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[Siborg]

My Dad wont use the Hyrometer!!
I keep telling him but he wont listen!
2 weeks and then keg...
I am have just put down my first brew which I will keg... I live in an aprtment close to the city so no garage...
It has been sitting in my room on 28 degrees for the past 2 days... Dad says its fine..
But due to guys on this sitesaying it's to high and due to the fact it's hard to sleep I moved it and the chair it was sitting on to the bathroom which seems to be between 24-26. Temperature is starting to drop to 26.
I hope its going to be allright.
I will be using the Hydrometer
This one is Coopers Standard Lager

When your Dad gets exploding bottles due to a not finished fermentation, maybe he'll listen. But by the sounds of it, he may just keep em over warm, in which case its not gonna taste that great anyways.

If this one doesn't taste that great, don't be put off. I did exactly the same as you on my first batch and was put off for about 6 months due to how average it was. In my opinion anyway, and other things could have played a factor. Since then, I've made some half decent beers, 1 shit one that I tipped (thanks brewcraft) and hopefully (fingers crossed) one awesome one which I just bottled earlier this evening. It tastes amazing as is, I just hope it doesn't cop an infection from fermenter to bottles.

p.s. Use your test tube for your hydrometer, give it a swirl and let it level itself out. Maybe give it another swirl (and push it down) it will eventually level out to the right reading. Take a few readings to make sure that you don't have too high or low a freak reading.

p.p.s. use something (tape, glue, anything) to secure the bottom part of the hydrometer test tube. It may seem secured, but unless its one piece like some, it WILL fall out when you drop your hydrometer into the empty tube after cleaning it... it happened to me.

edit: just read, your Dad kegs... still NEVER do that with bottles, or you will harm someone with shards of exploded glass.

 

[dawesy666]

well i got the batch warmer (to 20 degrees) and left it for a few days and it hasnt budged on the hydrometer. i put it in the sun today and got it up to 22 degrees and gave it another stir. i have moved it back inside again (still at about 18-20 degrees) but the air lock isnt bubbling so im not sure if its fermenting again. it has been really cold here at night. so if i put a electric blanket around it would i have better luck of the yeast kicking back in? or could i try bottling in PET bottles to be sure i dnt get exploding bottle. or could it be possible it has finished and is ready for bottles?

 

[Hatchy]

If you've had a stable reading for a few days yr probably ready to bottle. What is the reading?

 

[dawesy666]

its still at about 1.018 (which the kit said to bottle at about 1.006 from memory)

 

[bum]

How certain are you that temps aren't dropping at night? If you're sure you're maintaining that 18-20C it should realistically be done in the 3 weeks since you put it down.

I'd be looking at your hydrometer at this point. Check it in 20C water (could be 15C but it should say somewhere on the hydrometer itself) if it doesn't read 1000 you need to apply the difference to your current gravity - i.e. if it reads 4 points high in water you need to subtract 4 points from all readings.

At the end of the day though, if you bottle in PET and don't let the batch sit around in high temps or for a long time you should be safe enough but it isn't ideal.

 

[petesbrew]

well i got the batch warmer (to 20 degrees) and left it for a few days and it hasnt budged on the hydrometer. i put it in the sun today and got it up to 22 degrees and gave it another stir. i have moved it back inside again (still at about 18-20 degrees) but the air lock isnt bubbling so im not sure if its fermenting again. it has been really cold here at night. so if i put a electric blanket around it would i have better luck of the yeast kicking back in? or could i try bottling in PET bottles to be sure i dnt get exploding bottle. or could it be possible it has finished and is ready for bottles?

1. Keep it out of the sun. UV rays don't help.
Not sure why it's stopped at 1018. Did you fill it to 23L?
The last kit I made stopped way short, no matter how long I left it. 1020 instead of 1010, but the ingredients were different to the suggested recipe.
Just to be safe I've deliberately undercarbed this batch. I'd rather flat beer than a bottle bomb.

 

[dawesy666]

well i finally bottled my beer . i got another hydrometer (i was borrowing my mates one) and the reading was 1010. i dont know if it was the hydrometer out or if i managed to kick start the yeast again. but i was cheering that it has finaly come down from 1018 . all in bottles now out in the shed. im praying i dont have any explosions. especially not the hole batch again. cant wait to be able to have a taste of my "fine" drop

 

[ChefDave]

So how'd the second batch go Josh?