Hi all,
So i finally did my first BIAB brew after numerous successful extract brews.
All appeared to go well during the mashing, boiling, cooling and aeration phase.....
I pitched nottingham yeast after re-hydrating in boiled and cooled tepid water, the first 24-36 hours there was a proper yeast head formed (happy days!) which had brought up quite a substantial amount of trub/black stuff.....which i skimmed and left a creamy head underneath. (Note: i had never skimmed my brews before, but had read that it was recommended to skim after 36 hours or so of the fermentation process and then leave to try n reduce the impact of this trub on the flavour of the beer ???)
I checked the beer the next morning (after skimming) and the yeast head had completely disappeared (!) (so this was only about 2days after initially pitching the yeast), with absolutely zero air lock activity also... so i decided to try and gently rouse the beer to see if this helped and left for the day... checked again on the night and again no head and no activity.
I thought that skimming might have ruined my fermentation, so i decided to pitch another pack of yeast (this time muntons gold) with a touch of yeast nutrient to assist.
This produced minimal activity for 12 hours of so (i.e. 1 bubble in the air lock every 20-30minutes) and now again no activity.
I did make a school boy error, and forgot to check the OG (doh! i know!), but the gravity is reading 1.012 now, and the recipe did state a target OG of 1.042 but i cant be sure where it was sitting with my brew....
Any advice on my next step or what you think has gone wrong would be greatly appreciated!
I think i should maybe leave for another week or so, keg it and see what it turns out like???
Cheers!
Post #2 made 13 years ago
Congratulations on your first BIAB Jon 
.
Nottingham is a very fast worker and, if not kept cool, can ferment a brew out in a matter of days. 1.012 sounds to me like you are done or very close to done. Leaving it for another 3 or 4 days won't do any harm so just leave it until the weekend and then bottle away.
So, you haven't done anything wrong. Maybe next time you use Nottingham, aim to keep the temp around 16C to 18C - I go for 16 C but that's just me.
The other thing that's worth mentioning is the skimming the yeast. Personally, I would avoid this. The risk/reward ratio seems too high for me. You have a risk of infection in return for a dubious reward. I know one regular gold medal lager brewer who is happy to leave his lager in the fermenter for 3, sometimes 4 weeks, so trub imparting off-flavours to the beer is possibly a problem that is not as dramatic as we can be lead to believe.
And, not skimming is less work
.
Good on you Jon and please let us know how it ends up tasting.
PP
.Nottingham is a very fast worker and, if not kept cool, can ferment a brew out in a matter of days. 1.012 sounds to me like you are done or very close to done. Leaving it for another 3 or 4 days won't do any harm so just leave it until the weekend and then bottle away.
So, you haven't done anything wrong. Maybe next time you use Nottingham, aim to keep the temp around 16C to 18C - I go for 16 C but that's just me.
The other thing that's worth mentioning is the skimming the yeast. Personally, I would avoid this. The risk/reward ratio seems too high for me. You have a risk of infection in return for a dubious reward. I know one regular gold medal lager brewer who is happy to leave his lager in the fermenter for 3, sometimes 4 weeks, so trub imparting off-flavours to the beer is possibly a problem that is not as dramatic as we can be lead to believe.
And, not skimming is less work
.Good on you Jon and please let us know how it ends up tasting.
PP
Last edited by PistolPatch on 14 Jun 2012, 14:48, edited 1 time in total.
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Post #3 made 13 years ago
Thanks very much for your reply Pistol! I feel better about this batch now, just hope i havent harmed it too much by adding more yeast!?
I didnt realise nottingham was a fast worker, but thanks mentioning that as i had it fermentation between 19 and 22 over that first 48 hour period so might explain it!
Will leave it till the weekend and keg it....
Ill let you know how it turns out, thanks again!
I didnt realise nottingham was a fast worker, but thanks mentioning that as i had it fermentation between 19 and 22 over that first 48 hour period so might explain it!
Will leave it till the weekend and keg it....
Ill let you know how it turns out, thanks again!
Post #4 made 13 years ago
np Jon. The 19 to 22C will have made it race along but I haven't heard of any bad side effects with Nottingham from doing this so all should be good. The main complaint brewers have with Nottingham is that even at 20C it can climb out of the fermenter it is so vigorous 
.
If you are kegging, what I do is crash chill my fermentor right down to 0C. (Make sure your fridge temps can be controlled accurately otherwise your beer will freeze.) I leave it like that for a week and then transfer it to the keg. This gives you really clear beer into the keg and hardly any fermentor trub, about 500 mls out of 23 litres. If you can wait this extra week or even say 4 days,you might find the delay worthwhile. The keg is easier to clean as well!
.If you are kegging, what I do is crash chill my fermentor right down to 0C. (Make sure your fridge temps can be controlled accurately otherwise your beer will freeze.) I leave it like that for a week and then transfer it to the keg. This gives you really clear beer into the keg and hardly any fermentor trub, about 500 mls out of 23 litres. If you can wait this extra week or even say 4 days,you might find the delay worthwhile. The keg is easier to clean as well!
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Post #5 made 13 years ago
JonBoy321,
Two things to mention. One, Test's have shown that it is not necessary to rehydrate dry yeast. The package may say to rehydrate but when it was really tested by regular homebrewers they could find no difference in fermentation. So why bother? It's another way to introduce a infection. two. Skimming is also unneeded and another way to infect wort. Many people on this site no chill (N/C) and they may leave the wort on the trub for days, weeks or months with no ill effects. Third. (oh wait, I said two things. I hate numbers) Tests have also shown that leaving your finished beer in the primary for 3 or 4 weeks is not a problem. In fact most people preferred the beer left on the yeast longer.
So even though the stuff looks yucky it poses no harm to your beer. The threat of infection is more dangerous than trube so cut back or minimize on the chance of infecting your wort for best results.
Two things to mention. One, Test's have shown that it is not necessary to rehydrate dry yeast. The package may say to rehydrate but when it was really tested by regular homebrewers they could find no difference in fermentation. So why bother? It's another way to introduce a infection. two. Skimming is also unneeded and another way to infect wort. Many people on this site no chill (N/C) and they may leave the wort on the trub for days, weeks or months with no ill effects. Third. (oh wait, I said two things. I hate numbers) Tests have also shown that leaving your finished beer in the primary for 3 or 4 weeks is not a problem. In fact most people preferred the beer left on the yeast longer.
So even though the stuff looks yucky it poses no harm to your beer. The threat of infection is more dangerous than trube so cut back or minimize on the chance of infecting your wort for best results.
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tap 2 Bourbon Barrel Porter
tap 3 Czech Pilsner
tap 4 Triple IPA 11% ABV
Pipeline: Mulled Cider 10% ABV
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Post #6 made 13 years ago
Quoting someone over at HBT, "Notty is like a jackhammer on your wort". Nottingham is a very versatile yeast, it'll work over a wide range of temps (I usually go at about 62-65F with it) and at the higher end of the range it can finish in 24-36 hours without a problem. My guess is that second pack of yeast you pitched simply settled to the bottom and starved to death (poor yeast) because the Notty ate all the sugar.
Congrats on the first batch and remember to let us know how it turns out!
---Todd
Congrats on the first batch and remember to let us know how it turns out!
---Todd
WWBBD?
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- SVA Brewer With Over 100 Brews From United States of America
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Post #7 made 13 years ago
First of all, thanks for you all for your posts, very much appreciated!
On rehydrating yeast, this also was my first attempt at doing so, and i have not had a problem previously but I had also not been instructed to do this on previous yeast packs, only the nottingham. But i take your point Bob and welcome your advice. also, i will not bother skimming in future as you say its not worth it but hopefully this brew will be ok this time!
Due to the absence of a spare fridge, i will stick the FV (air locked) in the shed for a week or so, and then keg for hopefully a clearer beer!
In regards to Notty, I had not contemplated it finishing in 2days, and am amazed at the speed of this as all previous brews had took atleast a week before no activity but again, and with this coinciding with me skimming i had feared that it was me who had buggerd the fermenation, ill put this in the notebook, and that pack of muntons yeast was a waste of £1.35! ;-)
Thanks again for your help, ill let you know the score when i have my first pint!
Cheers.
On rehydrating yeast, this also was my first attempt at doing so, and i have not had a problem previously but I had also not been instructed to do this on previous yeast packs, only the nottingham. But i take your point Bob and welcome your advice. also, i will not bother skimming in future as you say its not worth it but hopefully this brew will be ok this time!
Due to the absence of a spare fridge, i will stick the FV (air locked) in the shed for a week or so, and then keg for hopefully a clearer beer!
In regards to Notty, I had not contemplated it finishing in 2days, and am amazed at the speed of this as all previous brews had took atleast a week before no activity but again, and with this coinciding with me skimming i had feared that it was me who had buggerd the fermenation, ill put this in the notebook, and that pack of muntons yeast was a waste of £1.35! ;-)
Thanks again for your help, ill let you know the score when i have my first pint!
Cheers.
Post #8 made 13 years ago
Hello everybody,
I fermented my first all grain BIAB beer last Saturday. First of all I want to thank all people developed and shared this method, I wouldn't do an all grain beer with other methods for sure.
I made some mistakes as I expected( my hydrometer cracked when I trying to read OG and I forgot to fill air lock with water) so I don't know OG now and not sure my beer spoiled or not, but foam (krausen I think) formed and bubbling started after filling the air lock). It's 3 rd day now and bubbling slowed down once every 45 seconds and krausen settled down, I see fermentation activity in beer, yeast cells are moving (right?). By the way I bought a new hydrometer and I will not use in hot wort anymore.
I have read posts here about transferring or not transferring to secondary, I used a policarbon carboy as primary and I have a glass 5 US gallons carboy, and I want to transfer my beer to secondary.
My final beer is about 2.5 gallons, and there will be and empty 2.5 gallon space and my beer will be exposed to oxygen in this space.
So my question is to leave in fermenter or transfer?
Is there a risk in siphoning though I have an auto syphon.
Why I want to transfer, because it's rather hot now and I don't want to keep my beer in policarbon primary even though it stands in a place not exposed to direct sun, and for some aesthetic reasons (there are some dead yeasts and gunks sticked to sides of primary and)
Finally can or should I use yeast slurry again?
It's an ale with Safale S-04.
Thanks,
Ahmet
I fermented my first all grain BIAB beer last Saturday. First of all I want to thank all people developed and shared this method, I wouldn't do an all grain beer with other methods for sure.
I made some mistakes as I expected( my hydrometer cracked when I trying to read OG and I forgot to fill air lock with water) so I don't know OG now and not sure my beer spoiled or not, but foam (krausen I think) formed and bubbling started after filling the air lock). It's 3 rd day now and bubbling slowed down once every 45 seconds and krausen settled down, I see fermentation activity in beer, yeast cells are moving (right?). By the way I bought a new hydrometer and I will not use in hot wort anymore.
I have read posts here about transferring or not transferring to secondary, I used a policarbon carboy as primary and I have a glass 5 US gallons carboy, and I want to transfer my beer to secondary.
My final beer is about 2.5 gallons, and there will be and empty 2.5 gallon space and my beer will be exposed to oxygen in this space.
So my question is to leave in fermenter or transfer?
Is there a risk in siphoning though I have an auto syphon.
Why I want to transfer, because it's rather hot now and I don't want to keep my beer in policarbon primary even though it stands in a place not exposed to direct sun, and for some aesthetic reasons (there are some dead yeasts and gunks sticked to sides of primary and)
Finally can or should I use yeast slurry again?
It's an ale with Safale S-04.
Thanks,
Ahmet
Post #9 made 13 years ago
Kazan,
I forgot to fill the airlock on my first brew also. I would leave it in the primary and not use a secondary. You can leave it alone for a month without a problem. Yes, the yeast and gunk looks bad but it stays in the bucket when you bottle. The air space and oxygen will not be a problem if you leave it in the primary for a while. The gas produced is heavier than air so it fills the bucket/carboy the oxygen won't touch your beer. If you transfer it than it will oxidize for sure! I reuse the "slurry" or yeast cake almost always. I brew a beer and just dump it all (with trub) in the used bucket. I get a quick start to the fermentation!
If it is really hot this time of year by you than you will have to decide on what to do? good luck!
I forgot to fill the airlock on my first brew also. I would leave it in the primary and not use a secondary. You can leave it alone for a month without a problem. Yes, the yeast and gunk looks bad but it stays in the bucket when you bottle. The air space and oxygen will not be a problem if you leave it in the primary for a while. The gas produced is heavier than air so it fills the bucket/carboy the oxygen won't touch your beer. If you transfer it than it will oxidize for sure! I reuse the "slurry" or yeast cake almost always. I brew a beer and just dump it all (with trub) in the used bucket. I get a quick start to the fermentation!
If it is really hot this time of year by you than you will have to decide on what to do? good luck!
tap 1 Raspberry wine
tap 2 Bourbon Barrel Porter
tap 3 Czech Pilsner
tap 4 Triple IPA 11% ABV
Pipeline: Mulled Cider 10% ABV
http://cheesestradamus.com/ Brewers challenge!
tap 2 Bourbon Barrel Porter
tap 3 Czech Pilsner
tap 4 Triple IPA 11% ABV
Pipeline: Mulled Cider 10% ABV
http://cheesestradamus.com/ Brewers challenge!
-
- SVA Brewer With Over 100 Brews From United States of America
-
Post #10 made 13 years ago
Thank you Bob Brews,BobBrews wrote:Kazan,
I forgot to fill the airlock on my first brew also. I would leave it in the primary and not use a secondary. You can leave it alone for a month without a problem. Yes, the yeast and gunk looks bad but it stays in the bucket when you bottle. The air space and oxygen will not be a problem if you leave it in the primary for a while. The gas produced is heavier than air so it fills the bucket/carboy the oxygen won't touch your beer. If you transfer it than it will oxidize for sure! I reuse the "slurry" or yeast cake almost always. I brew a beer and just dump it all (with trub) in the used bucket. I get a quick start to the fermentation!
If it is really hot this time of year by you than you will have to decide on what to do? good luck!
I'll leave it in the primary for a while, at least three weeks, then I will bottle.
Last edited by Kazan on 13 Jun 2012, 19:54, edited 3 times in total.
