This is my first time brewing. After 4 days fermenting, what should the yeast look like. When I first started, the yeast was vigorously working away. After 4 days it is not so apparent. It looks like the yeast has stopped working. Being new to brewing my question is what should I be seeing.
Welcome! A ton of good advice may come in, but it sounds like you are seeing the right thing. Show us a pic if it's a see-through fermenter. However, what you see may not tell you a whole lot. Do you have a hydrometer? Even if the yeast appear to stop, they likely still have work to do after only 4 days. Also, do you have a way to measure the temperature?
Welcome to the BA site, sigmakay, and to this great homebrewing hobby. The Mr. Beer kits don't get much discussion in this forum, but there are some threads that could be helpful to you if you want to continue brewing with that equipment. Here's a link to a recent thread that you might find helpful: https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/mr-beer.45904/
Thanks for your replies. I have to start somewhere, so a Mr Beer setup seems like a decent enough starting point. Get a few batches brewed and decide what works and what doesn’t.
I started on a Mr. Beer setup, words of advice. Don't rush them, it tries to say have beer this fast and to get beer that fast it ends up sweet and flat like my first batch. My second batch was better after fermenting for 17 days and carbonating for 3 weeks, then about a month in the fridge to kill the overpowering yeasty flavor it had. But it was a good place to start for me. Whatever it takes to get someone into brewing
OP, good advice here. If your kit's instructions say to let the wort ferment a week and then bottle, that's potentially bad instructions. The yeast don't work by the clock or calendar, and if your yeast in the kit happens to be old, or if you make a mistake and pitch way too hot or too cold, the yeast won't follow the script. If you have a hydrometer, you'll be able to be in the driver's seat, but if not, the yeast are driving this vehicle. Patience is a virtue in this hobby. But good luck with your brew.
Thanks for the input. My first batch will be fermenting in the 3 to 4 week range and then carbonating 3 to 4 weeks. Then try one and if it tastes the way I like it then all is good.
I started on a Beer Pig (basically same thing as Mr Beer) back 25 years ago and made 3 batches of garbage that made me think brewing was more difficult than it truly was. It discouraged me from brewing and delayed me buying and brewing with real homebrew equipment (I was of the same mindset that it was my beginner set of equipment) and in the long run was one is the biggest homebrewing mistakes I've ever made. I suggest you start looking for a beginners kit of equipment to start brewing with...I truly feel that if I would have got the right equipment first, I would have made better beer a lot faster and wouldn't of had such an off view of what brewing is to begin with. As others have mentioned, you really should read How To Brew soon to get a better idea of the process and what to expect, as well. Good luck brewing with however you proceed forward!
^^^echos my experience when I first started brewing in nineteen eighty something. The only info I had was the instructions on the kit. You get more detail on a box of instant pudding. 15 years later, with access to info on the internet, Palmer's book, and other books brewing good beer became more accessible. Key info that helped: understanding sanitation, recognition of the desire for fresh ingredients, learning about yeast and applying that knowledge.
Kind of like an instant cake mix vs a scratch made cake. Same goes for making bread which as I recall if you can make bread from scratch, you should be able to make beer pretty easy.
