Help Out A Noob With His First Batch Concerns

[Sydneybrewer]

hi guys,
i am new to brewing and currently have my first batch in the works atm from the coopers micro-brewkit.
however i think i might have been too excited and rushed the process as i didn't read the instructions properly or stumble on to this site until i re-read the instructions and realised i may have stuffed it.
okay here are my concerns that i am hoping an experienced brewer can help me with.
1. i did not take a hydrometer reading at the start, i figured i checked it at the end, did not realise that i needed an OG. i am now 24hrs into the fermentation stage.
2. when i put the yeast in (from the coopers lid) i just chucked it in then stirred it through, but upon reviewing the instructions it said to sprinkle the yeast over the top.
3. no action in the airlock at all, so i opened the lid to check it out this morning and there is a lot of foam buildup but no sludge ring.
any help at all will be appreciated (even if its pointing and laughing at the noob).
cheers.

 

[Interloper]

Relax and have a beer. :icon_cheers:

You don't need a hyrdometer reading. It helps in judging your brew's alc content, but when your brew looks finished, take a reading. When it's the same for 3 days straight it's finished brewing.

Don't worry about sprinkling or stiring. No biggie. I like to rehydrate my yeast in some warm water before pitching, and always let your wort cool to at least 20C before adding the yeast. (Less for lagers)

As long as you stirred it with something sterlie, no probs. (and hey even if it wasn't you will probably be fine, but in future - clean clean and clean again - no rinse sanitiser for the win)

Do not freak about airlocks. Do you have krausen? (foam on top of brew?) This is your best indication, not bubbles in airlocks.

 

[manticle]

1. Don't worry too much. If it was straight kit and kilo the OG is probably around 1040. The most important readings are the ones that tell you fermentation has finished and is ready for bottling. 2-3 days concurrent readings that are stable and around the finishing point (probably 1005-1010 for a cooper's kit)
2. Not really a concern.
3. Not really a concern. The foam is fermentation beginning. Airlocks just make groovy sounds but are pretty unreliable indicators of anything.

As an extra note - try and keep fermentaion temperatures at the lower end of the recommended scale or even below that. From memory Coopers suggest 21-27 but 18-22 is better if it's an ale.
Everyone was a noob once. Check out the wiki articles section for lots of basics. Also How to Brew by John Palmer is a great, free, online resource (google will set you on the right path).

Wot he said^

 

[Interloper]

1. Don't worry too much. If it was straight kit and kilo the OG is probably around 1040. The most important readings are the ones that tell you fermentation has finished and is ready for bottling. 2-3 days concurrent readings that are stable and around the finishing point (probably 1005-1010 for a cooper's kit)
2. Not really a concern.
3. Not really a concern. The foam is fermentation beginning. Airlocks just make groovy sounds but are pretty unreliable indicators of anything.

As an extra note - try and keep fermentaion temperatures at the lower end of the recommended scale or even below that. From memory Coopers suggest 21-27 but 18-22 is better if it's an ale.
Everyone was a noob once. Check out the wiki articles section for lots of basics. Also How to Brew by John Palmer is a great, free, online resource (google will set you on the right path).

Wot he said^

What I said AND what he said - great minds think alike - there you go pretty much identical advice from two different brewers...

 

[muckey]

I'm just adding a concurrance with the first 2 for emphasis :icon_cheers:

 

[Sydneybrewer]

thanks a lot guys, and phew glad about the temp thing too.. because it is sitting at 20 degrees atm and coopers say between 21-27 so that was going to be my next question. and the foam is about 10cm high on top of the brew and have noticed a ring now that i can see from the outside of the fermenter about 3cm above the surface that i didn't see earlier.

 

[manticle]

The technical term for what you are making is known among the elite as 'beer'

 

[Adamt]

I'm adding my two cents, and in keeping with tradition, providing contradicting advice!

You don't need a hyrdometer reading. It helps in judging your brew's alc content, but when your brew looks finished, take a reading. When it's the same for 3 days straight it's finished brewing.

A stable hydrometer reading over ~2 days means it is no longer fermenting, it does NOT mean that it has finished. A stable specific gravity that is near or below your estimated final reading is finished fermenting (ignoring extenuating circumstances like overestimating FG, infections, etc.).

Assuming it was a standard kit and kilo, you can expect a final specific gravity reading of around 1.010 or lower.

Edit: Oh, and how is he (presumably) going to know when the brew "looks finished" if it is his first batch? :lol:

 

[Interloper]

Edit: Oh, and how is he (presumably) going to know when the brew "looks finished" if it is his first batch? :lol:

errrrr... Didn't think of that!

 

[Sydneybrewer]

it looks finished to me now lol 24hrs in... i cant look at the fermenter anymore because it makes me thirsty, but i can't have a beer for another two weeks, at home recovering from surgery. my fiance got me the kit to help pass the time and i am already addicted and thinking about the next batch.

 

[manticle]

24 hours? No way. It's likely to be 4-7 days and your beer will improve if you let it sit longer (yeast cleans up after itself). After 5 days start taking hydrometer readings to see if the gravity is around 1010. Then take one each day until you get 3 consecutive readings in a row. Nothing wrong with leaving it another week even when that happens. Bottle, carb, wait at least 2 weeks, drink.

It's hard to wait but it's better to avoid disappointment thinking homebrew is rubbish because you drank it too early. Just buy yourself some coopers longnecks for the interim and keep the bottles (and yeast if you're up for it) for your next brew.

 

[manticle]

No worries. I left my sense of humour at Mum's house.