Very active ginger beer

[Nullnvoid]

I've got a ginger beer fermenting at the moment. It's been two weeks in the fermenter and it's still bubbling out of the airlock like crazy. Well ever ten seconds, which is more than any beer I have ever done. It's just the yeast that came with the goop.

Could this be because of the 2.5kg of brown sugar I used? Lots of sugar for the yeast to work their magic on?

Was hoping to bottle this weekend but that's looking less likely at this stage!

 

[panzerd18]

Can you take a hydrometer reading the same as beer and wait for two consecutive days of the same reading to bottle?

 

[Nullnvoid]

Yeah I'll do that. Might wait to see if the airlock stops a bit first.

Just trying to work out why kit yeast is still going after all this time. Thought it might be the sugar.

 

[burrster]

2.5KG is quite a bit of sugar, but I would have thought 2 weeks would have done it. As suggested, take a gravity reading, then take another 2 days later, if its stable it should be ready to bottle, if not, it needs more time. Did you take a OG reading?

 

[Nullnvoid]

Just took a reading, it's 1.018.

The OG was 1.052

I'll take another reading tomorrow evening and see how it's sitting. Still bubbling away from time to time. Has slowed a bit now.

 

[burrster]

What temp is it brewing at? ie could be slow because of low temperature. I assume it smells/tastes ok? At 1.018 I'd say it still has a little bit to go(depending on ingredients list)

 

[Nullnvoid]

It's been sitting at 20 degrees for the last two weeks, so not too cold I would have thought.

The ingredients used were:

1 tin coopers ginger beer
113g fresh ginger
4 lemons
2 cinnamon sticks
2.5kg brown sugar
Kit yeast from ginger beer

The fresh ginger, lemons, and cinnamon was boiled for 30 minutes. Finishing temperature when I put the yeast in was 22 degrees.

The OG was a little higher than I was expecting (not that I know what I was expecting), but it has come down a lot.

I tasted some last night, tastes delicious. Bit sweet, but that would be the sugar. Nice ginger flavour. Doesn't take odd or funky.

 

[burrster]

It's been sitting at 20 degrees for the last two weeks, so not too cold I would have thought.

The ingredients used were:

1 tin coopers ginger beer
113g fresh ginger
4 lemons
2 cinnamon sticks
2.5kg brown sugar
Kit yeast from ginger beer

The fresh ginger, lemons, and cinnamon was boiled for 30 minutes. Finishing temperature when I put the yeast in was 22 degrees.

The OG was a little higher than I was expecting (not that I know what I was expecting), but it has come down a lot.

I tasted some last night, tastes delicious. Bit sweet, but that would be the sugar. Nice ginger flavour. Doesn't take odd or funky.

Ok, that sounds very close to my last recipe, you have more sugar and lemons than me but other than that.... 20 degrees is a good temp. Mine got down to 1.008, just for reference. How has the FG changes over the last few days? If it's moving then let it go for longer, if not you could try some fresh yeast maybe. I would have thought it should get lower than 1.018.

 

[Nullnvoid]

Thanks for your help Burrster.

It's a recipe I got off here, sounded quite good.

Took the FG again on Saturday night and it was hard to tell, but it looked more 1.017 than 1.018. I'll check it again tonight now it's had another 2 days to going.

I'm starting to wonder if it has become infected. Don't know how, the cleaning sanitising regime was as I normally do. But its bubbled up a crapload and is all over the shop. Not sure if this is a sign of infection of activity. However it still smells/tastes alright.

 

[burrster]

I'm not very familiar with infection(luckily) but my understanding is that it would smell or taste bad if it was. The kit yeast might be struggling through that much sugar.

 

[Nullnvoid]

Yeah my thoughts too. Was hoping it was going to be done by weekend just gone as I'm away for the next two weekends, but worse case I guess I'll bottle next week. If it's done it thing by then

 

[Nullnvoid]

Yeah looks like it's still coming down. Last nights reading was 1.014

 

[Nullnvoid]

So just a bit of a follow up. Finally finished at 1.004 the other day. Bottle last night. Hopefully it still tastes alright and no damage was done. I have had some very busy weekends of late and it wasn't meant to take a month to ferment out! Wow!

Now the wait to drink begins