Palmetto33

Recipes 

This is my first brew. Anyway, when I was transferring it to a secondary I took a sample for a reading and a quick taste. First of all the H. reading was .002 higher than the stated 1.012 TG.

And more importantly, I thought that it had a bit of a sour taste to it (it did smell pretty good though).

Now, I realize that it hasn't been carbonated yet, but how normal is this? Could it also be due to the fact that it hasn't completely finished fermenting?

This is a Brown ale made from extract.

I was thinking of taking out enough to fill 1 bottle to carbonate and try out before secondary was over with in order to know beforehand whether it was spoiled or not. Any ideas on this?

Maybe I'm just thinking too much. eh?

c.n.budz

Recipes 

Yup.

It'll be fine, don't take any out for a test bottle

__________________
Knucklehead Brewery, Est. 2007

Always do sober what you do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut. -Ernest Hemingway

malkore

Recipes 

Yeah, this is 'normal' for young beer. Have patience. Don't move to secondary until the beer is DONE. secondary is just to clear the beer, not to finish fermenting.

some people don't even do a secondary.

Let it ride.

__________________
Malkore
On tap: Camelot Ale, Lancelot's Wheat, English Brown Ale, Steam Beer, HoovNuts IPA
Bottled: MOAM, Braggot, Raspberry Melomel, Merlot, Apfelwein, Pyment, Sweet mead, Cabernet

Primary -
Secondary - Vanilla mead

Gal in 2009: 27
Gal in 2010: 34
Gal in 2011: 13
Gal in 2012: ~

Palmetto33

Recipes 

um...

Already transferred it to a secondary. You think there's enough yeast still in there to finish fermenting in the next couple of weeks? Or, am I stuck with the 1.014?

Either way I won't touch it till I bottle. Thanks for the assurance.

Joker

Recipes 

.002 is not a big deal let it sit in the secondary a couple weeks and then bottle it.

Palmetto33

Recipes 

Alright, appreciate it.

Will have a (commercial) beer and forget about it for a couple of weeks.

Cheers

Palmetto33

Recipes 

Drank the beer but didn't completely forget about it.

Q1. What is the most likely cause of the specific gravity being off?

I would assume it's due to the fact that it wasn't aerated thoroughly enough. I only swirled the bucket around a couple of times before adding the yeast.

Q2. What is the best (extra equipment free) method of aeration for future brews? Is shaking the wort for a few minutes prior to yeast addition sufficient?

Thanks

c.n.budz

Recipes 

Q1: Could be any one of a million things.... .002 could even just be the margin of error for you reading the hydro.... Either way, don't worry about it, .002 is such a small discrepancy

Q: Shake the sh!t out of the primary before you pitch your yeast.

__________________
Knucklehead Brewery, Est. 2007

Always do sober what you do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut. -Ernest Hemingway