Final Gravity Reading

I have a batch of Pale Ale that I started Sunday at 7 P.M.
I took a gravity reading for the first time a few moments ago, out of curiosity and it is already at its Final Gravity. If I take a reading Tomorrow, Saturday, and Sunday and it is consistent, would I be able to bottle on Sunday?

Sure - the yeast has stopped doing its thing so I can't see any reason why you can't bottle if on Sunday.

You could but I wouldn't. I would let it sit for another two weeks or so and let it clean up/age. The yeast continue to clean up after themselves and you will get a cleaner tasting beer if you let it hang out for awhile longer. (in my humble opinion, your mileage may vary, yadda, yadda, yadda...)

yup - 3 days of identical readings = fermenting is done and you can bottle (assuming you're not going to secondary). 4 days to FG is certainly do-able, however, there is no guarantee that your batch's FG is going to be exactly the same as what the recipe/beerkit/etc says it should be. because of variables in how you brewed you may well go lower - thus the importance of trusting several readings and not just one.

there is some advantage to waiting a bit after FG is achieved, to let the yeast clean up after itself... but if you're excited to get the stuff bottled up, go for it!

Even though it has reached its FG, it doesn't mean that nothing else is happening. 1 week is pretty minimal to leave it on the yeast cake. I would recommend leaving it in primary for at least 2 weeks to let the flavors come together. Regarding your gravity readings. I would just take a second reading a few days after the first to see if it has moved at all. You will just be wasting your beer if you sample 3 days in a row.

It is my first brew so I am very anxious to get it bottled and ready to drink.

jtf3456 said:

It is my first brew so I am very anxious to get it bottled and ready to drink.

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Did you taste the sample? If so and you like it, go a ahead and bottle it. If you taste it and think some more time in the fermentor will do it some good, let it go another week.

Just leave it alone for 2 to 3 weeks. Active fermentation is over but it is not ready to be bottled yet.

I did taste it and it tastes pretty damn good to me.

I would leave it for two weeks. It only takes a few days after final gravity for the yeast to do their clean up(assuming you did everything right), but even after that you'll still want the yeast to drop out suspension. Considering it's a pale and not a 1.1+ monster you'll probably be in good shape at two weeks. Of course take your gravity readings though.

My general rule is FG plus 3-7 days in primary for the yeast to clean up after themselves. It seems like your time frame is perfectly fine.

What were your fermentation temps (the beer, not the room's temp)? Hot fermentations can finish very fast. You want to shoot for low 60s F in the beer (not ambient) to avoid weird esters and unpleasant fusel alcohols.

I go with final gravity (assuming about a week since I never measure that soon) then wait another 2 weeks.

I am with the school that the yeast are still cleaning things up and that the extra time will take my good beer to even better beer. It is not worth it to me to risk not allowing the yeast time to do what they do.

I have had some beers that did not even slow in fermentation until day 8 or 9. And these were pitches with properly sized starters.

And BTW I consider my beers equal to or better than commercial craft brews.

The temperature was defintely too warm. I'm waiting to get my AC unit in so I didn't have a good place and outside wouldn't work because I live in South Louisiana and it's way too hot outside to brew. But, it's been at about 70 degrees the whole time. I know I should wait to bottle it and that'd be the right thing to do, but it is my first batch so I am very anxious and impatient so I may just bottle it Sunday if my readings are consistent. All my future batches I will definitely let ferment for longer.

Instead of bottling so early, pick up another kit and a second bucket fermenter and start a new batch. Your beer might be fine bottled on Sunday but it will be better next Sunday.

Is there anyway I could make a fermenting bucket for cheap?