hammacks

Recipes 

You could. It would be better to allow a beer around 3 weeks before bottling for better taste.

Penguin

Recipes 

I'm notoriously bad about checking OG as i usually drink beer while brewing and forget almost every time to check it. i usually bottle about a week after the fermentation stops just for good measure but always check my FG multiple times to be sure its done. way i figure is all im missing is being able to calculate my ABV

StrictlyIPAs

Recipes 

Also, I used one packet of US56 yeast, no starter.

Thanks again.

jrakich87

Recipes 

HAHA I did the exact same thing! Gotta drink those stones while brewing to use for bottling the batch!

Spitzbube

Recipes 

I do the same. Drink whilebrewing and forget to take OG before putting the lid on primary. Additionally, I can't seem to stop myself from adding slightly to each recipie-- thinking, "well, that's sounds a little too hoppy for me" or "hummm... adding an extra pound of crystal steeped grain might really improve the body of this beer." So who knows what my final gravity should actually be. I've been following 1-2-3 method as far as time goes and seems all is ok so far. For me, it seems the hydrometer's only purpose is seeing if it is stady for a few days before I bottle. Maybe it takes more experience before the hydrometer use makes sense. This is only my 5th batch of beer.

JVD_X

Recipes 

Not necessarily. For several reasons, some yeasts may stop fermenting before the final gravity is reached. Factors such as too cool a ferment, too little oxygen, too little nutrients are just a few of things that could go wrong. However, the rule that you are ready to bottle after the specific gravity has remained the same for a period of time is generally true assuming that the ferment went 'well'.

All other things equal, the original gravity of the wort, the fermentability of the wort (you can increase gravity of a wort using unfermentables) and the expected attenuation of the brand of yeast are the primary contributing factors in how low your final gravity will go.

The formula for calculating attenuation is to divide the number of points the gravity dropped by the original gravity points. So if your original gravity was 1.050 and your latest reading is 1.016 then:

1.050 - 1.016 = 0.034

Then just take the big whole numbers (34) and divide by (50) times 100 for 68% attenuation.

You then compare that percentage to the percentage expected attenuation for the yeast (you have to look it up on the manufacturers website).

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- JVD_X