Advice On Brew

[Jase]

Hi There,

I have a question to ask.

I have started brewing again, after a five year break. I thoroughly washed and sterilized everything. I purchased some new grommets, and put down a Nut Brown Ale, as directed, and pitched the yeast at 26 degrees, last Monday, May 10.

After two days, no activity, so I started to suspect leaks, there must be a small leak between the new grommet and old airlock, so I wrapped a tea towel around the airlock, and on Friday, the brew started to slowly bubble away. I checked the gravity, 1046. By Saturday, there was constant bubbling. On Monday, everything seemed to stop. On Tuesday, I checked the gravity again, 1020, and tried the beer, tasted ok. I noticed that the temperature was low, about 16 degrees. So I put the heater belt on, to raise the temperature. On Wednesday, today and day 9 of the brew, there is no activity, the gravity is still 1020. I have also noticed that the krausen has gone. I tasted the brew and it tasted strange, it has a beer taste but with an aftertaste, Im not sure if Im being paranoid.

I am not sure what the next step is. If the brew is infected, or if I should bottle, and adjust the priming sugar, or just wait.

Any help would be great. Fast.


Cheers,

Jase. :unsure:

 

[JasonY]

Personally I would give it a few more days, sounds like the brew is not in a hot environment so you shouldn't be at too much risk of off flavours from yeast. From what you have said it sounds like the yeast is still working away albiet a little slower.

Depending on the yeast the Krausen will sink after the vigorous stage of fermentation is complete so I wouldn't worry too much there.

What ingredients did you use in the brew? If you have added a bit of dextrinous sugar then that may be what it is slowly fermenting through after having feasted on the easily fermentabel sugars.

 

[metters]

Jase,

What was your OG? When did the Krausen form? SG 1046 on day 3 but what was it at start?, as JY says the fermentables make the difference, what did you use? What is the aftertaste? Bitter? or off.
Bottle and try in a couple of weeks.

cheers nm

 

[deebee]

If it's ten days old it's probably not going to ferment any more. You could rouse yeast to try and get them working again, but they probably won't. You could transfer to secondary and let it condition for a while, or not.

I agree, you should bottle it. If gravity is still 1020, prime with about 120g of sugar for 23 litre batch. You could leave the job till the weekend and it would be fine.

Sounds like you used a cheap kit yeast with a relatively high gravity brew and you will generally have trouble getting beer to ferment out fully like that.

Don't worry about the strange taste, it will probably be drinkable. Infections don't taste strange.

 

[Jase]

Hi fellas,

Thanks for your input.

I got a good reading this morning, 1016. Think I'll bottle on the weekend.

I used the MSB nut Brown Ale, with the supplied yeast. No other ingredients added.

I couldn't take an OG, couldn't find hydrometer.

I contacted MSB last noght, as they have a contact section on their website. They adviced to wait a couple of days, and bottle. They mentioned that if I'm not happy, they will gladly replace the can. Which is good.

Thanks again. I think that I just panicked a tad.

Cheers,
Jase