First brew - I stirred in the yeast and I don't see bubbles

[Curly79]

Ahh. Fair enough. I was worried I was doing it wrong.


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[Nizmoose]

Yeah. Knew it.

The kit gave me a wine thief, so I don't think it's going to be a huge catastrophe if I do need to check the grav. But, wary of contamination, I'm planning to just bottle at 10 days (instructions say 7-14), and pray. Good idea?

This is a massive patience thing and I'm sure many people would disagree with me but personally regardless of gravity I leave my brews fermenting for 3 weeks. It allows off flavours and by-products to be removed and doesn't seem to harm the beer in any way. If you are really keen to bottle (I'm sure you are) I'd leave it for 2 weeks and you should be safe as long as it hasn't stalled (highly unlikely with a heat mat)

 

[mongey]

dont worry too much. I have the same fermenenter and my 1st 2 brews didnt bubble at all and I got good beer.

my 3rd is bubbling like a madman so maybe they dont seal that well sometimes

 

[wombil]

Forget the tap.
Syphon the beer out with a bottling cane or wand,pretty cheap at the home brewshop.
Taps are just a nucsiance anyway.

 

[superstock]

Use a smear of food grade grease or olive oil on the seal or rim of the fermenter.

I agree with Wombil. Taps are just another place for bacteria to hide.

An easy syphon with a bottling wand on the hose is the way to go.

 

[RobboMC]

A simple trick with the seals on the fermenter lid is to drown the seal and the underside of the lid in boiling water before screwing it on.
This softens the seal and kills any nasties lurking there, and allows you to screw it down nice and tight. That way I get my
airlock bubbling nicely every time.

Can be a nuisance getting it off after the brew is done though.

 

[J B]

Forget the tap.
Syphon the beer out with a bottling cane or wand,pretty cheap at the home brewshop.
Taps are just a nucsiance anyway.

Use a smear of food grade grease or olive oil on the seal or rim of the fermenter.

I agree with Wombil. Taps are just another place for bacteria to hide.

An easy syphon with a bottling wand on the hose is the way to go.

Just wondering how would you take a sample for gravity readings? Or don't you bother?

 

[slagfart]

So I bottled this up yesterday after two long weeks. The homebrew store gave me this no-rinse sanitiser, primary ingredient being sodium percarbonate, and, seeing that my Coopers sanitiser was also made from the same stuff, I assumed it was no-rinse as well. Squirted lots of the Coopers stuff into my bottles, let it dry, bottled my booze, and now I'm reading online that the Coopers sanitiser is made from the same stuff as laundry detergent, and should be rinsed.

Am I reading that I have brewed and bottled 18 litres of Napisan Stout?

 

[Curly79]

Not sure mate. I don't like the idea of those no rinse cleaners. Just more chemicals I reckon. Then again I know nothing about them? Someone will clear that up for you. Personally I use two tablespoons if household bleach in 20 ltrs of hot water to clean my bottles and fermenter. Then rinse with hot water. Cheap and easy


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[Yob]

If it's pure sodium percabonate you are fine, it breaks down to soda ash and hydrogen peroxide, harmless.

Many people use srarsan as the no rinse sanitiser of choice as you don't need to even let it dry, this truly the shiznit

 

[wombil]

J B asked,"How do you take a sample fpr gravity readings,or don't you bother"?
Use a small syphon,5mm beer or gas line is good.

 

[sp0rk]

I don't like the idea of those no rinse cleaners. Just more chemicals I reckon.

EVERYTHING is chemicals...
Starsan is an acid based sanitiser that in the levels we use, is tasteless and breaks down into harmless compounds eventually (some even say it's good for yeast)
I'd be more worried about chemicals in cleaners/sanitisers that need rinsing than in starsan

 

[Curly79]

4 ltrs of bleach lasts for years and costs bugger all. How much does star San or whatever it's called cost ?


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[beercus]

4 ltrs of bleach lasts for years and costs bugger all. How much does star San or whatever it's called cost ?


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For me its about saving time, this hobby is already expensive but when you think about it we are still making beer at half the cost you would buy it. So Starsan is not cheap but will last a long time and saves a whole lot of time and effort.

http://www.fullpint.com.au/five-star-star-san-sanitiser-475ml/

Beercus

 

[sp0rk]

4 ltrs of bleach lasts for years and costs bugger all. How much does star San or whatever it's called cost ?


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Bleach is also fairly harsh on plastics over time and will cause them to degrade faster than the starsan will (not to mention you need to rinse the bleach, which is potentially reinfecting with bugs in your water)

 

[crowmanz]

OP don't worry about airlock bubbles, many of us on AHB don't even bother with a lid and airlock. Just gladwrap with the o-ring over the top.

For me its about saving time

Starsan is the best time saver, especially if you are stuck bottling.

 

[mofox1]

Yep - cost for starsan is negligible overall. Usage is about 1.7ml per litre of water. You don't need to use much to sanitise things - ie 1L in the fermenter is plenty and you can re-use it as long as the pH remains around 3. Meaning you can use it a couple of weeks later for ALL of your bottles.

Even if you tip it out after that, it's only cost you 8c.

You can pick up an equivalent phosphoric acid blend santiser for $10/330ml (kegking and others), which would reduce the above to 5c. Combine that with the fact you don't *have* to rinse it out (I shake out as much as possible - or if it's a keg/fermenter then a boiling water rinse) it's pretty low effort.

Wish I'd found out about it years ago.

 

[slagfart]

Cracked one. Tastes like band aids. God damnit.

 

[BrosysBrews]

How long in the bottle? Amazing how much a differacne a few weeks makes.

 

[slagfart]

Not that long - like 5 days. But I can actually taste the cleaner smell. Turns me off the batch.

Better luck next time, hopefully.