First Beer Advice

So on tuesday night I made my first batch of beer, an IPA. It has been in the primary fermenter since then and bubbling pretty much has come to a halt. So I have a punch of questions at this point.

Is it done fermenting to the point I should move it to secondary to dry hop?

Do I need to move to secondary to dry hop or can I do it in primary?

The OG was about 1.050, what is the best way to check gravity now? I know I am suppose to minimize exposure to oxygen so not sure the best tactic.

basically, what do you guys suggest I do now?

btw, it's already become a moderate obsession and I am looking into building a two tap kegerator.

You have to check the gravity to see if it is finished fermenting. Check it today, wait a few days and check it again. If the gravity does go down between the two measurements, wait a few more days and check it again. If it hasn't budged and it is reasonably close to your target final gravity, it is done and you can rack to secondary.

I would check the final gravity the same way you checked the original gravity. Personally, I use a sanitized turkey baster and pull off about a 4 ounces of beer, pour it into a testing tube and insert the hydrometer. Don't pour the beer back in, just drink it.

I wouldn't worry about oxygen, there should be a blanket of CO2 in there. Just don't move it around or splash.

I would definitely read through this sticky on the subject.

When to go from Primary to Secondary (If at all

It will answer most of your questions and you will learn a lot more than you wanted to. :cross:

There are a lot of opinions about how to take a sample, but my method is using a sanitized turkey baster. I squeeze the bulb, put the very tip in the beer, and suck a sample up. The key is to squeeze the bulb before you put it in so you don't introduce any oxygen into the beer.

Hope this helps and good luck!

+1 on reading the when to go to secondary sticky

It has been in the primary fermenter since then and bubbling pretty much has come to a halt. So I have a punch of questions at this point.
Stopping bubbling is only an indication it is done. It may not be done.

Is it done fermenting to the point I should move it to secondary to dry hop?
See above

Do I need to move to secondary to dry hop or can I do it in primary?
Not really but if you are in doubt or don't have the experience to decide then go to secondary.

The OG was about 1.050, what is the best way to check gravity now? I know I am suppose to minimize exposure to oxygen so not sure the best tactic.
Use a hydrometer and don't worry about the oxygen at all.

I was reading the sticky and i think I got an overflow of info. I will check the gravity tonight. The recipe I got from the brew store I bought the ingredients from does not indicate an original or target gravity so I will just check for a stable one.

Thanks for the help!

It's likely to be around 1010 to 1012 for a standard brew.
If it's much about I'd ask for advice.