Close Enough to Target Gravity?

My second batch is a True Brew Irish stout kit. The instructions say that the final gravity should be between 1.010 and 1.012. I am at 1.018. It has only been 4 days, but the krausen has disappeared and there is no more activity in the airlock. I have had the same gravity reading for 2 days. The temperature has been 62-64F. Am I close enough to the target to rack to secondary this weekend, or should I pitch more yeast? I used 1 packet of Muntons Dry Yeast(6g).

I just don't want to end up with bottle bombs.

You can rack this weekend if you like, but give it another two weeks in secondary before bottling. No need to pitch more yeast. You'll be fine.

Evets said:

You can rack this weekend if you like, but give it another two weeks in secondary before bottling. No need to pitch more yeast. You'll be fine.

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I plan to leave it in secondary for 2 weeks. I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't doing it too early.

It's good to leave beer in the primary for a few days after fermentation is complete. It gives the yeast time to clean up some off flavours which are the by products of fermentation.

Don't go by airlock activity to signify the end of primary fermentation, once the foamy head has completely dissapeared, then start taking gravity readings, daily or everyother day. Once you get a stable reading over 2 days, as long as you are within a point of the guidline gravity you can assume primary fermentation is complete.

DAAB said:

Don't go by airlock activity to signify the end of primary fermentation, once the foamy head has completely dissapeared, then start taking gravity readings, daily or everyother day. Once you get a stable reading over 2 days, as long as you are within a point of the guidline gravity you can assume primary fermentation is complete.

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I'm just concerned that my readings are higher by 0.006 and are not falling.

It's so hard waiting on the first batch to be ready. I'm tired of drinking beer that someone else made. I guess I'll relax and think about my homebrew.

If your next reading is the same, make sure the temperature is 18 deg or more and gently rouse the yeast into suspension (with a sanitised paddle), you want to get that gravity down before racking.
If that fails then AMG (Amyloglucosidase)-Dry Beer Enzyme is great for restarting stuck fermentations, if that's not available then pitching a fresh sachet of Safale 04 may do the trick.
(There have been numerous problems reported on UK homebrew forums regarding stuck fermentations and Muntons Gold Yeast, in most cases they have restarted using the step i've just mentioned. In future I definately recommend replacing the yeast if you go for Muntons kits).

i had the same problem with my Nut Brown Ale by true brew, but bottled with the slighty high gravity anyway, it'd been in there for almost 10 days. within a week it was fully carbed to the point where i had to put them all on chill. currently i have their Irish Stout kit in the primary, my second batch too! i might pick up some nutrient or another packet of yeast this time if i hit the same problem.

Rouse the yeast and let it settle out again, then rack.

Will gravity lower over time in the secondary?

Well, I can tell you that fermentation continues long after krausen falls and airlocks seem to stop bubbling. In my recent tests, I've had gravity fall an additional 8 points long after visible signs of fermentation had stopped. It just slows down. Try raising your temps a couple degrees for a few more days, then rack.

Bobby_M said:

Try raising your temps a couple degrees for a few more days, then rack.

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I moved it to another room and the temperature has been between 65-67F. I checked the gravity this morning and it dropped to 1.016. I'll probably leave it for a few more days if the gravity doesn't fall any further.

Am I close enough to the expected range of 1.010 and 1.012 to rack to secondary?

rjester said:

I moved it to another room and the temperature has been between 65-67F. I checked the gravity this morning and it dropped to 1.016. I'll probably leave it for a few more days if the gravity doesn't fall any further.

Am I close enough to the expected range of 1.010 and 1.012 to rack to secondary?

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Yeah--that Muntons yeast probably didn't like being below 65 too much. It sounds like your current location is just about perfect for most ales.

You could rack, but there's really no hurry. Nothing bad can possibly come from leaving it in the primary a few days or a week or two weeks longer. If you're worried about yeast autolysis (sp?) or whatever, it would take weeks (months?) in the primary for that to even start to be an issue. I'd give it several days at the new, friendlier temp and then rack.