How to know of fermentation process is doing right or messed up?

so i did the cooking this Sunday, cooled the wort with ice until it wasnt even warm to touch anymore, moved around then put yeast, first day see a lot of bubbles then not really anymore, today decided to give a little peek see if i see all that foam aroudn and i dont i just see some sediment on top, does that mean its messed up and should i just throw it out, please advice. Im using the starter kit Block party ale.

Don’t be too quick to throw it out… Are you fermenting in a bucket or a clear carboy? I hope you took a sample to know what yer Starting Gravity was, so then now you can take another sample to see where the gravity is … And taste it! Give us more to help you with… Sneezles61

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im using a bucket since its what came with the kit (http://www.amazon.com/Share-Enjoy-Homebrew-Brewing-Starter/dp/B0179ZH89Y?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00), and kit didn’t include a meter for it so i just followed the instructions on the kit recipe and text by support until i can get one, the yeast pack included was a really small one not as big as others i seen so i dont know if that could be it. First time doing this.

You’ll be fine, wait until the W/E, sanitize like a turkey baster, and do pull out a sample, enough to put in a small juice glass and taste it…. All we can go on now is if its sweet or not to know about yer fermenting process. I’d say if its very sweet, yer yeast isn’t working and need another ASAP, and get a hydrometer and test jar. That is a key piece of equipment. Without it you won’t be able to know how much alcohol you are going to have, and how yer fermentation is going, and of course, when it done… Sneezles61

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I’ll bet you’re fine. You probably had dry yeast (small packet, probably had a powder in it). That stuff can probably live on a shelf in a bomb shelter for a decade and still ferment. You might have had a quick fermentation (lots of bubbling right away, then subsided quickly). What’s the temperature of the room where you have your bucket? When you took a peek, did you see chunks at the side of your bucket above the level of the beer? That’s a sign that a big foam raft showed up then dissipated. @sneezles61 has it right… give it until the weekend, pull a sample and taste. You probably made beer. You’ll learn this, but almost never dump beer. Even if it seems off, put it into bottles and forget about it for a while. A lot of problems (other than an infection) can age out. (Or bottles could explode… but let’s save that for another time).

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@uberculture yes to everything…it was a small pack powder dry, and yes first day bubbling was crazy then stopped, the room is about 73-78, im in south florida so not even on freezer cant reach lower 60 lol, and yes there was a lot of chunks above the level of the beer exactly as u described it,

also what type of yeats is the best when it comes to buying extra ? dry or liquid ? and is there any kind i can find locally in an emergency like any major retailers ?

At that temp it’s probably done. Give it another week and bottle it. Condition it for two weeks at 70 deg then chill it for one week, after that decant into a glass nod let us know. You made your first beer. :ok_hand:

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@brew_cat awesome thank you for the advice, this sunday will be one week, so i guess in 2 sundays… ill bottle it and give it a week or 2 weeks then drink one ? sounds about right ?

2 weeks in the bottle minimum. Tip: when bottling fill a small plastic soda bottle and squeeze the air out of it. As it carbonates it will expand. This will tell you what’s going on in the glass bottles. When it’s as stiff as it can get (about 2 weeks) you can put the bottles in the fridge for at least 1 day. This will help the CO2 dissolve into the beer.

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@loopie_beer awesome trick thank you.

If you ever do want to keep “emergency yeast” on hand, a backup packet of US05 will last forever in the fridge.

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Also search swamp cooler on here. Cheap easy way to help keep the temps down until you really get hit by the brewing bug and purchase temp control.

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have a medium size meat freezer i guess i can use for the next one since want to try do a blonde lager

me do live on a tropical island bonaire .got the same issue like you to warm for largers so id stick to ale beers but did you look a different yeast strains who can handle more hot temps ?? and as well create a swamp cooler actually me thinking about creating a fermenting box.

The last time I was in Bonaire was over thirty years ago. I think they were just building the first hotel. You couldn’t find a descent beer but plenty of rum. I remember the water lines ran above ground so you had to time a shower before the water got to hot. We stayed in a cement brick hut on the beach. It was awesome. What’s it like now?

well me now 26 years here lots of things different lots of hotels and tourist water pipe under ground now but still water way to warm to shower .indeed not good beer the only thing i drink besides my own beer its polar that amstel beer nasty

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