No Bubbles?

[DAZZA]

<_< started a first brew with a coopers beer kit., using 50% coopers brewing sugar with 50% brewiser liquid brewing sugar. no bubbling happening with the airlock for the first 24hrs (yes lid is on tight) . eventually got bubbling but only for 4hrs. temperature 25. does the bubbling need to be consistant or do we keep going regardless until we reach the final gravity 1008.


Have heard not to use carbonated drops, should we use dextrose instead, would also like to use a beer clearing agent (finings) when is the best time to add it to the fermenter.

 

[Wreck]

A lot of my earlier brews didn't have much bubbling at all. Must have had a small gap somewhere that let the air out.

I wouldn't worry about it. As long as the SG keeps dropping, you know its working. Once you get the same SG reading a couple of days in a row, you're ready to bottle.

Wreck.

 

[BarneyG]

Dazza, another good indication that your brew is fermenting nicely, is when you can see a scum ring form at the top of the wort and condensation on the lid.

When it comes to carbonation drops, IMHO I would stay clear of them and prime with powdered malt. B)

 

[Wax]

I wouldn't worry too much about it Dazza. Probably a small leek in the fermenter some where. Just check your seals for any cracks after this brew. If you find any I would be taking it back to your HBS as this is your first batch. He'll replace it and if he's a decent bloke give you another cooper kit.

Giving your mix a real good stir after you pitch your yeast helps kick along fermentation.

 

[DAZZA]

thanks for that guys I appreciate the advice. cant wait too try my first home brew!


:chug:


DAZZA...

 

[Jovial_Monk]

i really do not like hearing this rubbish that two SG readings the same on two consecutive days means you can bottle. Two identical readings can mean the ferment is finished OR that the ferment has stuck!

If I start with an OG 1040 beer than if final the readings I take are 1020 and 1020 than I know something is WRONG!

Two readings the same on two consecutive days means nothing WITHOUT those reading being in the neighborhood of 1/4 of starting gravity.

If a beer has an OG of 1040 (40 gravity units) then the SG needs to be in the neighborhood of 1010 (10=1/4 of 40). now a typical newbie beer of can kit + kilo dextrose should be UNDER 1010 whereas a kit beer made with a pack of extract and lots dark grains (crystal, chocolate malt etc) may be OVER 1010, but in both cases 1020 spells disaster if the beer is bottles and primed!


Please, this stuff about the reading being the same two (or three or four. . .) days running means nothing without regard to what the OG and the (hopefully) final readings are.

Just remember, no subject (barring religion and politics mebbe) is so full of ******** as homebrewing!

Jovial Monk

 

[nathan]

BarneyG, how much powdered malt do you use (per litre)?

DAZZA, I've had good results priming with dextrose.

 

[BEERBOY]

I'm no pro but i must agrre with JOVIAL MONK. My first brew was coopers lager with 1kg of sugar. I thought it stopped after 3 days. I took 2 readings both of about 1009, so i bottled. Only to find out after 1 week of conditioning that i had 25 longnecks worth of gushers.
I bottled my Morgans Stockmans Draught today after 7 full days & 2 of them had nothing through the airllock. I guess the lesson is, even though there may be no movement through the airlock, the Hyrdrometer can still drop to acceptable levels.

 

[Jovial_Monk]

a kit with a kilo sugar will most likely finish closer to 1006

please do not rely on aiirlocks or waiting x days, use the hydrometer!

JM