Should I Modify Primary Fermenter?

[Schiraboy]

Hi, i'm about to start a new brew, and am wondering how much it would affect things if i modified my primary fermenter bucket.. what i mean by this is that i'm using just a plain 30L bucket with a lid for my primary fermentation, then i transfer it to my carboy, but i've heard that putting a lid over top of the brew during fermentation, with no way for the gases to escape will produce "off flavours". Is this true? What i was thinking of doing, is making a hole in the lid, plugging it with a bung, then running a hose from the bung to a bucket of water... I saw that type of thing at a brewery once. Or would it just make more sense to not use a primary fermenter (bucket) at all, and just use a carboy the entire time?

I'm also not sure what to do with my current batch (Amber Ale). I had it sitting in the primary fermenter, then had the idea of moving it to the carboy early so that i could see what happened if there was an airlock during primary fermentation. I soon realized this was a dumb move, because with transferring it after the fermentation had already started, it stopped fermenting. It was sitting at only 2% alc/vol. and not moving. Once i saw this, i decided to just make it an experimental batch, so i added some random yeast that brought it up to 3%. I started it a month ago, and have been procrastinating bottling it, because i don't know if it's worth it. I have a feeling that with transferring it too early, adding the yeast that was a wine yeast (i think EC1118), and having it sitting there for a month i feel like it's not gonna turn out anyway. Is it worth bottling? If so, how much priming dextrose should i put in the 23L batch? I don't know how to determine that.
O.G. 1.045
F.G. 1.023

Thanks for any input on the questions!

 

[Pennywise]

You could just put glad wrap over the fermenting bucket with a laccy band to hold it in place, or drill a hole, fit a bung & airlock in the lid. Could even just leave the lid slightly open for the first stage of ferment. As for the brew, I'm supprised that it's still sitting at 1023, if the original yeasts was f**ked then the wine yeast should have droped it like a rock. Maybe a hydrometer problem? You brewing kits, extract or AG?

 

[Schiraboy]

brewing kit.

 

[Schiraboy]

but do you think that maybe when i transferred it into the carboy while it was still foaming, i left most of the active yeast behind in the bucket?

 

[Pennywise]

but do you think that maybe when i transferred it into the carboy while it was still foaming, i left most of the active yeast behind in the bucket?

Racking half way through fermentation is common practice, I doubt that's the issue, but I have been wrong before :lol: . What does your hydrometer read in water at room temp, and at what temp are you measuring the samples?

 

[Yob]

but do you think that maybe when i transferred it into the carboy while it was still foaming, i left most of the active yeast behind in the bucket?

the fermenting brew SHOULD have had enough yeast still in suspension to finish it off, I quite often rack to secondary all the time about mid ferment, and they always have enough legs to finish..

what are your brewing temps like? is there trub setteled in the secondary? Perhaps you can give it a gentle stir with a sanitised spoon or such and try to get some yeast back into suspension...

have you had a taste of it? Does it still taste sweetish? I wouldnt be botteling (in glass at least) at 1020 from your 1045 start..

also what was the orig. yeast used?

:icon_cheers:

(edit) got in first PW