To bottle or not to bottle??

Ok. I think I'm just looking for people to tell me to do what I want to do, and maybe not what I should do.

I've got a brew that is real close to it's FG after 3 weeks. Supposed to be 1.012 and I am at 1.015 for the past 2 days. I am leaving to San Diego tomorrow morning and if I don't bottle tonight, I'll be about 2 weeks further behind from tasting this delicious homebrew. My pipeline is not where I'd want it yet (I usually only have time for 2 brews per month and am only on my 8th beer now) so the anticipation kills me every time!

But at the same time, I don't want to rush a brew too early if it's not the right thing to do. Right now I plan on checking gravity tonight, and if it's still the same as before I plan on bottling. But........you guys can definitely let me know your thoughts and suggestions!

Cheers

It's probably done after 3 weeks. If there's no change in gravity tonight, bottle it.

If the FG is still the same, and the beer is within the expected FG (taking into account the attenuation % of the yeast and the recipe), AND the beer is clear, I'd bottle it. If it's still murky, with lots of suspended yeast, I'd wait.

JuanKenobi said:

It's probably done after 3 weeks. If there's no change in gravity tonight, bottle it.

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I like it Juan. This is what I want to do. If I wasn't going out of town, I'd leave it for a couple more days just to make sure I'm getting all the work out of my yeasties. I think I'm more worried about that than bottle bombs.

YooperBrew said:

If the FG is still the same, and the beer is within the expected FG (taking into account the attenuation % of the yeast and the recipe), AND the beer is clear, I'd bottle it. If it's still murky, with lots of suspended yeast, I'd wait.

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Well Yooper, it was murky this morning when I checked it. I've been working all day so maybe it's cleared up but I doubt it. It's been in the secondary for about a week

duffman2 said:

Well Yooper, it was murky this morning when I checked it. I've been working all day so maybe it's cleared up but I doubt it. It's been in the secondary for about a week

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It's probably safe to bottle- but when it does clear up, all of the suspended particles will be in the bottles. I never bottle a beer that's not clear- but I have the luxury of a pipeline!

YooperBrew said:

It's probably safe to bottle- but when it does clear up, all of the suspended particles will be in the bottles. I never bottle a beer that's not clear- but I have the luxury of a pipeline!

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Yes and I am very jealous!! It's hard being a new brewer. You get a taste of the stuff and you know you love it, but time and money and experience aren't quite on your side yet. Pretty soon I'm going to start calling in sick to work, and selling all my stuff just to keep this "hobby" going! Help me!

duffman2 said:

Yes and I am very jealous!! It's hard being a new brewer. You get a taste of the stuff and you know you love it, but time and money and experience aren't quite on your side yet. Pretty soon I'm going to start calling in sick to work, and selling all my stuff just to keep this "hobby" going! Help me!

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Just wait. One minute you're coming onto a forum, and asking "Is my beer ruined?" and a couple of years later, you'll all-grain, own a 5 keg kegerator, and moderating that forum! I swear, that's exactly how it happens!

Brewing beer isn't just a hobby- it's an obsession!