Fermenting

[T_Kiwi]

Hi im sure this has been answered a million times but i cant find the thread. My hydro is reading 1.012 and fermentation seems to have stopped with temps being between 18-20 for 10 days now. I presume when the bubbling from the air lock stops then thats fermentation finished? I measured it yesterday and then again today and is the same reading but im aware it is suppose to be 1.008 as the can says with the kit. The beer im brewing is Mangrove Jacks Classic Gold Lager

 

[Pennywise]

Forget the airlock mate, it means jack shit. What other fermentables went into it, apart from the kit? What volume & what yeast?

 

[Yob]

but i cant find the thread

Linky to Airlock article

as above, more info on the brew particulars would be helpful

Yob

 

[yum beer]

Take another hydro reading tomorrow.
if its the same its safe to say its finished.

I'd be inclined to throw in some finings now and let sit for 3-4 days before bottling

 

[T_Kiwi]

Forget the airlock mate, it means jack shit. What other fermentables went into it, apart from the kit? What volume & what yeast?

Hi, i just used the kit and thats it, copper tun 1kg dextrose

 

[T_Kiwi]

Take another hydro reading tomorrow.
if its the same its safe to say its finished.

I'd be inclined to throw in some finings now and let sit for 3-4 days before bottling

Hi yum beer, i have done the finnings last night

 

[Pennywise]

If you made to 23L and it was just the kit, 1kg dex & kit yeast, I'd say 1012 is too high, and 1008 would seem more realistic. Adding the finings will have only stopped/extremely slowed the fermentation, which is why it prolly wont move from 1012 now. I wouldn't bottle this one in glass.

A few more questions though, are you sure the 23L mark on the fermentor is actually 23L? Have you tested the hydrometer in water (should read 1.000 @ 15.6C)? What temp are you measuring the sample at? And god forbid please tell me it didn't come with a dry enzyme

 

[Camo1234]

I'd also make sure you are taking the reading correctly... tip out the first bit that comes in once you turn the tap on and then run a full tube.... also make sure you spin the hydro to get rid of all airbubbles because the air bubbles that collect around the hydro will suspend it a bit more than it should and will give you a higher reading.

 

[Pennywise]

^ Both excellent points that I forgot about

 

[T_Kiwi]

If you made to 23L and it was just the kit, 1kg dex & kit yeast, I'd say 1012 is too high, and 1008 would seem more realistic. Adding the finings will have only stopped/extremely slowed the fermentation, which is why it prolly wont move from 1012 now. I wouldn't bottle this one in glass.

A few more questions though, are you sure the 23L mark on the fermentor is actually 23L? Have you tested the hydrometer in water (should read 1.000 @ 15.6C)? What temp are you measuring the sample at? And god forbid please tell me it didn't come with a dry enzyme

I made a batch to 20 litres as suggested by my HBS, will test hydrometer after this post. measuring at 18deg and wat is dry enzyme? sorry but im way new at this home brewing but an absolute master at drinking beer

 

[Pennywise]

Lol, I think we're all masters there buddy. Ok, dry enzyme is a product that will turn the more complex sugars in the wort, mostly untouchable by the yeast, into simpler ones that yeast can ferment out, basically makes for watery thin, shit beer, all IMHO though, some people like to use it.
The fact you made it to 20L will give you a slightly higher FG. I'll bet the can of goo expects you to make 23L? But the dextrose ferments out completely so the difference wouldn't be that much higher than what you'd expect, I'd say 1010 would be good, & I'd be happy with that. 1012 isn't far off that at all, so at the moment it looks all good IMO

 

[T_Kiwi]

I just re tested it and its sitting at 1.010. i wasnt throwing away the first bit that came out. oops yes Penny the can said 23L, im off to buy a thermometer

 

[T_Kiwi]

my hydrometer at 15.6c was 1.004 and my beer at 22.1c was 1.010, the difference being .004 out means the beer is 1.006 correct? or does the temp make a difference too?

 

[Pennywise]

There seems to be 2 different types (or more so, 2 different temps that some are calibrated at). My hydrometer is from the US & it's calibrated at 15.6C, I'm pretty sure I've read other people say their's are calibrated to 20C? Might pay to ask the shop you got it from, or someone on here may have the same one and can tell you. Going by the reading you have gotten at 15, it looks like yours may be calibrated to that 20. Also they say you should use distilled water to test it, but quite frankly I doubt it'll make that much of a difference. I use tap water.
Temp does make a difference when measuring the viscosity of anything really, here is a really handy piece of info for using the correction factors. Basically the warmer the liquid is, the lower the reading will seem, because the wort will expand with heat, making it seem less viscous.

 

[Mayor of Mildura]

I'm not sure where you're going with 15.6?

Most hydrometers are calibrated to 20 degrees. It should be labeled. read the fine print. Readings at different temperatures will be out. Beersmith has a tool to adjust the reading for temperature or you can use an online one like here.

cheers

 

[Mayor of Mildura]

I'm not sure where you're going with 15.6?

Ahh i see. I get it now. cheers pennywise. Damn American Hydro's.

 

[T_Kiwi]

ok i have read the fine print and its calibrated to 20deg, made in germany, im getting pissed just doing all these test ok going in for another round of tests at 20d

 

[T_Kiwi]

same reading at 20d as 15.6dmaybe less than a fanny hair's difference but thats about it

 

[Mayor of Mildura]

same reading at 20d as 15.6dmaybe less than a fanny hair's difference but thats about it

sweet. Sounds like it's done then. If it was me because it has been cold I'd leave it a few more days and then bottle just to be sure. Or If you're kegging then dump it in the keg now and hook up the gas.

 

[T_Kiwi]

sweet. Sounds like it's done then. If it was me because it has been cold I'd leave it a few more days and then bottle just to be sure. Or If you're kegging then dump it in the keg now and hook up the gas.

Hi mayor, i have had it on the heat pad so constant reading of between 18-22 degrees but mostly at 20 deg. yes i am kegging soooooo ready for help there too now