Transferred to Secondary.. Specific Gravity too high - Suggestions?

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SteveBrewSD

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Hey all,

I'm only on my 3rd batch and think I may have made a mistake. I brewed a Blonde Ale last week using SAF-05 and it had very vigorous fermentation for the first day, died off a bit and then came back just as vigorous for another 2-3 days. After a week I hadnt seen any more signs of fermentation for awhile and decided to transfer it to my secondary.

I should have taken a gravity reading first because it was only at 1.020 (OG was 1.048). Should I have left in the primary on the yeast cake longer? Or will it still be able to drop a few more points (I'm aiming for about 1.012) in the secondary?

I'm still getting a feel for this and would appreciate any suggestions or similar experiences!
 
I won't be the one to say you should have taken a reading before transferring, you already know and many after me will likely chime in. Was this an extract recipe? If so, 1.018-20 is a pretty typical FG for a lot of styles. That being said, if you had a nice fermentation the first few days, it's likely done for the most part, and may go down a couple of points in secondary. There are certainly enough yeast in suspension to do it. I would wait another week at least before taking a gravity reading, you may not hit 1.012, but it will be fine.

Lots of threads on this, but I would say make it a routine to keep the beer in primary for 2 weeks, then take a reading. I'm one for using a secondary to clarify, but many others say there is no data to support this is necessary. I mostly do it to free up a primary bucket.
 
I think it'll be fine. Just leave it alone for a week or so and check the gravity. If anything, the racking procedure will rouse the yeast a bit and get the fermentation going a little more.
 
Thanks for the advice PoppinCaps - It was my second all-grain attempt actually. And I've been doing the same thing, transferring to secondary to clear it up some. But I am thinking about just doing a primary and seeing how that works out. Glad to hear I still might be alright, and I'll definitely keep i tin the primary longer next time adn take a reading first!
 
Thanks BoRnEz thats a good point about rousing up the yeast. I'll hope it works! It was looking to be a great blonde ale.
 
warm it up a few degrees, if possible, and check gravity again in a few days. Sometimes the simple act of racking the beer (with the agitation and small amounts of oxygenation it creates) is enough to kick start the yeast a bit.
 
It was my second all-grain attempt actually.

Well, in that case, I'd take a close look at your mash temps and accuracy of your thermometer. Too high a temp and you can really lose those fermentables. Also I've always had lower FGs using a proper yeast starter rather than a dry packet, rehydrated or not. Just a couple things to look for...
 
My mash temps were actually really good this time and I had a good OG. I think I'm going to research how to make a starter because that seems to be the way to go with dry yeast. Thanks for the input!
 
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