My First Stout. Lots $ Spent And Think Temp Is Too Hight And Kil

[robster]

Hi all, I have just tried my first stout... I spend a few $ on ingredients, more than normal for me (over $35 for the ingredients) and here are my notes:

Added to fermenting barrel on 25 Jan 2007 later in the evening.

-Muntons Connoissers Range Export Stout
-Town water used straight from the tap (as usual)
-Brewing Sugars @ 500gm Corn Syrup and 1.5Kg tin of Morgans Unhopped Dark Malt Extract.
-Added all ingredients and boiling water into the fermenter then topped up with water as standard to only 18 litres.
-The corn syrup powder congealed a lot and took a lot of stirring to mix, suspect it didn't all mix in though.
-Added 15ml of Licorice extract at end, stirred in and closed fermenter.
-Water temp was about 40 + Degrees C when first adding everything to the fermenter so left sit all night (roughly 12 hours) before adding yeast.


So that was that.... it was what I thought at the time around 28 C when i put the yeast in and went out for the day. When I returned I looked at the bubbler and it was static, but I did notice a lot of water droplettes in the bubbler indicating it HAD been bubbling. Closer inspection through the lid of the fermenter shows that yes, there is a lot of froth there, it had been bubbling throughout the day.

So the big question, why had it stopped bubbling only about 12 hours after I added the yeast?

My concerns are:
1) Was left overnight to cool before adding the yeast
2) Temp too high when adding yeast
3) Temp soared during the day whilst I was out (was a killer in my part of QLD today)
4) Is my thermometer dead?
5) I read on the instructions that this blend likes to sit between 18-22C... I'm WAY over that, am I in trouble here?

Now number 4 is interesting as it's one of those cheap little sticker types you stick on the side of the fermenter. It seems to change between blue, green and yellow, green being roughly the temp of the contents. When I sterilise the fermenter I always give it a flush afterwards with hot boiling water and the thermometer goes through the roof and literally off the scale and I wonder if that kind of heat can affect it and if my readings are wrong? EG, right now I've stuck the aircon on in the small room I brew in and after an hour of really chilled air con (in a confined space) the thermometer is still reading 30! seems strange. Look, I can test it and see by purchasing another, so don't stress about that too much, I guess for me I need to know if I can save this thing and if that short fermentation / bubbling is well... too short?


Any advice is REALLY appreciated! Can I save this thing?! Quality ingredients, hate to see them lost


Rob

 

[browndog]

Hi Rob,
there could be a lot of things going on here. First thing I'd ask is was there still enough water in the airlock to create bubbles. Then I'd see if there is the possiblility that there is a leak in the lid, so the fermentation would be still going on without the telltale bubbling. There is a lot of fermentables in a stout so even with the hot weather it still should take a few days to ferment out. I would not think the yeast would be killed unless the temp got well into the high 30s so I would check that the lid has a good seal and give it a day or two and see what happens. A hydrometer is very handy is situations like this to keep an eye on the SG.

cheers

Browndog

 

[microbe]

Hi all, I have just tried my first stout... I spend a few $ on ingredients, more than normal for me (over $35 for the ingredients) and here are my notes:

Added to fermenting barrel on 25 Jan 2007 later in the evening.

-Muntons Connoissers Range Export Stout
-Town water used straight from the tap (as usual)
-Brewing Sugars @ 500gm Corn Syrup and 1.5Kg tin of Morgans Unhopped Dark Malt Extract.
-Added all ingredients and boiling water into the fermenter then topped up with water as standard to only 18 litres.
-The corn syrup powder congealed a lot and took a lot of stirring to mix, suspect it didn't all mix in though.
-Added 15ml of Licorice extract at end, stirred in and closed fermenter.
-Water temp was about 40 + Degrees C when first adding everything to the fermenter so left sit all night (roughly 12 hours) before adding yeast.
~snip~

My concerns are:
1) Was left overnight to cool before adding the yeast
2) Temp too high when adding yeast
3) Temp soared during the day whilst I was out (was a killer in my part of QLD today)
4) Is my thermometer dead?
5) I read on the instructions that this blend likes to sit between 18-22C... I'm WAY over that, am I in trouble here?
~snip~

Hey Rob,

Don't panic yet - DWRHAHB

Disclaimer - I know that when making beer, temp control is the second most important factor after sanitation. That being said - until I source a ferm fridge cheap I'll keep going with the bad brew habits I've coped with for years.

Below are my notes from a batch very similar to yours that I'm drinking now - in fact time to crack another.

Morgans Dockside Stout - Morgans Dark Malt - Cascade Hops + 15mL Liq. Ext - 32`C @ pitch - F not as violent as previous batches of stout.

This has turned out to one of my best dark beers, despite me pitching blindly @ 32C.

Your concerns -
1) Never done this myself - no comment
2) Might have but I used the kit yeast and fared OK at higher temp
3) As above - I've been told @ LHBS that pitch temp is more important and kit yeasts are pretty forgiving
4) Don't know but I put a second one on my fermenter because I thought the first was reading funny- but they both read the same - on the older one the colour is starting to fade though
5) See 3

And I'd echo what browndog says - wait it out a couple of days - take some gravity measurements

:beer:

Cheers,

microbe

 

[robster]

Thank you both, a good point on the seal as I did for the first time take it out the other day and ...... hold on a tick!


WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO!!!!

Just turned the lid an extra quarter and the bubbler just went BALISTIC! I mean, it's firing like a maniac. Makes sense now of course, seeing how much froth is in that thing, but thank you so much. So happy it was something so simple

Great result from my first question to the forums, thanks again

Rob

 

[Paleman]

If your brewing temperature is too high, darker beers, especially stouts are more forgiving on this. So youll be right there too.

Sounds like youve got a cracker stout on the way. Leave it for at least three months when bottled. Just in time for the return of cooler, stout drinking weather, ya wont regret it ! :beerbang:

 

[Uncle Fester]

All that I can add, is that maybe for a stout of that magnitude, you only want 1/2 a teaspoon of sugar/dry malt in the bottle for conditioning.

It will continue to break down and age in the bottle for months.

Sounds like a great winter sipper to me.



Fester.

 

[pint of lager]

Hi Robster,

Firstly, don't worry too much about the airlock moving or fermenter sealing up. You are aiming to keep the dust and bugs out of your fermenter. You do want to see obvious signs of fermentation such as falling sg, foam and scum ring on the wort surface. This should start to appear 12 hours after pitching your yeast.

1. Not a good idea, it is always better to pitch as soon as possible at the right temperature.
Next time, try and use less hot water to dissolve your ingredients and keep a few large iceblocks in the freezer made up in sealed plastic containers to help drop the temperature closer to the ideal of 20-22 degrees Celcius. Clean chinese food containers are great and can be stacked. Makes it easy to slip a few litres of ice into the wort.

2. When yeast work, they generate a small amount of heat, so if you are not using any cooling, the temperature may stay at 28 or above for the whole fermentation, which is less than ideal.

3. Have a read of the beginner's FAQ qhich is airlocked in the kit and kilo forum. It links to the 100 can cooler which is an easy way of keeping a brew closer to the ideal of 20 deg. It looks like you may have this sorted out by brewing in an airconditioned area.

4. Maybe. Other members on the forum have commented that theirs have died after boiling water is poured on them.

5. Yes and no. The yeast will happily work at 18-35. As the temperature increases, they work harder and faster and produce extra by products. These by products can be fruity and or harsh fusel alcohols, giving a nail polish like character to the brew.

Stouts are loaded with character from the dark malts which can hide some of these extra flavours, but they will still be there.

The three most important points when brewing are:
sanitation
temperature control
good ingredients.
Plus a dose of patience.

You have the good ingredient part worked out, won't be long and you will have the temperature sorted out.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[robster]

Hi Robster,

Firstly, don't worry too much about the airlock moving or fermenter sealing up. You are aiming to keep the dust and bugs out of your fermenter. You do want to see obvious signs of fermentation such as falling sg, foam and scum ring on the wort surface. This should start to appear 12 hours after pitching your yeast.

1. Not a good idea, it is always better to pitch as soon as possible at the right temperature.
Next time, try and use less hot water to dissolve your ingredients and keep a few large iceblocks in the freezer made up in sealed plastic containers to help drop the temperature closer to the ideal of 20-22 degrees Celcius. Clean chinese food containers are great and can be stacked. Makes it easy to slip a few litres of ice into the wort.

2. When yeast work, they generate a small amount of heat, so if you are not using any cooling, the temperature may stay at 28 or above for the whole fermentation, which is less than ideal.

3. Have a read of the beginner's FAQ qhich is airlocked in the kit and kilo forum. It links to the 100 can cooler which is an easy way of keeping a brew closer to the ideal of 20 deg. It looks like you may have this sorted out by brewing in an airconditioned area.

4. Maybe. Other members on the forum have commented that theirs have died after boiling water is poured on them.

5. Yes and no. The yeast will happily work at 18-35. As the temperature increases, they work harder and faster and produce extra by products. These by products can be fruity and or harsh fusel alcohols, giving a nail polish like character to the brew.

Stouts are loaded with character from the dark malts which can hide some of these extra flavours, but they will still be there.

The three most important points when brewing are:
sanitation
temperature control
good ingredients.
Plus a dose of patience.

You have the good ingredient part worked out, won't be long and you will have the temperature sorted out.

Welcome to the forum.

Great post (and the others also). Thank you and am glad to be here

Rob