Still Fermenting

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jweese74

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I'm most likely jumping the gun, and I'll get told so - but I'll never know unless I outright ask...

My latest creation, a blonde composed of pale DME, a blonde LME, honey, and dex was put in the primary 8 days ago using Munton's yeast, unfortunately I don't know the strain - it came with the blonde kit. It started fermenting nicely, and did so for the first 2 days - then it slowed down.

* It's been still bubbling, although quite slowly now, for the past 8 days;
* Can see little (hopefully) blobs of yeasties floating up to the surface attached to a big bubble - then the sink back down
* Krausen during first few days never exceeded my first brew (a red ale, I had to add a blow-off for that one!)
* Drew a gravity today and it tasted fine and smelled fine; almost where I wanted it (a tad bit drier hopefully). Gravity measured at 1.010...
* It started to clear a bit near the top of the primary, still quite foggy for the remaining 3/4 of the fermenter.

All that being said - anything to worry about? I was going to let it sit in the primary for 2 weeks anyways before dry hopping with some cascade.

Further to this question - since I modified the original recipe, is there any idea what I should be expected for the final gravity?

Many thanks!
 
your final gravity is going to depend on the typical attenuation of the yeast. I don't know anything about that yeast, but I agree that you should wait at least a few more days to make sure that the yeast has some more time.
 
If you give it a little more time, like a week, I bet you'll see the remaining haze fall out.
I'm guessing your gravity wont fall much more though, maybe a point or two.

And then it will be beer! :mug:
 
It is fine. I'm going to guess that you are fermenting in the lower range of this yeast, say in the 60's? That will slow things down. If you let it slowly warm, it will get even more mileage and drop a few more points. My last Belgian went for 14 days!!! Just kept bumping it up a degree or two every time it started to slow down (started in the mid 60's, ended in the low 80's) which is one of the tricks to getting Belgian yeasts to keep chugging to dry a beer out.

The yeasty beasties know their jobs, trust 'em :D
 
It is fine. I'm going to guess that you are fermenting in the lower range of this yeast, say in the 60's? That will slow things down. If you let it slowly warm, it will get even more mileage and drop a few more points. My last Belgian went for 14 days!!! Just kept bumping it up a degree or two every time it started to slow down (started in the mid 60's, ended in the low 80's) which is one of the tricks to getting Belgian yeasts to keep chugging to dry a beer out.

The yeasty beasties know their jobs, trust 'em :D

Checked it this morning after I read your response and it's currently sitting at 21c / 70f, and I thought that was too warm :drunk: . So, you think I should increase the temperature a tad more?

Unfortunately, I used a Munton's yeast, and have no idea what type of yeast it is (was only my second batch, and I started it the night I joined these forums before I learned about different yeasties :( ).

Thanks again for the replies.
 
You're fine. 1.010 is about the minimum you'll see. The bubbles now are most likely residual CO2 exiting as a result of the rising temperature.

You said you were going to leave it 2 weeks and then dry hop. Not sure if you meant 2 weeks more or 2 weeks from start. I would dry hop 2 weeks after start and bottle in 1-2 weeks after that. That is assuming you made a "normal" beer with a OG of 1.060 or less. Higher gravity might require more time but if you are already at 1.010, I think it is done. More time will give suspended particles time to drop out.
 
You're fine. 1.010 is about the minimum you'll see. The bubbles now are most likely residual CO2 exiting as a result of the rising temperature.

You said you were going to leave it 2 weeks and then dry hop. Not sure if you meant 2 weeks more or 2 weeks from start. I would dry hop 2 weeks after start and bottle in 1-2 weeks after that. That is assuming you made a "normal" beer with a OG of 1.060 or less. Higher gravity might require more time but if you are already at 1.010, I think it is done. More time will give suspended particles time to drop out.

Yes, I was going to leave it in the primary for two weeks today, then rack to a secondary for dry hopping for another two weeks. However, general consensus says the secondary is unnecessary so I'll most likely just dry hop in the primary for two weeks, at the end of this week.

Learning so much - yet I still second guess myself. Although I'm sure screw-ups will happen, however I work with money for a living; I don't like to make costly mistakes. (Not that it was terribly costly mind you :))
 
You're fine. 1.010 is about the minimum you'll see. The bubbles now are most likely residual CO2 exiting as a result of the rising temperature.

Perhaps from Muntons yeast, but 1.010 is not as low as you can go. My Strong Golden hit 1.006! Good plan to leave it alone for another 2 weeks. It will finish up, the yeasty beasties will clean up, and your beer will clear nicely. Its nice when you get the Revvy vaccuum beer off the cake experience :D
 
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