Help with a stuck brew please

[24/7]

Back after a long sabatical!!!
I have recently started a couple of kit brews after a long dry period of no brewing - and already i'm in a jam.
A Wherry kit seems to be doing fine - been in the pressure barrel for a couple of weeks now and is clearing nicely and has good carbonisation.
The Muntons Smugglers Special i started a week later is the complete opposite - cloudy and virtually flat.

History so far:-
Thurs 08-May (brew day) - OG 1052 (initial fermation excellent with a good head of yeast)
Mon 12-08 - 1014 (head all but gone already with only a few islands of bubbles to show)
Sat 17-May - FG 1000 (still looking lack-lustre, and a little lifeless)
Pitched to pressure barrel with 90gms light dry malt hydrated to make a liquid
Now - one week on - as previously stated - flat as a pancake and cloudy as hell.

I put the problems down to the unusually warm weather at the time of fermentation and my struggle to keep the temperature of the brew steady (I have an aquarium heater on order from Amazon as I type).

Can anyone please help with suggestions on recovery of a dying brew??

[6470zzy]

Sounds to me as though you have a leak in your pressure barrel, if your beer fermented out then your yeast should be fine.

Cheers

[24/7]

Ozzy?
Thanks for the suggestion - thought had crossed my mind. I have tightened both the tap and cap of the barrel to see if it helped - NOT - plan for tomorrow is to open the barrel up, check the seals etc. and try again.
Problem is whether to add further yeast/sugar, or just stir gently and hope it reactivates?

cheers
Steve

[Geezah]

Fill a spray bottle up with a water/soap solution.
Force carbonate the keg with co2 and then spray around the lid and tap areas and look for gas leaks.

If the cap is leaking it is generally because it is over tightened.

Lube the seal up with vaseline and screw it on only finger tight.

[24/7]

Cheers for the advice Geezah
Not having much luck thou, replaced the standard cap for the gas injection one (S30?) and blew the rubber non return valve inside virtually clean off! so the CO2 came hissing straight back out again. ARGGGGH
I have topped up the sugar levels with another 30gms of dried malt - given it a gentle stir and resealed with standard cap again (after a quick sanitize and relube)
The cap was originally very tight as you guessed - only 'tweeked' it up this time.
I have another question thou if you or anyone else reading would be so kind.
The barrel is out in the garage (to condition in a cooler temp - avg 16deg approx) and i'm wondering whether to bring it back in the warm whilst the yeast hopefully reactivates?

thanks again for the help
steve

[24/7]

I have moved the barrel back into the warmth but no life returned yet,

Do I wait longer in hope or add more yeast to prime?

I'm hoping the brew shop in Mansfield will be able to help - with both advice and a Muntons yeast similar to the kit variety!

[Geezah]

When you prime use plain old sugar as it ferments out 100% and fast.
Using maltose for priming doesn't offer as much as sugar does as maltose is only 80% (ish) fermentable.

Secondary fermentation will need at least a week at 18-22c to do its thing.

You certainly will not require more yeast, there will be more than enough still suspended in the beer.

[24/7]

Well beer. This is your last chance!
Bought a new barrel. Primed it with more sugar (brewing sugar this time - thanks Deezah) and transferred to the new barrel. Gonna keep it in the warm for a week and keep my fingers crossed (as well as everything else)
Did a small test on the dregs too. Put some in a sugar solution and islands of yeast are growing already. Hope there is enough in suspension to finish the job properly this time.

[24/7]

Sorry Geezah. Doh

[24/7]

Well praise be - success

Have just opened the tap a tad and lively frothy beer was the result. Patience (and help from your friends) pays out in the end. Slightly worrying is the fact that it tastes like Wherry I have made before - which means I could have two different beers on the go both tasting the same. But time will tell, I remember Wherry changing in character as it develops.

Right - What can I put in my empty FV?

[Hopping_Mad]

Festival Golden Stag or Youngs Craft American Pale Ale for some summer fun. Their my pitches any road!

[24/7]

Thanks for the suggestions HM - but I have just returned from Wilk os and decided on Geordies Winter Warmer !!!!!!
(what can I say - I'm an enigma) Definitely a dark malty ale man rather than pale and hoppy.

I have heard good things of the APA's though so may try one of those next. Lookig into doing an extract/BIAB brew soon thou. Don't suppose you have a recipe???

Off to search the forums now for any advice before warming up the cauldron.

Drinking:- B#@#@r all - the cupboard is bare still, off to the pub later
Conditioning:- Woodfordes Wherry - Muntons Smugglers Special
About to go in FV:- Geordies Winter Warmer (with added beer enhancer - damn why did'nt I go to the LHBS and get some hops)

[24/7]

It's in !

Geordies Winter Warmer plus
1kg Muntons Beer Enhancer plus
300gms Light Malt Extract
short brewed to 18ltr - approx. (note to self:- get round to calibrating the markings on side of FV)
used the kit yeast (hopefully a good one - I probably wouldn't know the difference yet anyway. lol. ) - pitched at 20degC

OG - 1050

Question:-
Is it possible to dry hop for flavouring after pitching? and would it help??

Cheers
Steve - A very hoppy newbie brewer (sorry)


NB; _____ Never drink water! Fish f**k in it!!! - Oscar Wilde (I think)

[24/7]

I obviously spoke too soon.

Seems the Muntons Smugglers Special has not quite finished giving me hell as yet.

When last you heard it was all gassed up and on the mend. It was still cloudy but I assumed time and conditioning would help that dissipate. Nope! Its still cloudy - not just a haze but murky - which is not too much of a problem cos it tastes proper lush (mun! ).
But the real problem is it's lost it's carbonation again - not fully this time, but enough to spoil the 'feel' of the beer.

Surely I can't be unlucky enough to have a problem with one barrel only to buy another leaky one?

Anyone got any suggestions? -- please

[24/7]

I guess not !

So, I'm thinking:-
add finings to clear the beer and
add yet another batch of sugar to re-carb just before serving.

But do I wait and do them both at the same sort of time? ( maybe a day or two apart )
or add the finings now and let it settle out for a month? ( then will there be enough yeast left after the finings to give any more CO2 anyway? )