Greetings everyone; just started my home brew adventure as I got an excellent NB kit as a christmas present.
My first brew is the American Wheat; and I am a little concerned there may be an issue as I haven’t really seen any activity from the bubbler… The best I’ve seen so far is about 1 bubble per minute. After my initial brewing and cooling my OG read a nearly perfect 1.044 (temp adjusted) so I was figured I must have done about right with it. I added my yeast and put it in my mud room as the temp is a pretty constant 65-67 there. I know it isn’t “perfect” but that’s the closest I can get right about now
It has been 4 days and I still have no real activity going on; so I am wondering if I should open the fermenter and check the SG again? or leave it alone for the 2 weeks regardless? I am not sure what FG I should be looking for so I was also wondering what the expected FG is on the American Wheat extract?
Thanks for any assistance or ideas all; I’m hoping to produce a reasonably drinkable first brew so I just want to be sure I don’t jump ahead of myself
IME bubble rate is a poor measure of fermentation. Leave it alone for two weeks and then take a SG reading. You don’t want to take SG early due to risk of contamination.
OK, see that’s what I was wondering; thanks! I see some talk around forums about opening up and checking on the ferment; seemed to me to be a bad idea but I wanted to be sure.
You wouldn’t happen to know what SG I should be looking for after the ferment would you? I haven’t been able to find it anywhere. The kit instructions list 1.043 as the OG reading expected but no listing of the FG.
I think it depends on the yeast attenuation and the complexity of the fermentables, etc. I like to estimate 75% attenuation, so that should put your FG around 1.011
I agree that air lock activity isn’t a good way of monitoring fermentation, buckets are notorious for leaking around the lid. Though you’re fermenting kind of high, I’d still give it at least 10 days before checking the FG and then you should be around 1.012-1.014. Bottle it when you get 3 consecutive days that the FG is the same and not dropping.
Thanks very much. By “high” do you mean temperature? Should I lower the temp some? I don’t have the greatest control of temps where it is but i can drop it a bit lower if it would work better?
I’m assuming this is an extract kit. In that case 75% ADF is probably the absolute maximum. So 1.011-1.016 is probably a reasonable expectation for an FG.
FG estimation (for a recipe you haven’t brewed before) is notoriously difficult.
Eh… That’s a little specific to be a good guideline. Ales are best fermented at 55-75°F, depending on ambient medium, pitching rate, fermenter geometry, yeast strain, desired flavor profile, etc. For most English/American-style ales, 60-65°F ambient is a good target.
You’re not finding a listed FG for this kit because there isn’t one listed, nor for any NB kits. I’d expect something in the 1.010-1.015 range. Measure it and report back your results.
In a bucket. I ordered a 6 gallon carboy as well now so my next Brew I can see what’s happening, but the basic brew kit I got for christmas just has the 2 buckets.
Probably just have a leak around the lid, like Glug said…the temp may have been a little high, but at least your not well into the 70s, the beer should be great!
Just wanted to let everyone know, I am at 13the days right now, and took my first reading for fg last night. Right now it is at 1.012, I’ll do another reading tomorrow and if it hasn’t changed then into the bottles it goes.
Took a nice taste last night as well, and it’s pretty dang good
