Brew seems to have done nothing - tip it?

[beattun]

Hello good people!

I got a Briggalow (lager) kit for christmas, and set it all up boxing day (3 weeks ago now), I've just come back from a holiday expecting my beer to be all ready, but I''m afraid it doesnt look like it its ready.

The brew seems completely flat, it looks the right colour but theres no bubbles whatsoever and around the inside of the top of the tub theres like a dried up foam residue.

Should I tip it and try again? Anyone know where I may have gone wrong?

I have a coopers lager tin ready to start over again if needs be.

thanks in advance!

[Ash]

It's done - they don't carb up until you bottle them.

The dried up residue would be the remains of the krausen, totally normal sign of fermentation.

Taste it, if it tastes like hot flat beer it is a goer to bottle, if it tastes really foul (as in makes you gag/not beery) the yeast was a dud so you should chuck it.

[Pale_Ale]

beattun,

If I am to read this correctly, you are expecting the beer to carbonate itself in the fermenter? If this is the case, I can only imagine your disappointment - however the good news is that no, your beer is probably fine. The beer will carbonate once you bottle it and add priming sugar/carbonation drops to the bottles.

If I am reading this wrong, apologies, perhaps you could give a bit more info? Perhaps taste the beer?

[beattun]

thanks for the quick replies, i will go and taste it now, is it ok to taste by just pouring into an unsteritlized glass to check it?

or should i do it into a sterilized and primed bottle, seal, then open?

thanks!

[beattun]

right just tried a bit in a glass, its very cloudy for lager and tastes very weak and quite bitter

i have had my doubts about this brew for a while, as it never really bubbled from the airlock at all, i only found out i had to put water in the airlock when i came across this site about a week after i started it, and only just now realised i was supposed to stir it (briggalow give crap instructions), i also believe i may have had the lid too tight until a week into the brew as well, possible causing air to escape.

should i cut my losses?

[Pale_Ale]

It's 50/50, but I would still go ahead and bottle all, or some of the batch for arguments sake to see how it turns out. The finished product is totally different so without hb experience you won't really be able to tell if it's any good or not.

[beattun]

ok its probably worth a shot then, i suppose i could bottle half of it,tip the rest and then chuck the other brew on

project for tomorrow

thanks again!

[bolwell]

ok its probably worth a shot then, i suppose i could bottle half of it,tip the rest and then chuck the other brew on

project for tomorrow

thanks again!

Why on earth would you bottle half and tip the rest?. That just doesn't make sense. How would feel a month down the track when you open a bottle, find it's good and remember the other half that went down the sink?.

[Kevnlis]

ok its probably worth a shot then, i suppose i could bottle half of it,tip the rest and then chuck the other brew on

project for tomorrow

thanks again!

Why on earth would you bottle half and tip the rest?. That just doesn't make sense. How would feel a month down the track when you open a bottle, find it's good and remember the other half that went down the sink?.

I agree... I bottle every brew I make, and they all get drunk at some point. Some may need a few months age, but they always get there in the end

[Pale_Ale]

Why on earth would you bottle half and tip the rest?. That just doesn't make sense. How would feel a month down the track when you open a bottle, find it's good and remember the other half that went down the sink?.

There is some rationale there because the first brew is unlikely to be very good and more a learning experience. Plus with the added risk of 3 weeks in the primary (for a simple ale that's probably as much as you would want to leave it befoe off flavours). So the question is, why would you bottle 23L of beer that has a >90% chance of being terrible, wasting time cleaning bottles etc., sterilising, and pouring & capping? I guess the answer is, well, if you have the time and energy go for it, but in this situation I'd be looking to move on to the next brew ASAP.

Also beattum I would recommend having a read through a Coopers kit instruction book. You can get it off their site I believe, if not PM me and I will email it to you.

Cheers

[Kevnlis]

Good call PA, I missed the 3 weeks bit, and with the temps we have had over the holidays I would not be surprised if the yeast have been thinking of going cannibal for a while now

[bolwell]

Just seems logical to me that if you're going to set up and bottle 15 you may as well do 30. What's it going to take -- an extra 20 minutes?

[Kevnlis]

Having re-read this post, I would not bother bottling any of it at all...

[beattun]

Having re-read this post, I would not bother bottling any of it at all...

haha oh well, ive just bottled about 15 and tipped the rest, i mean after reading on here that the briggalow lager kit is pish at the best of times, also considering that ive pretty much made a total arse of the brewing process, im happy to take the chance, ive just sterilised all my gear and leaving it for a while before i rinse and get started with the coopers lager kit, how long should i leave the bottles before trying one?

thanks!

[Kevnlis]

Having re-read this post, I would not bother bottling any of it at all...

haha oh well, ive just bottled about 15 and tipped the rest, i mean after reading on here that the briggalow lager kit is pish at the best of times, also considering that ive pretty much made a total arse of the brewing process, im happy to take the chance, ive just sterilised all my gear and leaving it for a while before i rinse and get started with the coopers lager kit, how long should i leave the bottles before trying one?

thanks!

At least 1 month, 3 is preferred!

[ryan]

Having re-read this post, I would not bother bottling any of it at all...

haha oh well, ive just bottled about 15 and tipped the rest, i mean after reading on here that the briggalow lager kit is pish at the best of times, also considering that ive pretty much made a total arse of the brewing process, im happy to take the chance, ive just sterilised all my gear and leaving it for a while before i rinse and get started with the coopers lager kit, how long should i leave the bottles before trying one?

thanks!

b-tun, when you do the Coopers lager you have,use dry malt insread of sugar, add some hops and keep it round 20* C.
Don`t ask me anything else tonite, I`m pissed and going to bed.
These long hot Qld saturdays

[beattun]

Having re-read this post, I would not bother bottling any of it at all...

haha oh well, ive just bottled about 15 and tipped the rest, i mean after reading on here that the briggalow lager kit is pish at the best of times, also considering that ive pretty much made a total arse of the brewing process, im happy to take the chance, ive just sterilised all my gear and leaving it for a while before i rinse and get started with the coopers lager kit, how long should i leave the bottles before trying one?

thanks!

b-tun, when you do the Coopers lager you have,use dry malt insread of sugar, add some hops and keep it round 20* C.
Don`t ask me anything else tonite, I`m pissed and going to bed.
These long hot Qld saturdays

cheers ryan, but ive already done it before i came back and got your message, at least this time theres a bubble in the airlock.

seriously the brigalow kits are really crap, dont get a thermometer strip or anything with it, ah well shes away now so heres hoping!

[beattun]

yay! my new brew is bubbling away (something the first brew never did, i musta done somethin right this time round!

[ryan]

what temp is it?

[beattun]

what temp is it?

i havent got a thermometer so ive no idea