...
I sometimes piss in my fermenter to give a little extra character to the sugar and Bi-lo kit flavour.
Of course fermenting at 32degrees is essential as well

 

[wrangler]

Each to their own...?

 

[joshlangmaid]

:blink: Ummm, yeah, what he said...
I sometimes piss in my fermenter to give a little extra character to the sugar and Bi-lo kit flavour.
Of course fermenting at 32degrees is essential as well

LOL. +1

 

[quantocks]

cheers for all the replies guys,

is there any place that I could get a belt heater from at this time of day (5:30pm) ? would Woolies or Coles sell them?

 

[joshlangmaid]

No not normally. Most HBS sell them. You can get them a little cheaper on the internet.

 

[poppa joe]

Have you got a spare ELECTRIC BLANKET...???
Have you taken O.G.
Is there any KRAUSEN>?
PJ

 

[quantocks]

Have you got a spare ELECTRIC BLANKET...???
Have you taken O.G.
Is there any KRAUSEN>?
PJ

I do have an electric blanket, but it was one of them fancy ones my partner bought. if she seen it wrapped around my fermenter I think she'd crack it big time. at the moment it's sitting on top of the small hot water heater in the cupboard. keeping constant 18 degrees, slowly creeping up to 20 during the day when we had showers and stuff. but never any hotter.

 

[Cocko]

Sounds like you have a pretty sweet spot for your fermenter to keep constant temp - which is a very important part of producing good beer..

I don't know how cold its gets there in Willinwhatever but I would say, yeah buy a heatbelt! Even better buy a Fridgemate Thermostat controlled controller to turn it on and of for you! [Search Fridgemate and you will find]

And yeah, is there Krausen [a ring of crud forming around the top level of your wort]?? Is there any signs of fermentation starting [SG reading?]?

Lastly, Do not panic my friend we all do it during the first few brews and before you know it you will be shooting your guns in the air!!!

Cheers
Cocko!
:icon_cheers:

 

[quantocks]

lots of bubbles/condensation on the lid of the fermenter? I hope is a good sign. would it be worth next time buying a yeast more acceptable for 18 degrees ?

 

[tdh]

nein nein nein Genosse buttersd70

Erstens - 0.5g of dried Hefe fror effry Liter of Bier
Zweitens - rehydrate in 10 times its weight in plain Wasser (zum Beispiel 11.5g Hefe und 115ml Wasser at 35 Grad C) fuer 20 Minuten
Drittens - kein Zucker, no sugar, niente
Viertens - add a squirt of wort to the Glas, do zat drei mal
Letztens - pitch die Hefe at 30 Minuten, NO longer

tdh

Yeah, but this is the same joker that claims that using 1kg of plain white suga (sic) gives a better tasting beer than all malt.

18C is perfect for this, if you wait another full day and check as I suggested, pitch some safale s04 into it.

Do a search on here about rehydrating (aka proofing) yeast. The short version is, add yeast to 10times its volume of water (about 25c), clingfilm over the top, wait 10 mins, add a pinch of dex, wait 10 mins and you should have some bubbling in the slurry, which indicates the yeast is active. This is proofing. Rehydrating skips the pinch of dex. (which you dont always need to do, sometimes you get activity in the water on its own.)

 

[Cocko]

Its always worth buying a yeast suited to temps and beer style you are brewing! Whats 4 bux in the mix for a better beer!

18 degrees is the perfect temp for ALE yeast's... probably don't want to go much lower, some will say different, but more so a constant temp is important!!

Read through this site, K&K threads, and you will discover some great tips on most of the Q's that are circling around in your brain..... read read ask read.

Cheers

Oh and the bubbles are a good sign.. Chill it will take off!!

 

[Cocko]

tdh, butters.. get a room!!

Quantocks was asking something.....