should I bottle? or should I let it ride?

okay, I'm ultra confused...

my beer is now starting to taste like proper beer.! it still smells kinda like sweaty feet, but it actually now almost tastes like a Maudite or something along that kinda dark ale lineage. pretty tasty actually, if you give it a few swigs instead of just one.

I took a sip and a reading when I brewed and I had a gravity of around 1.020 and it tasted like sugarwater and mud. 5 days later I had a gravity of 1.002/1/0 and it tasted like day old koolaid that someone left some dirt and bark in overnight and splashed with lemon juice. now? I'm 9 days in and I get a reading of 1.005 and it tastes like ever slightly tangy Maudite. (and I really like Maudite! it's... actually quite drinkable, if you give it a few tastes.)

(also, my hydrometer is the one that came with my gear. so I doubt it's really all that fancy, I bought the hardware as a packaged bundle)

my Airlock says "you should be bottling sometime soon"
my Hydrometer says "uhh... no.... leave me alone..."
and my tongue says "whoa dude. any day now. tomorrow, if this trend keeps up."

help me! who do I trust? should I let it be? should I bottle it? should I trust this hydrometer?

(and if I let it ride, will my yeast die and loose my chance to carbonate in the bottle?)

Your airlock is a cheap piece of plastic. Your tongue is human, and is therefore fallable. Your hydrometer is a piece of scientific equipment. Who do you think you should trust?

Leave it alone until you get the same hydrometer readings three days in a row, then bottle it. There will still be enough active yeast in the beer to carbonate it.

llazy_llama said:

Your hydrometer is a piece of scientific equipment.

Click to expand...

crap. you're right.

I'm going to let it ride.

The waiting is the hardest part, I know. While I was waiting for my first batch to ferment, I bought two more carboys and filled them. Then while I was waiting for those to ferment, I bought more, etc...

I agree. The waiting is the hardest part and the main reason we keep going out to buy more carboys and buckets! I pretty much follow the 1..2..3.. rule where you let the beer sit in the primary for at least a week, transfer to secondary for 2, and then bottle condition for another 3. Works perfectly for most standard beers. Obviously some are done quicker than others. Keep it up!