I was just wondering, if I notice my Ale starting to slow in fermintation
after the first 4 days, is it ok to add additional honey or starch to get it
going again. I am concerned that I did not add enough starch to the must
when I prepared the Ale this time. I used oats and boiled the starch out of
them and removed the solids using a strainer. Last time when I prepared a
Simple Mead my brew stopped boiling after the first 5 days but when I tasted
it it was very mouthwashy so I went ahead and racked it any way since it had
a kick to it. This time my Ale that I am making stopped bubbling after only
4 days and i do not want to rack it because when I smelled the Ale it did
not have a very strong alcohol scent to it. That can't be good. Please help
me here.

Thanks.

"none" <sheisdamnugly@hitherwiththeuglystick.com> wrote in message
news:WQmId.22061$iC4.6409@newssvr30.news.prodigy.com...[color=blue]
>I was just wondering, if I notice my Ale starting to slow in fermintation
>after the first 4 days, is it ok to add additional honey or starch to get
>it going again. I am concerned that I did not add enough starch to the must
>when I prepared the Ale this time. I used oats and boiled the starch out of
>them and removed the solids using a strainer. Last time when I prepared a
>Simple Mead my brew stopped boiling after the first 5 days but when I
>tasted it it was very mouthwashy so I went ahead and racked it any way
>since it had a kick to it. This time my Ale that I am making stopped
>bubbling after only 4 days and i do not want to rack it because when I
>smelled the Ale it did not have a very strong alcohol scent to it. That
>can't be good. Please help me here.[/color]

You probably don't need to worry so much, and I think you need to be more
patient! Good things come to those who wait. (By the way, meads usually
take months to ferment, not days, although there will certainly be some
alcohol produced within a few days.) Sometimes fermentation is complete
within 4 days, especially if you are fermenting at warm temperatures greater
than 70 F, which I assume you are. You do NOT need to add any additional
sugar to get the yeast going again. If you are concerned that you might
have a "stuck" fermentation, get yourself a hydrometer and take a reading.
If it reads less than 1.020, fermentation might be complete. Check again 3
days later and if the reading has not changed, then you will know that
fermentation is complete. If the hydrometer reading is higher than 1.020
but is stuck, then you might need to add some fresh yeast or some yeast
energizer, which is available at most homebrew shops. Hope this helps.

--
Dave
"Just a drink, a little drink, and I'll be feeling GOOooOOooOOooD!" --
Genesis, 1973-ish

On Sat, 22 Jan 2005 06:59:02 GMT, "none"
<sheisdamnugly@hitherwiththeuglystick.com> said in
alt.beer.home-brewing:
[color=blue]
>I was just wondering, if I notice my Ale starting to slow in fermintation
>after the first 4 days, is it ok to add additional honey or starch to get it
>going again. I am concerned that I did not add enough starch to the must
>when I prepared the Ale this time. I used oats and boiled the starch out of
>them and removed the solids using a strainer. Last time when I prepared a
>Simple Mead my brew stopped boiling after the first 5 days but when I tasted
>it it was very mouthwashy so I went ahead and racked it any way since it had
>a kick to it. This time my Ale that I am making stopped bubbling after only
>4 days and i do not want to rack it because when I smelled the Ale it did
>not have a very strong alcohol scent to it. That can't be good. Please help
>me here.[/color]

Ale or mead?

Depending on the yeast and temperature, 4 days is okay. Check the
specific gravity if you want to be sure. It should be at or near the
final gravity, and it should stay constant for a couple of days, if
it's done. (I've had Safale S04 finish an APA in 30 hours or so at
68F.)

I have finished the Mead several weeks ago but it was done in about 4-5
days. The average temperature in this room is about 78 degrees or warmer all
the time plus I kept it near the ceiling in a high shelf we have and that
must have been why it finished so fast. I think it is alot warmer up there,
possibly over 80 degrees. Right now I am working on the Ale and the same
thing happened to it, it stopped bubling after 4 days but I stored it at
floor level thinking this would make it bubble longer.
Probably I screwed something up but I hope at least I learn something from
you so I do not do it again.

"none" <sheisdamnugly@hitherwiththeuglystick.com> a écrit dans le message de
news: HCHId.5075$2e7.4215@newssvr12.news.prodigy.com...[color=blue]
>I have finished the Mead several weeks ago but it was done in about 4-5
>days. The average temperature in this room is about 78 degrees or warmer
>all the time plus I kept it near the ceiling in a high shelf we have and
>that must have been why it finished so fast. I think it is alot warmer up
>there, possibly over 80 degrees. Right now I am working on the Ale and the
>same thing happened to it, it stopped bubling after 4 days but I stored it
>at floor level thinking this would make it bubble longer.
> Probably I screwed something up but I hope at least I learn something from
> you so I do not do it again.[/color]

Try to keep the temp lower by wrapping a wet towel around your carboy. 80°F
is too hot for most ale yeast, it will fermemt fast but may produce off
flavors.
--
Altair (:-o)>=® (supprimer/remove nospam@ pour répondre/to reply)
Définition :
Cellulaire : Appareil qui permet aux gens de croire qu'ils communiquent
puisqu'ils parlent.
Cellphone: Device that allow people to think they are communicating because
they are talking.

none wrote:[color=blue]
>
> I was just wondering, if I notice my Ale starting to slow in fermintation
> after the first 4 days, is it ok to add additional honey or starch to get it
> going again. I am concerned that I did not add enough starch to the must
> when I prepared the Ale this time. I used oats and boiled the starch out of
> them and removed the solids using a strainer. Last time when I prepared a
> Simple Mead my brew stopped boiling after the first 5 days but when I tasted
> it it was very mouthwashy so I went ahead and racked it any way since it had
> a kick to it. This time my Ale that I am making stopped bubbling after only
> 4 days and i do not want to rack it because when I smelled the Ale it did
> not have a very strong alcohol scent to it. That can't be good. Please help
> me here.
>
> Thanks.[/color]

Firstly, you can't boil the stacrh out of oats...the starches need to be
converted to sugar by enzymes. The usual way to do that is to mash the
oats with some pale malt. Also, I see from anopther message that your
temps are 78F...that's WAY to high to make good beer. I'd just give up
on this batch and go to [url]www.howtobrew[/url] to get an idea of how you should
do it the next time.

--------->Denny
--
Life begins at 60 - 1.060, that is.

Reply to denny_at_projectoneaudio_dot_com

78? I guess its all in where you live, my basement is so cold right now I'm
looking at lagers..lol


"Denny Conn" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:41F52E2E.8E43B7D9@privacy.net...[color=blue]
> none wrote:[color=green]
> >
> > I was just wondering, if I notice my Ale starting to slow in[/color][/color]
fermintation[color=blue][color=green]
> > after the first 4 days, is it ok to add additional honey or starch to[/color][/color]
get it[color=blue][color=green]
> > going again. I am concerned that I did not add enough starch to the must
> > when I prepared the Ale this time. I used oats and boiled the starch out[/color][/color]
of[color=blue][color=green]
> > them and removed the solids using a strainer. Last time when I prepared[/color][/color]
a[color=blue][color=green]
> > Simple Mead my brew stopped boiling after the first 5 days but when I[/color][/color]
tasted[color=blue][color=green]
> > it it was very mouthwashy so I went ahead and racked it any way since it[/color][/color]
had[color=blue][color=green]
> > a kick to it. This time my Ale that I am making stopped bubbling after[/color][/color]
only[color=blue][color=green]
> > 4 days and i do not want to rack it because when I smelled the Ale it[/color][/color]
did[color=blue][color=green]
> > not have a very strong alcohol scent to it. That can't be good. Please[/color][/color]
help[color=blue][color=green]
> > me here.
> >
> > Thanks.[/color]
>
> Firstly, you can't boil the stacrh out of oats...the starches need to be
> converted to sugar by enzymes. The usual way to do that is to mash the
> oats with some pale malt. Also, I see from anopther message that your
> temps are 78F...that's WAY to high to make good beer. I'd just give up
> on this batch and go to [url]www.howtobrew[/url] to get an idea of how you should
> do it the next time.
>
> --------->Denny
> --
> Life begins at 60 - 1.060, that is.
>
> Reply to denny_at_projectoneaudio_dot_com[/color]