doghousechef
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I am currently fermenting my third batch. This is my first not using a kit. I'm calling it a honey pale ale. It had an OG of 1.061. I pitched White Labs California Ale Yeast at 77 degrees, then found a sweet spot in our half bath off the master bedroom that has kept the fermenter at an even 68 degrees. The first two batches I bottled after 1 week ( I know, impatient on the first, and had to stock bar for my 40th bday on the second). They both seemed done (no krausen, reasonable gravity readings). They were also brewed at higher temps (at least 72 degrees, and not as steady as this one). Vigorous fermentation on this current batch started at almost 3 days and at day 16 I thought I was going to bottle, but when I opened the fermenter there was a thick layer of krausen and the gravity was at 1.016(I expected about 12) with bubbles happening about every 30 seconds or so. I decided to add the rest of my hops instead ( I had about 1/2 oz leftover from the brew). Today is day 20 and I took another gravity reading. There is still a fair amount of krausen, but the gravity is at 12 now. I am wondering about how much longer to leave it before bottling. I am not going to be able to get to it before friday, but I wonder if that's going to be enough time for the yeast to settle enough. On the flip side, I read about autolysis and leaving the beer on the trub from more than three weeks creating soapy flavors. Any advice or comments would be welcomed. Thanks