freeflyer87
Member
I've checked the sticky threads and the archives but haven't been able to find an answer to this question.
I've just started homebrewing and so far have made 3 different kinds of Brewer's Best Kits (an AMber ale, an IPA, and a Dortmunder).
The Amber Ale was first and i took the specific gravity reading after the bubbling stopped in the fermenter. It was within the acceptable range for that kit so we bottled. Tasted great a few weeks later - no problems.
But now we just finished bottling an IPA. It spent a week in the primary fermenter and we checked the S.G. 3 times but it was not in the recommended range. Talked to a guy at our brew shop and he recommended/explained secondary fermentation. Did that. Checked the S.G. over the next 4 days and it FINALLY dropped down 0.001 into the acceptable range for bottling. Seemed like it took a long time, but anyhow it's bottled now.
Also in the middle of brewing a Dortmunder. 1 week in primary fermenter. Today we transferred to secondary fermenter, but it's NOT really even close to being a low enough specific gravity.
The kits say the fermentation process should only take a total of 3-10 days before it's ready to bottle. My question is WHY ARE THESE LAST 2 taking so long for the S.G. to drop?
Is there anything i could have done in the process that would have caused the S.G. to drop so much slower than when i did my first Amber Ale kit?
I've just started homebrewing and so far have made 3 different kinds of Brewer's Best Kits (an AMber ale, an IPA, and a Dortmunder).
The Amber Ale was first and i took the specific gravity reading after the bubbling stopped in the fermenter. It was within the acceptable range for that kit so we bottled. Tasted great a few weeks later - no problems.
But now we just finished bottling an IPA. It spent a week in the primary fermenter and we checked the S.G. 3 times but it was not in the recommended range. Talked to a guy at our brew shop and he recommended/explained secondary fermentation. Did that. Checked the S.G. over the next 4 days and it FINALLY dropped down 0.001 into the acceptable range for bottling. Seemed like it took a long time, but anyhow it's bottled now.
Also in the middle of brewing a Dortmunder. 1 week in primary fermenter. Today we transferred to secondary fermenter, but it's NOT really even close to being a low enough specific gravity.
The kits say the fermentation process should only take a total of 3-10 days before it's ready to bottle. My question is WHY ARE THESE LAST 2 taking so long for the S.G. to drop?
Is there anything i could have done in the process that would have caused the S.G. to drop so much slower than when i did my first Amber Ale kit?