Fermentation time

RichardG · Post by **RichardG** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 11:52 am

I have a FV of John Bull London Porter; went in the bucket last Sunday evening with a hydro reading of 1044. Checked it last night and the reading was 1014, so not bad considering the cold nights we've had. The kit instructions state that it's ready when I have readings of 1006 or less, but I've mislaid the instructions and have no idea how long I should expect this to take. I would guess it should be ready early next week, but can anyone confirm? Appreciate this is a bit of a lame question, but it's early days for me in brewing, so I'd like to get it right if I can!

Damfoose · Post by **Damfoose** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 12:36 pm

Brewing can take anything up to two weeks but it is usually 7 - 10 days, Best way to know its done is when you get 2 hydro readings the same over two days. If you reading is currently 1014 then I'm guessing you have about 4 or 5 more days to go yet.

RichardG · Post by **RichardG** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 9:41 pm

Quick follow on from my first post. Have checked the hydro reading again this evening; now down to 1012. Not much change since last time, and there's absolutely no sign of any activity. Normally I'd be happy enough with a reading at 1012, but the kit instructions were 1006. So, should I be happy at 1012 or give it a stir and try to get it lower? Your thoughts gentlemen please!

stevezx7r · Post by **stevezx7r** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 10:52 pm

One of the best bits of advice I've taken on board is the "leave it for ten days".

Yeast not only makes alcohol, in doing it's sugar to alcohol thing it also makes a few strange flavours. These flavours aren't usually wanted in (most) beers but luckily once the yeast has finished it's suger to alchol trick it then eats up these flavours. This tends to take around ten days whereby it's made your beer and cleaned up after itself.

Your final gravity will be determined by what fermentable sugars you used to make the beer. I.e normal household sugar tends to ferment more completely than spray malt but spray malt adds extra body to the beer.

I would wait for ten days, check the gravity then bottle or barrel it.

RichardG · Post by **RichardG** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 9:16 am

Steve,

Thanks for that, we'll see what Wednesday brings when it'll have been in the FV for 10 days. I probably should have mentioned that the bucket is under the stairs where I've no doubt that the tempreture has fallen below 18 at times during the colder evenings with been having; I've no way of controlling this at the moment (something I'll have to look into rectifing!) and I guess this will have slowed things down at times. By the way, from your forum name, I guess you're a Kawasaki man!

BlackBag · Post by **BlackBag** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 9:39 am

Hallow RichardG
My John Bull London Porter only took the 9 days, but I think that was due to it being quite warm in the attic where it fermented.
I made it on Monday August 4th - 800g brewers sugar, 200g soft brown dark sugar, topped up to just under 5 gallons, OG1044, used Windsor yeast. One week later, the 11th, it had dropped to 1012. Impatience made me think, what the hell that'll do, so I chucked in some finings at that point. The next day I decanted it into a secondary fv and took the final reading, 1008. Coo, should have left it a bit longer. Never mind, bottled it with a priming solution of 80g unrefined sugar dissolved in 150ml boiling water. Last Friday, the 12th, as it had been a month, thought I'd crack one open, to see how it was doing. Quite surprised. A little sweet, and no head what so ever, but not a bad drop of splosh. Not bad at all.
If you can just leave yours a few more days it may pay dividends.

RichardG · Post by **RichardG** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 10:09 pm

Okay, so now I'm a bit poohed-off. It's now been 10 days, so checked the hydro reading again. Still 1014 (I may have mis-read my 1012 from Monday). So, do I just accept it and bottle it? Or do I give it a stir and see if that gets it moving any lower? All opinions gratefully received.

Ditch · Post by **Ditch** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 3:37 am

RichardG wrote: the bucket is under the stairs where I've no doubt that the tempreture has fallen below 18 at times during the colder evenings with been having; I've no way of controlling this at the moment (something I'll have to look into rectifing!)

Combined fish tank heater / thermostat. One with the temperature setting slide up the front and settable by the twisty knob on the top.

Test it to temp in a small bucket. Then, whip the plug off. Run the flex through the 'air lock hole' in ye FV lid. Put plug back on.

Measure 'drop' of heaterstat, to have it hanging mid way; Certainly well away from the bottom, especially should ye be using an Electrim Bin, like me. Saves it smashing against the kettle element. I plastered brown tape all over my outer flex. Never be air tight, but it keeps it in place.

Clean / Sanitise everything, as per ye usual method. Get brew on. Put lid on. Sling it under the stairs and leave it to it. Just don't forget to plug the heaterstat in - and instruct the wife Not to remove / switch off That plug!

HS costs about Â£15.00 and is one of the best bits of kit ye can buy yeself as this time of year approaches.

Another little tip I myself was told here ~ apologies for not being able to remember who told me to buy local, thus saving a tenner!

RichardG · Post by **RichardG** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 9:26 am

Cheers Ditch. I was going to follow on with a question about the best way to regulate the temperature of the brew, and a fish tank heater was something that had occurred to me. Think I'll be visiting the local fish emporium this Saturday! By the by, anyone got any thoughts on whether I should go ahead and bottle this brew?

BlackBag · Post by **BlackBag** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 9:34 am

Morning RichardG
If it was me I would give a gentle stir now, then leave it until Sunday. It'll not do it any harm. You've got nothing to lose. If you get to Sunday and it still aint budged, then we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

RichardG · Post by **RichardG** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 10:17 am

Cheers there BlackBag. To be honest that's what I'd been thinking. I'll give a go and let you know how it goes.

RichardG · Post by **RichardG** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 3:13 pm

Actually, I wonder is it worth adding anything to the brew as well as stirring it? And if so, what? If it is worth adding the only thing I have is a packet of kit yeast in the freezer which isn't that old. But I don't have any yeast vit or such like and won't be able to get anything until the weekend. By that time the brew will have been in the FV for a fortnight and I don't really want to leave for any longer than that.

BlackBag · Post by **BlackBag** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 10:03 am

I wouldn't worry about your brew sitting for over a fortnight. In our current climate even a month wouldn't do it much harm. I'd still gently stir then wait until Sunday. If it aint shifted by then, by all means chuck in that spare packet of kit yeast. Then leave until Tuesday. If there was still nowt you could try adding a spoonful of yeast vit nutrient (should give you time to get some) at that point. Then leave until Thursday.
Patience is a virtue, with homebrew it's a necessity

RichardG · Post by **RichardG** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 11:01 am

Thanks for that BlackBag. I'm going to get a heater for the FV on Saturday, so whilst I'm at it I'll get some yeast-vit. Think what'll I'll do is rig up the heater so I can get some warmth into it as well.

RichardG · Post by **RichardG** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 9:39 pm

Okay, so Sunday comes, I check the gravity with the old hydro and guess what. No change! still sat at 1012 or so. So what are the next steps. I have some yeast nutrient and a heater for the FV. So my thinking is to add the recommended amount of nutient (the container says 1 - 2 tea spoons per gallon; I'm thinking of adding 1 per gallon, or 5 tea spoons) and rigging up the heater. Any one any alternative suggestions?

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Fermentation time

Fermentation time