Home brew advice needed please

[geoffles]

Woohoo, kita has arived but sadly i cant do a thing with it. I had a hernia op this week, very unexepected as didnt know i had one. Its left me with a 5" slice in my groin, signed off work for 4 weeks and unable to lift a thing.

Also got given a demijohn which im going to do pach schnapps in for summer bbq.

 

[geoffles]

Bought this kit two weeks ago. I'm on day 6 of the brew and it's still bubbling, so I've not tasted it yet. Will put it in a barrel next week when I come back from the gourmet weekend meet. I'll have a taste then and let you know, if you haven't already bought it.

Discussed in the thread on 8th Nov.

Broken Link Removed

Hi how is the beer going

 

[Mike B]

Pretty good, tastes very nice, still a bit cloudy but is gradually clearing. Starting a coopers stout as soon as the kit is delivered.

 

[Wildbill]

ok my Bach is now clear and very drincabill will now levee to condition for a few more days the on the hand pump for Christmas
starting a new bach between Christmas and new year will try to do a bit of a blog if I can get my camera to work I will post some picks
bill

 

[Baycott]

I have a real problem with my first brew. (Actually, it's the second but the first was a failure due to a leaky barrel) I decided to bottle this brew and followed the instructions using a heating belt on the fermenting vessel as the heat in our place is not very consistent. Once bubbling stopped (5 days) I put half a tea spoon of sugar in 40 sterilised bottles and syphoned the beer into these and capped them. Left them indoors for 2 days then transferred them to the garage. They are still cloudy after 10days with a grey sludge in the bottom which, I guess, is the sugar
Is there anything I can do to rescue this brew or is it no good?
I was hoping it was going to be ok for Christmas but will have to go and buy some now
Thanks for any advice given
John.

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[DBK]

The grey sludge will be yeast I think. After you bottled it did you store them somewhere warm? If so all should be fine but 5 days is quite quick for the main fermentation, it can take 10 days. Did you use a hydrometer to check the gravity before bottling? If it hadn't properly finished fermenting it will stay cloudy and the bottles may explode. Might be worth carefully opening a bottle outside to see how much fizz it has.

 

[Baycott]

Fermenting had ceased @DevonBeekeeper (ie no bubbling for 24hrs) and looking at my notes it was 7 days not 5. I did bottle and leave in warm place for 2 days then transferred to garage as per instructions.
Some of the bottles are PET so I unscrewed one to test. It fizzed as normal with small bubbles rising from the bottom. Sealers bottle again and have about 3mm of foam on top of the beer.
If the sludge is yeast do I throw it away and start again or can it be rescued?

 

[rangi]

Sludge in the bottom of the bottle is a usual thing if you bottle straight from the brew bin, just be careful as you pour it out that none gets in your glass, and wash/rinse the bottle immediately.

You can restart the process by adding 1/2 a teaspoon sugar, but I personally wouldn't bother, Taste it when ever, (before the s/markets close, so you can get some to tide you over the Xmas period ) and put it down to experience.
My first attempt long long ago tasted like drain cleanerwhen it hit the ocean it more than likely killed all forms of life in the Hauraki Gulf

 

[DBK]

As above, you will get a yeast deposit in the bottom of the bottles, perfectly normal and why you need to pour carefully.

I'm stumped but you may have some sort of haze which won't clear, if it tastes OK then don't worry!