Green Beer

And not the St. Patrick's Day variety either.

Checked the gravity with the hydrometer again and practically no difference.  We'll see how this goes.

Should have the refractometer before the next batch. It's in Montgomery now.

A Valentine's beer... she is not going to be impressed. Perhaps I had best make with the jewels.

Oh yeah, the Grolsch bottles are an experiment.

Alabama

Has a snow day... or days. Temperature is not supposed to achieve 0 C until later tomorrow.

Just glad we made it to the house. Many did not and are stuck somewhere. The new Ford performed it's duties to the letter.

Cuba

Weather won't shape up. We are moving to Cuba.

Refractometer

After watching very little (also known as no) activity in the air lock, it has occurred to me that I may have had a slightly contaminated sample that caused an errant (too high) measurement with the hydrometer.

I used a wine thief which causes you to bottom out on something to get the trap to open and begin thieving. The something, in my case, was the bottom of the primary fermenter with its inch or so of muck. I am certain I got some muck in the sample, I just didn't think it would influence the measurement much, if any.

Short of the story... refractometer will be here Wednesday.

oh bother...

Gravity

Not just a good idea, it's the law. Yeah, yeah...

The hydrometer tells me that we are still a bit higher than the recipe calls for. So, off to the secondary fermenter with a new pitch. We'll see how this works out.

At least it smells right.

Fermentation 1.3

Home late. Still have positive pressure on the primary fermenter and practically no bubbles.

No classes on Friday. Maybe I will just come home and bottle if the gravity says it is ready.

Fermentation 1.2

Think my yeasty friends are about done. Down to one weak bubble in about one minute.

Guess I will come home after class tomorrow evening and check its gravity. If we are good, I will transfer it to the carboy awaiting bottling either Friday night or Saturday. If we are not good, I will trek to the store and procure another inoculation.

On an unrelated note, I am a bit sad to see that a Street Pharmacist has given up the blog. Haven't been reading all that long but was generally interesting. Hate that the crazy has been overwhelming.

Fermentation 1.1

The yeasties are still trucking even though they be a bit slow. Reckon we'll leave it another day and check again.

Fermentation

About 8 hours after the soon-to-be-beer was in the fermenter, it began to off gas just a bit.

12 hours later and it was a bulged fermenting bucket that had forced liquid (and sediment) out of any seam it could find. Another hour or two and I would have been cleaning not-quite-beer off the ceiling of the guest bathroom.

For the next 10 hours or so, it was check the airlock. Sanitize a clean airlock and replace the filthy one that was causing the fermenting bucket to swell again.

Bed time loomed large and I just took the cap off the airlock and left it over night. Next morning (this morning) I put the cap back on and watched exactly one bubble escape. At this point, I am now worried that my yeasties gave their all and are now exhausted... about a day and a half into the fermentation cycle.

Spoke with the local brew guru and he tells me that it is possible that the yeast are all done. But, to be sure I should take a gravity measurement and see where we are. At worst, we will have to pitch some more yeast. So, before leaving the establishment I purchased a hydrometer (three scale) and a wine / beer thief... and a four-pack of beer (Green Flash Palate Wrecker) that I had no hand in its manufacture.

Tonight we were greeted by the sight of a clean guest bathroom ceiling and an airlock that was bubbling just a bit faster than lazy. Reckon I'll leave the lid on and check it in the morning.

Guess we'll see what tomorrow brings.

Wort

Getting close to the fermenting step. We'll see if using a  repurposed turkey fryer is a good idea... or if we just end up with turkey-fried beer.

There will be beer.

Haven't brewed in ages. Somehow got the bug again.

Russian Imperial Stout from a kit.