Leaking Fermenter

[reviled]

Hey guys

I brew with extract and am still fairly new to all of this, I have a hydromoter but havnt got round to getting a test jar, so havent actually used it yet, ive still produced 8 brews without using one and im happy to simply guestimate the alchohol level, allthough I will get round to using a hydromoter soon...

But ive gone a bit off track here, what I was wondering, is I put a brew down on the weekend, a Nut Brown Ale (yummy) which also happened to be my first partial grain batch, and put it in a 2nd hand fermenter which ive had for about 6 months but havnt used before. I cleaned and sterilised the crap out of it so im pretty confident it was fine, but the problem is that its not bubbling, I think maybe the rubber bung is leaking? I thought I may have killed the yeast (ive done it twice before) so the second day I opened it up and pitched new yeast, allthough as I did this noticed it was bubbling up, now ive never opened a fermenter and seen the beer bubbling up like that before, allthough im guessing this is fermentation happening? I pitched the new yeast anyway, same brand, cant hurt to double up on yeast can it? But I have concerns that because the fermenter is leaking, am I at risk of an infection with this brew due to it not being air tight? Should I siphon it into another fermenter?

Please help. Cheers

 

[lokpikn]

Dont worry at all as long as you know it is cleaned and steralized you will be fine, many blokes here dont even use a lid they just place cling wrap over the top. Which is good unless your femrnter falls out of the fridge and you lose all your wort.

The air lock is just something to give a indication that its fermenting by the sounds of the bubbling mix all is good.

Pitching double the yeast should not cause many dramas it just may ferment a bit quick try to keep the temp down to 18 to 20 degs and all will be good.

 

[reviled]

Dont worry at all as long as you know it is cleaned and steralized you will be fine, many blokes here dont even use a lid they just place cling wrap over the top. Which is good unless your femrnter falls out of the fridge and you lose all your wort.

The air lock is just something to give a indication that its fermenting by the sounds of the bubbling mix all is good.

Pitching double the yeast should not cause many dramas it just may ferment a bit quick try to keep the temp down to 18 to 20 degs and all will be good.

Cheers buddy, I allways freak out when my worts exposed in any way, but im prolly just being paranoid...

In regards to a hydromoter, is there any real benifit to using it apart from getting the alchohol level? To see if fermentations done I can usually tell, and worse case scenario cant you just sprinkle some dextrose into the wort and if it fizzes it still ferments? Or am I way off?

 

[beersom]

In regards to a hydromoter, is there any real benifit to using it apart from getting the alchohol level? To see if fermentations done I can usually tell, and worse case scenario cant you just sprinkle some dextrose into the wort and if it fizzes it still ferments? Or am I way off?

Your hydrometer is one of your 3 most important brewing tools, the other 2 being your nose and your mouth.
A hydrometer will help you identify many aspects of fermentation.
Always use your hydrometer.
... when i have people ask me about problem batches often the first thing that I ask is what was the OG and What is the gravity now - without a hydrometer this is impossible.
Sprinkling dextrose on the top of the beer will tell you nothing.
Cheers and happy brewing

 

[white.grant]

+1 learn how and always use a hydrometer.

Apart from Beersom's points the only accurate indication of fermentation having completed is 3 hydro readings over a period of time. Best way to avoid bottle bombs.

cheers

Grant

 

[reviled]

Sounds like I should get me a test jar

Cheers guys

 

[Screwtop]

Hey guys

I brew with extract and am still fairly new to all of this, I have a hydromoter but havnt got round to getting a test jar, so havent actually used it yet, ive still produced 8 brews without using one and im happy to simply guestimate the alchohol level, allthough I will get round to using a hydromoter soon...

But ive gone a bit off track here, what I was wondering, is I put a brew down on the weekend, a Nut Brown Ale (yummy) which also happened to be my first partial grain batch, and put it in a 2nd hand fermenter which ive had for about 6 months but havnt used before. I cleaned and sterilised the crap out of it so im pretty confident it was fine, but the problem is that its not bubbling, I think maybe the rubber bung is leaking? I thought I may have killed the yeast (ive done it twice before) so the second day I opened it up and pitched new yeast, allthough as I did this noticed it was bubbling up, now ive never opened a fermenter and seen the beer bubbling up like that before, allthough im guessing this is fermentation happening? I pitched the new yeast anyway, same brand, cant hurt to double up on yeast can it? But I have concerns that because the fermenter is leaking, am I at risk of an infection with this brew due to it not being air tight? Should I siphon it into another fermenter?

Please help. Cheers

Your on here looking for help, but haven't used your hydrometer yet :huh:

Reviled, during fermentation Co2 is produced, a good cloud of CO2 above the surface of your beer offers some protection from airborne infections (not to any that may be in contact with your wort, fermenter tap etc) so covering or sealing the fermenter is not all that critical. When it comes to brewers using cling wrap, well not all methods suit all situations. I ferment in a temp controlled chest freezer when I open the freezer and reach in to get a sample of fermenting wort the Co2 nearly knocks me out. That thing is full of Co2 coming from the fermenters and all is probably well protected. If you ferment on a bench maybe the cling wrap might not afford all that much protection.

Knowing the gravity of your wort is important, so is sanitiation, there are a number of important points to producing good beer, keep these under control and brewing good beer is easy.

To see if fermentations done I can usually tell, and worse case scenario cant you just sprinkle some dextrose into the wort and if it fizzes it still ferments? Or am I way off?

Geez........ When your wort is fermented out, the yeast has consumed all of the available sugars and it basically goes into hibernation. If you sprinkle some more food (sugar) onto the wort, you will simply start the yeast up again, exactly the same as adding sugar when bottling.

 

[reviled]

Sorry, didnt realise how important a hydromoter was, ive done 6 or 7 batches of beer which tasted fantastic and no problem with bottle bombs, so I thought I was doing ok but you learn something new every day, specially with this hobbie. I knew that cleaning and sanitising is the biggie, I read somewhere that good brewing is 80% cleaning, so ive been doing okay there, havnt had an infection so far (touch wood)...

I dont know where I got the sprinkle dextrose idea from, but now you mention it it does seem useless, so in order to fully make sure fermentation is complete I need the same reading on the hydromoter three days in a row?

Edit : To see if fermentations complete ive just been waiting till it stops bubbling and clears up, then the water in the air lock normally starts to fall back indicating theres no more C02 coming out... Am I archaic doing it this way?

Cheers

 

[Jerry]

so in order to fully make sure fermentation is complete I need the same reading on the hydromoter three days in a row?

Check the reading when you think its finished and then check it again 2-3 days later. If its the same, then bottle away.

Edit : To see if fermentations complete ive just been waiting till it stops bubbling and clears up, then the water in the air lock normally starts to fall back indicating theres no more C02 coming out... Am I archaic doing it this way?

You said in your original post that the fermenter was 'leaking' and therefore not bubbling. So you can never be 100% sure.

Using the airlock as proof of your brew fermenting, or otherwise, is just not accurate.

Scott

 

[paulwolf350]

To see if fermentations complete ive just been waiting till it stops bubbling and clears up, then the water in the air lock normally starts to fall back indicating theres no more C02 coming out... Am I archaic doing it this way?

Cheers

I have been using this method for about 8 years, I used the hydrometer for about 5 brews then gave up, I guess I better start using it again. I have never had any problems though.

paul

 

[reviled]

So ive started using a hydrometer, prolly a bit late for the two brews ive got going at the moment, but im still not really 100% sure what it all means, my mexican cerveza which is still bubbling and has been for a week and a half read 1014 and my nut brown ale (in the leaking fermenter) which has been fermenting for about a week read 1018...

Does anyone have a good link with info on a hydrometer, how to use one and what the readings mean?

Cheers

 

[warra48]

Here you go.

http://www.howtobrew.com/appendices/appendixA.html

Reviled, didn't your hydrometer come in at least a plastic tube? You can use that to do your hydrometer tests, rather than buying a test jar.

 

[reviled]

Here you go.

http://www.howtobrew.com/appendices/appendixA.html

Reviled, didn't your hydrometer come in at least a plastic tube? You can use that to do your hydrometer tests, rather than buying a test jar.

Cheers mate

Yeah it did, but it was quite a tight fit and the hydrometer got stuck, all good, got me a plastic test jar for $1.95 Starting to wish I took OG readings for my two brews <_< lol