When to bottle?

My first batch of Belgian Wheat will have fermented 14 full days tomorrow. I have seen little or no activity for four days. Should i go ahead and bottle or should I check the gravity and go from there? My OG was 1.054 and im looking for an FG of 1.010. Thoughts?

After 2 week and with no activity you are probably in good shape. Take a gravity reading and see where you are. Then take another one in 2-3 days and confirm it is the same. I few more days certainly won't do any harm, but pulling it early can lead to lots of different issues.

NEVER bottle before checking the gravity to make sure its stable. Bottle bombs are not fun to mess with

How log can i wait before bottling after fermentation is complete?

m00ps said:

NEVER bottle before checking the gravity to make sure its stable. Bottle bombs are not fun to mess with

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I do suggest this for a new brewer. However, I pitch healthy yeast either re-hydrated or a starter. If I get a good looking fermentation that lasts about the typical period of time. I often do not take a final gravity reading unless I want to calculate the ABV.

I am confident that my processes were good and that the beer is at final gravity.

If I have any question that it is at FG, then I most certainly take a reading.

To the OP: It does not hurt to wait longer and could be a problem if you bottle too early. Until you understand all the processes, I recommend taking a final gravity reading.

Also, the FG listed in recipes and instructions are a target. There are many variables that will make the FG a bit higher or lower. For instance it is fairly common for extract recipes to end at 1.020. If it is stable at that point it is still safe to bottle.

AtlasMaxx said:

How log can i wait before bottling after fermentation is complete?

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There are many brewers who advocate the process of never bottling in less than 4 weeks. Others say as soon as you get final gravity and the beer is clear. I opt for 21 days in most cases but have gone as little as 14 days and as long as 3 months. Some dark heavy beers will definitely benefit from bulk aging for a few months.