2nd attempt @ Ginger Beer kit + Additions

[SaintRoam]

Hey Guys,

Havent been around these parts for a while.. BUT IM BACK!! So as the topic mentions I had a crack at a Brewers Choice Ginger Beer last time which came out awesome (well as good as a kit gets I guess) So I picked up another one whilst adding a few additions of around 800gms fresh ginger I found left over in the fridge, 2 long chillis - I know not much, probably wont even taste em. and 1 cinamon and a couple of cloves. So I did the kit process pretty much to the T as per instructions. I put this down last Sunday and have ZERO activity coming from the airlock (bubbling)

Heres the proccess I went through anyways:

0. Sterilized the whole jeasus outta everything first!!!
1. Made a yeast starter. 1/2 cup tipid water 1 teaspoon dextrose, 1 teaspoon dry mix. let it bubble up for couple hours.
2. grated frozen ginger boiled it with the other additions for recommended time.
3. Added Kit dry mix with 1kg dextrose and strained in the ginger boil. Mixed it up good.
4. Brought it up to the 22ltre mark with filtered water.
5. added the yeast mix stirred it good and locked her up. the temp gauge showed 30deg when I added the yeast but im 100% sure it is busted as the temp on the beer next to it was around 24.

Now I cant see anything wrong with this process but two things worth mentioning.

1. I bought this carboy im using 2nd hand (Ive been using my primary Coopers one for my beers which currently has a pure blonde in it and bublling away next to the ginger beer fine)
2. This carboy is a bit smaller hence to fill it up to 22L its pretty much right to the top - properly 10 cms below the top. Does this matter?

Ive never seemed to get activity out of this one, although the last time I used it was for a non alcho ginger beer so it was fine. I want to know if this carboy does have a leak in it somewhere will it kill my ginger beer? I was thinking about waiting til 2 weeks is up and testing it for gravity and seeing if its okay.

Im just not sure if Ill be able to tell if its dead or not? Any thoughts on what I should do? Ditch or keep strong & resist the paranoia? :beerbang:

Thanks again for all your past help team.

 

[Airgead]

Lack of airlock bubbles does not indicate lack of activity. Its probably just not sealing fully. That doesn't matter at all. Check the gravity if you want to see whether its active. If its dropping its active.

If its not active and its not infected yet (have a taste)... chuck some new yeast in.

The one thing I do see that's wrong is that you have a pure blonde in your other fermenter h34r:

Cheers
Dave

 

[SaintRoam]

Lack of airlock bubbles does not indicate lack of activity. Its probably just not sealing fully. That doesn't matter at all. Check the gravity if you want to see whether its active. If its dropping its active.

If its not active and its not infected yet (have a taste)... chuck some new yeast in.

The one thing I do see that's wrong is that you have a pure blonde in your other fermenter h34r:

Cheers
Dave

hahahha Thanks Dave :lol: Pure Blonde was to watch the belly line and to try something other than Fat Yak recipes.. Yeah Ill do a test tonight Im pretty sure its not infected but would it definitly be noticable if it was bad?? HB Ginger beer is a bit of an aquired taste anyways.

 

[Airgead]

hahahha Thanks Dave :lol: Pure Blonde was to watch the belly line and to try something other than Fat Yak recipes.. Yeah Ill do a test tonight Im pretty sure its not infected but would it definitly be noticable if it was bad?? HB Ginger beer is a bit of an aquired taste anyways.

Not sure in a GB but you can usually see/smell an infection before it gets anywhere near your lips.

I love a good GB but I find those kits are horrid (artificial sweetners.. yech) and I've never quite managed to brew a good one from scratch.

Cheers
Dave

 

[motocross_mike]

The only ginger beer kit I have found that is any good is "Colony West"... It is sweetened with lactose and has so artificial sweetner in it.

Give it a go I am sure you will like it.

Mike

 

[Hallze]

I went to the LHBS a couple of weeks ago and asked him what he thought was the best ginger beer kit. He recommended the "Colony West" brand.

I took a sample to do a SG reading a couple of days ago and it was down to 1.008. I took a few sips out of the tube and it tastes pretty good!! I can't wait to get it in the keg!

 

[SaintRoam]

Wow. Colony West ay? Ill see if they have it at brewers Choice. Might grab some online, Thanks for the hot tip! Really diggin GB as a side hobby to my beer crazy :beerbang:

So heres an update of my GB. I tried it 5 days ago and tasted good I think? :unsure: The problem now is my lack of knowledge on how to read the gravity check. I took one when I tasted it (5 days ago) and it was 3 dashes under the - is it 10.00 or 1000? So I took another sample this morning (which is 2 weeks total in keg) and Ive attached a photo of the gravity reading. Also had a taste and it tasted like warm yeasty GB so I think its alright. Just have to bottle it and see i guess...

Oh judging by this reading is it okay to bottle now? Or is it a good reading for GB? Ill test again in 2 days to see if its stable before bottling.

Thanks again guys

(SORRY FOR THE BLURRY IMAGE, HARD TO FOCUS ON THAT TIMY NUMBER!!! :blink: )