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GenIke · 01-31-2013, 12:53 AM

Brewed nut brown extract kit on Saturday (nottingham yeast fermenting @ 60-62 degrees)

I was planning on taking gravity reading after 5,6 and 7 days and moving to secondary if everything reads out ok. At this point the airlock is obviously still under some pressure. Enough that the water is twice as high on the exit side of the "U".

Should I even bother taking a reading today? Will the airlock water even out when fermentation slows?

Thanks in advance

**redman67** · 01-31-2013, 01:02 AM

yea hold off a while on the readings, dont waste the beer
Leave it in the primary for three weeks
it needs that long, if not more to clean up
Then you dont have to worry about the readings that much
just take a final gravity at bottleing time

histo320 · 01-31-2013, 01:05 AM

I wouldn't take readings 3 days in a row. I take my first gravity reading after 14 days. When you take it that many times you are risking infection.

I would wait until 10-14 days before taking reading. If you have reached your expected FG or are very close then go ahead and rack to secondary.

Many posters here say not to rack to secondary at all and I have used both methods. That is the fun that can do what you want to do. In the end you will have beer.

nvious23 · 01-31-2013, 01:13 AM

On regular abv in the 4 to 6 percent range I take a gravity reading at 3 weeks and the next day if fg has been reached cosecitive days its time to bottle and the age again.

GenIke · 01-31-2013, 01:13 AM

Thanks for the advise guys,

I was planning on primary for ~1 week and secondary for 2. Should I just leave it in primary for 3?

Also, I thought I wanted to take the gravity for a couple of days in a row to make sure it didnt change indicating that fermenting was over.

**helibrewer** · 01-31-2013, 01:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GenIke

Thanks for the advise guys,

I was planning on primary for ~1 week and secondary for 2. Should I just leave it in primary for 3?

Also, I thought I wanted to take the gravity for a couple of days in a row to make sure it didnt change indicating that fermenting was over.

If you wait 3 weeks, then take a reading, do a second one the next day to confirm and that's all you need. Forget secondary, there's no need, primary for 3 weeks is perfect.

CatHead · 01-31-2013, 01:23 AM

Remember every gravity reading you take will be that much less beer you have. I have only done primary fermenting but I get an OG reading on brew day and usually take one approximately a week later. So far they have all been at FG after a week so I take another a couple days before I plan to bottle. So far they have all been almost exactly the same as the previous reading so I haven't had to take another reading after that one. If it would have dropped I would take another a couple days later to see if it stopped. I see no reason to take readings on consecutive days.

edb · 01-31-2013, 01:26 AM

Secondary's are great for dry hopping, adding fruit, etc.... Leaving it longer in the Primary will just let it settle out more.

**redman67** · 01-31-2013, 12:15 PM

If you leave it for three weeks it will be done fermenting
to secondary or not is a battle royale around here, I havent in many years, but I dont feel as strongly about it as some
I just dont think it helps, so why do it, just more work

**GrogNerd** · 01-31-2013, 12:24 PM

your first brew, you're gonna be anxious to try it, believe me; we all have been there, we all understand.

I go three weeks, take FG and bottle. but 2 weeks would be fine. you can take multiple readings, 100 ml is enough and that's only a little over ¼ of a 12-oz bottle. not a big loss

going to secondary is personal preference. some do, I don't. seems to me to be more work for little benefit, if any and not really any downside to keeping it in primary

just my 2¢