Brewsters Irish Stout Problem

[Nottingham89]

Hello everyone,

First time brewer and I thought I would start of with the above and I think I have ruined it already.

Went through all the steps etc but I may have used to much sugar as I used 500g of Light Dry Malt and 1KG of normal granulated sugar (was not concentrating)

Have I totally messed it up?

[cwrw gwent]

Probably not. You may get away with it as the 500grams of malt will lend some flavour and body. The large amount of sugar will increase the alcohol content but result in less body than is usual with stout. I generally employ a minimum of 50% light dry malt with sugar and the beer turns out well from a flavour and body point of view. Your mix is 33/66 so it's not a hundred miles away. Be patient and allow the stout to mature for three weeks before trying

[cookoff]

infact, you have done nothing wrong, you may actually brew a superiour brew.

if you look in the instructions for spraymalt, it can be used as a 1:1 replacement or add 500g to a 1kg sugar / single tin kit.

good luck.

[Nottingham89]

In the first 48 hours there was a lot of froth/head in the fermenter but it's now gone, is this normal?

[Totem]

Yep thats normal. Just wait a few more days then check with a hydrometer.

[Nottingham89]

I just took a sniff of it, blew my socks off, smells really strong

[Nottingham89]

[quote="Totem"]Yep thats normal. Just wait a few more days then check with a hydrometer.[/quote]

Ever if it only started Friday night?

[cwrw gwent]

A good indication that fermentation is coming to an end is when you can see more liquid than bubble on the surface of your beer. When you reach that stage test it with a hydrometer. As a rule of thumb, fermentation is complete when you take constant readings over three days. It's worthwhile leaving the hydrometer in the brew rather than removing and replacing it the following day.

[Nottingham89]

This was the reading a few days ago,

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d172/ ... ey/poo.jpg

and now it's at the number 10

[Nottingham89]

It's 10 again today

[cwrw gwent]

I should have mentioned that if tiny bubbles can clearly be seen rising to the surface (as in your photo) fermentation is ongoing. Bit obvious, but still worth saying.

If you have a constant reading of 1010 tomorrow you are safe to bottle. Please let us know what it turns out like in a month's time. And welcome to Jim's.