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[houso]

Hi Guys,
Doing my second brew which isd a VB Style kit and unsure of if it is ready it is reading 1.020 for the last 2 days is that ok??
Does it just mean that it will be stronger??

 

[Uncle Fester]

Hi Guys,
Doing my second brew which isd a VB Style kit and unsure of if it is ready it is reading 1.020 for the last 2 days is that ok??
Does it just mean that it will be stronger??

Houso,

Give us some more info and we can have a go at analysing your brew.

What was the kit? Liquid malt? Dextrose? brewing sugar? cane sugar?

All of these thing end up with different results.

Have you calibrated your hydrometer with straight water?

What temperature is yor brew at?

Where are you located (handy for finding out what HBS options you have..)

Happy to help - need a bit more to work with.

Fester.

 

[razz]

Welcome Houso. You need to put in your ingredients so we know roughly what gravity it should finish at, having said that 1.020 sounds high. No it won't be stronger it will be sweet, try giving the fermenter a gentle rock n roll for a minute to get the yeast going again.

 

[houso]

It was the Australian VB Style I think with the dextrose kit the home brew shop gave me,it is sitting at around 14 degrees at the moment was 18 most of the time (it is a bit cold at the moment)it has been there since wednesday night,hydrometer is ok 1.000 water?Im in Rouse hill NSW and i have a keg set up.
Thanks for alll your help

 

[Keifer]

After having some good expensive commercial beer this weekend, i vow never again coz i had the worst headache i have ever had, and of only 5 beers...
Sorry, but i would'nt even try to clone VB

 

[Adamt]

Your yeast could have gone to sleep at that temperature, warm up the fermenter with a brewbelt or heating pad (if you have one) or wait until it gets closer to 18ish, gently rock the fermenter without splashing and hopefully she'll start up again. You don't want to be putting any air into the beer. If it doesnt start again for 24 hours after doing this, you might have to pitch some more rehydrated yeast.

Oh, and make sure you put all the dead yeast from the bottom of the fermenter in your bottles and roll them before opening to ensure you get that bitey, vile, overpowering yeasty aftertaste only VB can provide! Seriously, don't do that, your bowels will thank you for it.

Hopefully through reading these forums and learning about how real beer is made we can get you off the Vile Brew! Welcome!

-Adam

 

[houso]

So do you think it is ready to go into the keg as the air lock hasnt bubbled for 1 day?
I dont bottle any beer as i have 23 litre kegs.

 

[Bazza]

Hi Houso
don't keg yet, it's probably not finished fermenting:
1. rouse the yeast by swirling the fermenter, and
2. warm it up to 18 degrees again.
Leave it for another few days (I leave my beer in primary for around 2 weeks normally) and see what happens. If nothing's happened by Thursday night after doing 1 and 2 then you can try something else (like re-pitching yeast).
Bazza

 

[houso]

Hi Houso
don't keg yet, it's probably not finished fermenting:
1. rouse the yeast by swirling the fermenter, and
2. warm it up to 18 degrees again.
Leave it for another few days (I leave my beer in primary for around 2 weeks normally) and see what happens. If nothing's happened by Thursday night after doing 1 and 2 then you can try something else (like re-pitching yeast).
Bazza

If i was to keg it today would it still be good to drink??? What would it taste like??

 

[Adamt]

It would be quite sweet (due to unfermented sugars) and would also not be of the alcohol content you would expect.

Keep in mind there might be a lot of CO2 yet to be produced if some yeast gets roused up in the keg (probably unavoidable) so that might screw up the pressurisation of the keg, but I've got little or no knowledge in that area.

 

[pint of lager]

Try half a glass.

 

[houso]

So if yesterday was 1.020 and today is 1.020 is ok then??

 

[Adamt]

Has the beer been warmed up to 18C, yeast roused by swirling and has it been left for at least 24 hours?

Have you tried half a glass like pint suggested?

If the answer to any of these questions is no, then you cannot be sure the beer is ready yet. As Razz said initially, 1.020 sounds high, and by the sounds of your ingredients, you can expect it to get down to at LEAST 1.010. Kegging it now will (as i said before) yield a sweet, lower-alcohol beer, that could over time become tasty and a bit heavier and alcohol, but would probably be dispensed as a frothy mess due to overcarbonation.

In other words, no, it's not ready yet.

 

[houso]

Finished the VB on Friday and by Sunday lunchtime all gone, Better than the real stuff. :chug: :chug:

 

[Bazza]

How was the FG?
Did the rousing of the yeast/raising temps work?
Bazza

 

[houso]

How was the FG?
Did the rousing of the yeast/raising temps work?
Bazza

Final was 1.018,as soon as i placed the fermenter inside and moved it around abit away it went.