Ready to bottle?

I brewed my first batch two weeks ago - a brewers best Irish stout. Despite a slow start to fermentation due to too cold temp, everything appears have gone according to plan. I Haven't seen any visual evidence of bubbling in almost a week, however after checking the sg I am only at a 1.020. Target is a bit lower - should I give it more time in the primary or get it into bottles? Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

Three days at the same gravity and your usually good. I'd wait another week and see where your at.

Gently stir and move to a warmer place for a few days. That will usually wake the yeast for one final push and bring the SG down a bit.

Check your gravity several more times over the next few days (like matt2778 said) and if there is no change, then bottle it up. It can still ferment without any visual signs (bubbles) and the yeast will clean up a few off flavors after primary fermentation is complete. Is it an all extract brew? If so, it will probably finish with a higher than expected FG anyway.

More time in the primary, up to a month. Make sure that the hydro readings are the same for three different times. Maybe every other day. Then at least three weeks in the bottle. Periodically taste a brew to observe how it's improving after a fews days in the fridge.

Awesome. All good advice. Thanks. Is there anything to be lost by leaving a brew in the primary too long? Ie can an extra week effect flavor negatively

Jnatwood said:

Is there anything to be lost by leaving a brew in the primary too long? Ie can an extra week effect flavor negatively

Click to expand...

You can loose hop flavor if left too long. Generally applies to hoppy Pale Ales and IPAs. An extra week wouldn't make any difference.

Best advice given was to move it to a warmer location for a few days and see if the gravity changes.

What was the FG supposed to be? What yeast did you use? If fermentation was too cold there is always a chance that it's stuck, and it can stay stuck for weeks. When that happens it will make you think it's finished fermenting, and then all of a sudden after you bottle it's starts fermenting again in the bottles. When that happens you get gushers and bottle bombs. Like other people have said get the beer to the middle to upper end of the temp range for your yeast, gently rouse the yeast by rocking the fermentor a bit. Then after a few days of that take another reading to see if it's changed. IF not then you can bottle it. If it drops then give it more time and check it again. There aren't any bad issues with leaving it in the primary for 3 to 4 weeks. It will actually help speed up the mellowing of the taste of your beer...