Opinions please (time to rack?)

I started my first batch, I have chosen a Bock kit and hope it turns out good. I did have help from my father who has been brewing for decades but does not live close by so he could only help via telephone.

I started my batch on Thursday, woke up Friday morning and the airlock was going nuts..what a good sign.

Wakeup Saturday and it has all but stopped..just to be sure I gave the fermenter just a slight whirl (I did not open the lid) and it seemed to start going a little more.

Obviously it is coming to the end of the fermentation cycle and I think I can go ahead and bottle on Monday or Tuesday at this rate.

My question is this, should I go ahead and rack the beer into my secondary (plastic carboy) or just leave it in the fermentor and rack it once I have added my sugar for bottling?

I do not see any harm in either really but would like some suggestions. One thing about home brewing is that there are so many varying opinions, and that does not neccesarilly mean any of them are wrong, simply personal preference.

So what do you guy's think? To rack or not to rack?

leave it for a few more days, at least 7. Then rack, wait a month then if it clears up bottling can begin. Unless you like 1/2" of yeast in the bottom of your bottles and green beer.

Oh and a bock is a lager, that on the other hand would take months.... but I'll assume you made an ale.

Bottlling too early is one way to experience green beer, and you might get to experience cleaning up after some bottle bombs that way too.

This is the Kit I used



3lbs Amber DME and 7oz Brewers Yeast (will use Coopers next time)


Wait 7 days to rack, even if fermentation has completely stopped? And then wait a month to bottle? LOL! Jesus Christ.....no way I wait that long. Noooooooooooo

Panzermann said:

Wait 7 days to rack, even if fermentation has completely stopped? And then wait a month to bottle? LOL! Jesus Christ.....no way I wait that long. Noooooooooooo

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Yeah, it's tough. But patience is both the cheapest and simplest way to improve your beer. If you leave it in primary for an extra week, you'll give the yeast time to clear up the less desirable byproducts of fermentation, and you'll have a better beer as a result.

The other advice is to start your next beer as soon as you can...

The yeast's job isn't finished with the main fermentation. If allowed, the yeast will clean up it's waste (better tasting beer) and settle out to the bottom (clear beer).

It's your beer so do what you want but you ask what you should do and the answer is leave it at least three weeks before bottling. Personally, I don't think I've ever bottle beer that was under 4 weeks old and my average is probably 6 to 8 weeks.

Damn, you guy's are hardcore! haha

I appreciate all the advice, I really do. One remaining question is this, doesn't the fact that I syphon into my carboy reduce "sedement" in my beer?

I never recall seeing my family wait so long to bottle, but I have seen months upon months waiting to drink it though.

I follow the triple 3 rule - 3 weeks in primary, 3 weeks in bottles and 3 weeks to enjoy the beer.

Should I take any readings with my Hydrometer?

Panzermann said:

Should I take any readings with my Hydrometer?

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ABSOULTLY thats how you know it is finished fermenting. I TRY to wait at least 3weeks in primary then go to the keg for a couple of weeks before I drink. Just my opinion.


SD

Three weeks in primary then bottle. People have a lot of different opinions on how to brew but there are good reasons for some and not for others.

The bad thing is, I did not have a Hydrometer when I started my brew...I did have help though but from now on I will test my wort so I can check its progress.

I will take a reading now...brb

Pivzavod said:

I follow the triple 3 rule - 3 weeks in primary, 3 weeks in bottles and 3 weeks to enjoy the beer.

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personally i usually follow the 1-2-3. 1 week primart, 2 week secondary and 3 weeks to carb. Sometimes i stray but thats my rule of thumb...either way when its done- its done.

Panzermann said:

Should I take any readings with my Hydrometer?

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whenever your worried just take a reading. You can always see how far its come, if its stalled, etc. It will help to ease the the mind but patience is definitely key.

ALSO the kit will have an anticipated SG which you can use. Because your not doing all grain there isint as much variation in efficency and so on. Most malt extracts are fairly consistant and because of that you can usually trust the starting gravity listed on the kits (again not exactly but it should be within a few points at most)

This brew has a nice head on it just pouring it into the test tube. haha

Here is one reading, looks like it is right at 5%



Then the other side is on line 20, two below 1.000




With this said...I assume this means I am looking at my beer having 5% Alochol and a gravity of 1.020?

The Bock Beer Kit says "O.G. 1040-1044" so my baby has made some progress. wooo woooo


Can I taste this?

Panzermann said:

With this said...I assume this means I am looking at my beer having 5% Alochol and a gravity of 1.020?

The Bock Beer Kit says "O.G. 1040-1044" so my baby has made some progress. wooo woooo


Can I taste this?

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Of course you can taste it! That's what samples are for.

Your beer is NOT 5% alcohol. That's the wrong scale- that's a measurement of potential alcohol. Winemakers use that scale, but for beer makers, it's pretty much useless. It's not like you drop it in there to determine alcohol content. If you look at the PA scale, it starts higher and drops as the fermentation goes on. It's simply a determination of potential alcohol available.

What we look at is the SG scale. You said your beer is currently at 1.020 (not finished fermenting) and it started at 1.040 or so. You can determine the current alcohol content by doing a little math. The formula is (OG-Fg) x 131 = ABV. (1.040- 1.020) x 131= 2.62% ABV. So, the beer is currently at 2.62% ABV, if it started at 1.040.

I Think you should bottle it and carbonate it, then put it in the fridge. After a week it's ready to drink but won't be as good as if you leave it for about a month. My dad makes beer and this is how he does it. And he leaves his brew in the fermentor for a few extra days than it calls for just for good measure and taste. I make wine though So I'm not 100% on this.

yes you can taste the brew before bottling. It just won't be carbonated

YooperBrew said:

Of course you can taste it! That's what samples are for.

Your beer is NOT 5% alcohol. That's the wrong scale- that's a measurement of potential alcohol. Winemakers use that scale, but for beer makers, it's pretty much useless. It's not like you drop it in there to determine alcohol content. If you look at the PA scale, it starts higher and drops as the fermentation goes on. It's simply a determination of potential alcohol available.

What we look at is the SG scale. You said your beer is currently at 1.020 (not finished fermenting) and it started at 1.040 or so. You can determine the current alcohol content by doing a little math. The formula is (OG-Fg) x 131 = ABV. (1.040- 1.020) x 131= 2.62% ABV. So, the beer is currently at 2.62% ABV, if it started at 1.040.

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Awesome!

I just took a taste...she is tasting sooooo good. Tastes like beer already but now after taking this reading it is apparent I should wait longer which is fine with me. So when do you think I should take another reading? I am thinking around Wed?

It will be one week come Thursday


And who changed the title? lol I am not paranoid...simply asking a question. If I were paranoid I would simply call my father who has been brewing for 30+yrs

Homebrewing is about opinions from what I have seen, none are "wrong" perse...just someones personal choice. I want to get many opinions, not only my fathers.

Panzermann said:

Awesome!

I just took a taste...she is tasting sooooo good. Tastes like beer already but now after taking this reading it is apparent I should wait longer which is fine with me. So when do you think I should take another reading? I am thinking around Wed?

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you can take as many readings as you want.....but know that your essentially wasting what could be beer in the end. I have downgraded to a smaller hydrometer jar so as to lessen waste (because wasted beer is a travesty). Patience is key and no matter how fast you want it to finish its going to be on its own time frame.

I usually take a reading when the krausen drops back into the beer or at one week (which ever is first). It will almost never hurt you to ljust leave the beer in primary for extra time. Revy and some others leave it in for a solid month and then straight to bottle.....Lookin good so far though

DO NOT EVER POUR YOUR SAMPLE BACK IN. That way lies contamination.

Drink your hydrometer sample, it's safer that way. Also, taste it at every step- the wort, the fermenting beer, at every hydrometer test, etc.etc. Learn what is normal, so you can spot unusual happenings early.

I changed the title. Twice. See here.

Yes, I tasted the wort, it tasted like sugar pretty much. I sipped my sample that I tested today..it shows such promise. haha I think it will have a nice beautiful look once she is done.

Yuri_Rage said:

I changed the title. Twice. See here.

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Alright, I understand now! haha

Now we are at "to rack or not to rack"

I am just gonna let my baby sit for a few, probably take a hydrometer reading on Tuesday or Wed...if no change I will rack it then.

I am taking another reading in a few....

No real change

I am going to jossle the fermenter some and give it another day or two I guess...TO RACK OR NOT TO RACK? I almost want to rack this into my secondary so I can start my next batch. ha

The standard "rule" is that the same hydrometer readings on three consecutive days is a sign that fermentation is over. You could rack at any point after that.

However, you'll get better beer if you let it sit on the yeast for a few more days. "End of Fermentation" does not always mean "the yeast is done". I'm a big fan of three weeks in the fermenter, then straight to keg/bottle, for beers up to about 1.060 gravity. Bigger beers, IMO, require longer aging, which usually means bulk aging in a carboy.

Lots of brewpubs go from grain-to-glass in a matter of a few weeks, but I think many home brewers (particularly those using kits and kit yeast) benefit from more patience.

I gave the fermenter a little twirl, still no action. I will take another reading on Thursday (1wk point), I will go ahead and rack it.

What is the expected FG of this kit? I have been searching like a mother****er and can't find ****, beyond ridiculous.

if it's a pure extract kit, probably around 1.012, if you have a extract and corn sugar kit, probably lower, 1.008 maybe lower....

If your still at 1.020, swirl the crap out of the fermenter, get the yeast all stirred up. Possibly move to a warmer location, what is it's temp now?