Thomas Cooper 86 day pilsner

[MrG]

I’m fairly new to homebrewing and have started a batch of 86 Day Pilsner.

It’s been fermenting for 10 days now and isn't in the specific gravity that I was advised it should be in on the hydrometer after checking 3 days in a row. Its still bubbling from the airlock and bubbles once every 10 minutes and has been fermenting between 20-22 degrees. 

Reading through the online instructions and the instructions on the tin it says that it should be ready after 6 days at 21 degrees but the hydrometer readings arent consistent. I was told it was supposed to be in the green on the hydrometer. Online it mentions that the 86 days pilsner takes longer than other products in the Thomas Cooper range? 

Has anyone had any experience with the 86 Days Pilsner and can give any advice when I should bottle or any things I should be looking out for or any general advice? 

Thanks in advance 

[Marty_G]

That reading looks good to me ... at that ferment temp it should be ready ... did you do it as per the instructions or did you change it?   

[Otto Von Blotto]

Please go and buy a sample tube for taking readings, it's a far better method than putting the hydrometer in the whole batch like that. If the thing wasn't cleaned or sanitised it risks infecting the beer. Plus the bubbles around it and the inability to degas the beer make it impossible to get an accurate reading, which is probably why you are getting inconsistent results.

Anyway, temperature is too high for a pilsner, they should be done around 10-12. Do not take any notice of markings on the hydrometer that suggest the beer must finish in a certain range. It is bullshit. Beers finish at all different SG readings depending on the ingredients that make them up. What you are looking for is stable over a couple of days, and to me that beer looks done. If it's where it looks like it is on the hydrometer then it's in the right area.

[MrG]

1 hour ago, MartyG1525230263 said:

That reading looks good to me ... at that ferment temp it should be ready ... did you do it as per the instructions or did you change it?   

I followed the instructions that were on the tin and also the instructions on the website. Only thing i wasn't able to do was to get it at the recommended temperature (13-15) degrees due to the warm weather. I think I’ll bottle it tomorrow. Thanks for the help! 

[MrG]

1 hour ago, Otto Von Blotto said:

Please go and buy a sample tube for taking readings, it's a far better method than putting the hydrometer in the whole batch like that. If the thing wasn't cleaned or sanitised it risks infecting the beer. Plus the bubbles around it and the inability to degas the beer make it impossible to get an accurate reading, which is probably why you are getting inconsistent results.

Anyway, temperature is too high for a pilsner, they should be done around 10-12. Do not take any notice of markings on the hydrometer that suggest the beer must finish in a certain range. It is bullshit. Beers finish at all different SG readings depending on the ingredients that make them up. What you are looking for is stable over a couple of days, and to me that beer looks done. If it's where it looks like it is on the hydrometer then it's in the right area.

Yeah I was told by the shop owner that this would be fine to make in this heat, wasn't until I got home and started that it said it needed lower temperatures which for me is impossible to get in the house  

Thanks for the guidance,  I’ll invest in a sample tube! 

[Marty_G]

2 hours ago, MrG said:

Yeah I was told by the shop owner that this would be fine to make in this heat,

There are 2 main categories of yeast, low and high temp ... Ales are brewed with the higher temp yeast usually around 18-22 for those that use temperature control ... funnily enough they are called ale yeasts and they impart different qualities on the beer than the lower temp or lager yeasts which are brewed at 10-12 degrees.  If you don't have temperature control try to make the ales  ...