Taste Of Pre Conditioned Brew

[BungalowBill]

Hi Peoples,
I put down two kit brews last weekend, 4/10 , a Crown Lager Clone and a Coopers Mexican Cerveza, The Cerveza Im a bit worried about things didnt start out right, I forgot to turn the tap off after cleaning and when tipping in the carboy , guess what some ended up over the floor, anyhow i filled up the carboy pitched the yeast, went to put the "O" ring in the lid and it was too big so I cut it so it ws a tight fit around the channel for the rubber in the lid, the last couple of days the water in the airlock hasnt moved, I took a sample of the wort and the FG at the moment is 1000 the SG was 1040.
My questions are
should this be fermented out?
What shoud it taste like at this state?
Should there be a fizz if it is shook up or be dead flat?
Thanks BB

 

[The Big Burper]

Hi Peoples,
I put down two kit brews last weekend, 4/10 , a Crown Lager Clone and a Coopers Mexican Cerveza, The Cerveza Im a bit worried about things didnt start out right, I forgot to turn the tap off after cleaning and when tipping in the carboy , guess what some ended up over the floor, anyhow i filled up the carboy pitched the yeast, went to put the "O" ring in the lid and it was too big so I cut it so it ws a tight fit around the channel for the rubber in the lid, the last couple of days the water in the airlock hasnt moved, I took a sample of the wort and the FG at the moment is 1000 the SG was 1040.
My questions are
should this be fermented out?
What shoud it taste like at this state?
Should there be a fizz if it is shook up or be dead flat?
Thanks BB

Bill,

1. Yes, at 1000, well and truly. Take another reading, this is really low.

2. Stale piss

3. Can be either.

 

[BungalowBill]

Bill,

1. Yes, at 1000, well and truly. Take another reading, this is really low.

2. Stale piss

3. Can be either.

Thanks Burper, I dontknow how much wort I lost but would have been at least a few cupfulls so I added a bit more water to make up the volume which would have made a weaker brew I suppose, I dont have a dedicated fermenting fridge and the fridge I have bought is and old Metters one with the cooling coils visible below the freezer bottom. I have a fridgemate but not connected to the fridge but is connected to a couple of 60 w globes and a pc fan the temps through out the fermentation have probably been between 10 and 25 deg c over the week , days have been warm and nights cold still getting frosts in the morning here, so I might have to improve something there.
All in all I will check the SG of FG tomorrow to see if it has or hasnt changed and if ok will keg.
This is my first home brew in 25 yrs and first time at kegging so I am a bit excited about this set up.
Cheers BB

 

[wambesi]

BB,

A reading of 1.000 is VERY low, you would normally find it ending around the 1.010 mark depending on what fermentables are in it.
Don't worry about coming through the tap, we've all either done it or it will happen at some point!

You know it has completely fermented out when the SG is the same over a few days, that final SG reading will then be your final gravity.

At this state it will taste like warm uncarbonated beer, all it needs now is the fizz put into it.

Will there be fizz in it? See above line, you will have some residual CO2 left in it but nothing substantial enough to be labeled "fizz".

Regarding your temp, you do need to do something there to keep it constant, for ales around the 18-20deg is ideal, big fluctuations and you can find some not so nice or different flavours coming through.

It's a learning experience though so keep at it and ask heaps of questions - it's the only way to learn.

 

[BungalowBill]

BB,

A reading of 1.000 is VERY low, you would normally find it ending around the 1.010 mark depending on what fermentables are in it.
Don't worry about coming through the tap, we've all either done it or it will happen at some point!

You know it has completely fermented out when the SG is the same over a few days, that final SG reading will then be your final gravity.

At this state it will taste like warm uncarbonated beer, all it needs now is the fizz put into it.

Will there be fizz in it? See above line, you will have some residual CO2 left in it but nothing substantial enough to be labeled "fizz".

Regarding your temp, you do need to do something there to keep it constant, for ales around the 18-20deg is ideal, big fluctuations and you can find some not so nice or different flavours coming through.

It's a learning experience though so keep at it and ask heaps of questions - it's the only way to learn.

Thanks Wambesi, duly noted I was going to used my beer fridge as a fermenting fridge but even on the lowest setting it wont go above 4 deg C might have to insulate my cabinet a bit more or look around for another fridge/ freezer just for fermenting in and just keep the fridge mate set to that.I have it set up ( cant remember the fellas name, but some where in one of the forums) to the way he has it , with a relay in the circuit to toggle between heating and cooling and another GPO for the pc fan.BB

 

[wambesi]

Thanks Wambesi, duly noted I was going to used my beer fridge as a fermenting fridge but even on the lowest setting it wont go above 4 deg C might have to insulate my cabinet a bit more or look around for another fridge/ freezer just for fermenting in and just keep the fridge mate set to that.I have it set up ( cant remember the fellas name, but some where in one of the forums) to the way he has it , with a relay in the circuit to toggle between heating and cooling and another GPO for the pc fan.BB

BB,

Forgive me if I misread your post but the fridgemate will essentially allow you to run your fridge at a higher temp.
I have mine set to 18 deg at the moment.
I dont use a heating element in the fridge at all, but for the winter brewing I use a heatbelt attached to the fridgemate, temps hardly ever very.

Orange is normally quite cold (well was when I spent weekends at the depot there anyway) are you able to still crank out a brew or two at air temps in a cooler part of the house?

 

[BungalowBill]

BB,

Forgive me if I misread your post but the fridgemate will essentially allow you to run your fridge at a higher temp.
I have mine set to 18 deg at the moment.
I dont use a heating element in the fridge at all, but for the winter brewing I use a heatbelt attached to the fridgemate, temps hardly ever very.

Orange is normally quite cold (well was when I spent weekends at the depot there anyway) are you able to still crank out a brew or two at air temps in a cooler part of the house?

Hi Wambesi, this is a cold house in winter, not quite sure as to what the temps get down to overnight in the rooms that I dont use , I will have to wait till next winter, I re-read my first post and have made a typo the temp variation was meant to be between 19 and 25 the 19 being a guestimate could have been lower as we are still getting frosts, I also re adjusted the set temp on the fridgemate to 21 maybe I should try and lower it down a couple of degrees but it seems to be hovering around that (21) at the moment, my crown lager clone is still bubbling away but the Mexican cerveza has stagnated , I will check the FG later today to see if it has changed from yesterday.
Thanks BB

 

[Pennywise]

The low FG could be a result of dry enzyme, I know alot of cerveza kits contain it but not sure if the Coopers one does, if not then I suspect a false reading. What temp did you take the SG reading? Most hydrometers are calibrated to 15 deg

 

[buttersd70]

The low FG could be a result of dry enzyme, I know alot of cerveza kits contain it but not sure if the Coopers one does, if not then I suspect a false reading. What temp did you take the SG reading? Most hydrometers are calibrated to 15 deg

Theres no dry enzyme in coopers kits itself, perhaps BB added one? And most hydros are not calibrated at 15C - some are at 15C, some are at 20C. I've seen a lot more 20C ones than 15C.

 

[wambesi]

Theres no dry enzyme in coopers kits itself, perhaps BB added one? And most hydros are not calibrated at 15C - some are at 15C, some are at 20C. I've seen a lot more 20C ones than 15C.

I was going to say exactly the same thing, beat me to it butters.

 

[BungalowBill]

I was going to say exactly the same thing, beat me to it butters.

HI again,
I only used the kit yeast and coopers brew enhancer No2
the temp room19 and in fermenting cupboard is 21
I have 2 hydrometers

the first made by Zeal in England, one which I took the SG with @ 1040 and now when I take the FG it is off the scale.

the second one is glass and made for Chatswood Home Brew Supplies if they are still around, the lable is about 25mm from the top of the tube but when I put it in the test jar it says the FG was 1010.


Here are two pics

 

[buttersd70]

HI again,
I only used the kit yeast and coopers brew enhancer No2
the temp room19 and in fermenting cupboard is 21
I have 2 hydrometers

the first made by Zeal in England, one which I took the SG with @ 1040 and now when I take the FG it is off the scale.

the second one is glass and made for Chatswood Home Brew Supplies if they are still around, the lable is about 25mm from the top of the tube but when I put it in the test jar it says the FG was 1010.

Looks like someone has a stuffed hydrometer

1010 sounds right to me for coopers kit+be2. 1040 sounds right for the OG, as well, so don't know what happened to the english hydrometer between the og and now.

 

[BungalowBill]

Looks like someone has a stuffed hydrometer

1010 sounds right to me for coopers kit+be2. 1040 sounds right for the OG, as well, so don't know what happened to the english hydrometer between the og and now.

I think I found out why, I pulled the bloody thing apart and found water in it, maybe there was a slight crack where the two plastics meet, after all it would have been about 30 odd years old, I will buy another one next time I go the HBS just for back up. Thank guys for the help, i will give it another few days and see how its going as it seems a bit gassy might still have some life going on in there, the sudden drop in temperature during the week might have slowed the yeast down, just my assumption.
Cheers BB

 

[Noxious]

My hydro is calibrated @ 20C also...

 

[wambesi]

I think I found out why, I pulled the bloody thing apart and found water in it, maybe there was a slight crack where the two plastics meet, after all it would have been about 30 odd years old, I will buy another one next time I go the HBS just for back up. Thank guys for the help, i will give it another few days and see how its going as it seems a bit gassy might still have some life going on in there, the sudden drop in temperature during the week might have slowed the yeast down, just my assumption.
Cheers BB

Once again butters is on the mark, another way to test your hydrometer is put water in it and test the gravity, at the right temp it should read 1.000.
I think that's right, just did mine and it was and I remember reading it somewhere along the line....

Always good to have a backup, they have this uncanny ability to break just when you need them (or when the other half or kids pick them up!)
I've been through about 4 in two years :lol:

Sounds like your doing all the good things.