My first brew.

MaverickLFC

Started my first brew 6 days ago. I have not seen any action in my air lock. There is no head on top of my brew. Did a hydro reading yesterday and it was 1020 ish. Needs to be 1014. I have been away for a couple if days. Temp of brew was at 20 degrees, but when I got back yesterday it was only 14 degrees. Could the temp have slowed first fermentation?

I have done a hydro reading today and it's about 1016, so that's encouraging. Temp is now between 16 and 18 degrees. I am brewing Woodford wherry by the way. Does all seem ok?

HBO_Staff

That sounds perfectly normal, you're exactly right the cooler temperature will slow fermentation and signs of activity will be reduced and sometimes hardly visible. The slowly reducing hydrometer reading is a good sign, just leave it longer until it drops as low as it will go, give it an extra day or two and it may go even lower, then it is ready to proceed to bottling or barrelling

MaverickLFC

Thanks for your reply. One more question. I have a pressure barrel to put it. I don't have bottle yet but will be getting some. Is it ok to bottle from the barrel as I doubt I will drink that much!

HBO_Staff

It's best to transfer after the first fermentation over into either bottles or a barrel, or some in to each, rather than transferring to a barrel and then later into bottles. This is because once you prime them with sugar they will start to carbonate and should then be kept sealed up, otherwise the brew will go flat

MaverickLFC

I see. No worries, I will get some bottles ASAP. Thanks again for your help and advice!

MaverickLFC

Just ordered some bottles, caps, capper and a few other bits to make things easier. Going to do some wine at some point for the wife. Is this the same process more or less?

HBO_Staff

It is similar but wine does sometimes need a second vessel as it can be a two stage process, once syphoned into a second vessel away from the sediment it usually has finings etc, added, a general guide to the process is here;

http://homebrewonline.vanillaforums.com/discussion/492/just-starting-here-s-a-handy-checklist-and-useful-things-to-know-for-wine#latest

It is straightforward though and you wont have any problems 

MaverickLFC

Another question, sorry! I have just transferred half into a pressure barrel and bottled half of my brew. The pressure barrel is only half full. Will the gas from 2nd fermentation fill this or should I add co2 now?

HBO_Staff

Adding a CO2 at this stage wouldn't do any harm and would displace some of the air, but it is often not done as the brew will still naturally create CO2 from the priming sugar but will take longer to fill the larger void with a smaller amount of liquid creating the CO2. Much like with a half empty barrel of beer as it goes down with drinking, it will naturally carbonate and pressurise the barrel, but if drank quickly you need to add additional CO2 to give it a helping hand as it wont always create CO2 fast enough

MaverickLFC

I see, so perhaps leave it for a bit. Draw some out, if it glugs put in some co2?

HBO_Staff

If it glugs this is when it tries to draw air in through the tap and that happens when there is not enough CO2 pressure inside the barrel, as and when needed injecta  CO2 bulb and this will keep the air out and prolong the life of the brew inside