Bottle now or give it an extra week?

[knope]

I brewed a pretty standard Irish Red and it has been in the primary for about 12 days. It hasn't had any airlock activity since the first few days and reading a little about S-04 dry yeast, I feel there is a strong chance it is done (I'm checking the gravity tomorrow).

My question is, in the event that the beer is done, what would be the best way to divide up the time between now and Christmas Eve which is when the beer will be served? Will the beer benefit more from more time in the bottle or an extra week in the fermenter?

8.25 lbs. 2-Row
0.35 lbs. Caramel 60L
0.35 lbs. Caraaroma
0.35 lbs. Aromatic Malt
2 oz. Roasted barley

.5 oz. Willamette (60 min)
1 oz. Willamette (30 min)

Yeast: S-04 @ 63-65F

 

[Hello]

The beer will benefit from another week but what's truly most important is knowing it's done. Airlock activity is no indication. What's your hydrometer reading and as of day 12, did you have two readings exactly the same over the last couple of days?

Once done fermenting the yeast will continue to work and start clearing the beer. You have time to leave it until next week. What was the OG (original gravity)?

 

[IL1kebeer]

If the beer is done then its done. It's not going to get more done if you keep it in the fermenter. Once the yeast are done then all of the other reactions that are taking place will be able to take place in the bottle or keg.

If it has hit FG and the yeast have cleared then package it and you can age it in your bottles if you wish.

 

[brew_ny]

If the beer is done then its done. It's not going to get more done if you keep it in the fermenter.

truth to that

 

[Jorb]

I'd go ahead and bottle.

 

[unionrdr]

After it's at a stable FG,I give it another 3-7 days to clean up & settle out clear or slightly misty. Then bulk prime & bottle.

 

[Hello]

I get that if the beer is done it is done but frankly, if fermentation just finished then there are benefits to letting it have another few days. I feel like this is undeniable based on countless responses given just on this site alone.

OP: bottle today if you want but you never said whether or not you had a stable FG. That is not taking the FG reading today and calling it stable. This is something you measure over a couple of days. You also didn't say you hit your FG. Basically, on your post alone you mention checking the gravity today. Is this the first gravity reading?

As a recent inductee to the bottle bomb club, I can tell you that if you don't have a stable FG and you let those bottles carb up, they can explode. It's not pretty.

In truth, 12 days is likely fine, but funnier things have happened I think with fermentation.

 

[freisste]

Letting it settle clear is helpful. It will settle clear in the bottle, too, but then you have to be careful with the way you pour, etc.

Based on your timeline, I would definitely give it another week. That will still give you 3.5 weeks in the bottle until Christmas. Sounds like a good timeline to me. Just make sure your bottles are stored in a 70*f area to make sure they carb.

 

[IL1kebeer]

I get that if the beer is done it is done but frankly, if fermentation just finished then there are benefits to letting it have another few days. I feel like this is undeniable based on countless responses given just on this site alone.

I disagree. If its at FG and the yeast have fully flocculated then you aren't getting any reactions that you wouldn't be getting in the bottle or keg. There is no benefit to keeping it in the fermenter at this point unless you are dryhopping or using oak. It really won't hurt anything, and at this point: to each his own. If people at happy keeping their beers in the primary for 4 weeks then more power to you. I personally don't like wasting time in the primary if I can get the same reactions in my keg.

 

[unionrdr]

That's the difference in what we're talking about. Being at FG dosen't mean it's flocculated yet. But when it settles out clear or slightly misty,it's also done cleaning up. But not before. So getting to FG then letting it clean & settle is the point here.

 

[NickTheGreat]

If you're serving in a bottle on Christmas Eve, you better hope it's done now (2 or 3 consistent separate gravity readings). I haven't bottle in a year or so now, but you have just over 4 weeks now.

My point is getting into a bottle ASAP is probably pretty important seeing how it's Nov 22 :fro:

 

[unionrdr]

Yup.11/22/63,50 years ago when I was 7. I'll raise a glass of Maori IPA to his memory. I have to wait till maybe next week for my robust porter to be ready for vanilla,primed & bottled. I'll just make it with a lil fridge time as well. So that's the time frame you're looking at.

 

[knope]

I checked the beer yesterday, and everything points that it is done except that the gravity is a bit high: 1.015 vs 1.011 expected. I may have thrown in one too many frozen water bottles in the swamp cooler towards the end, so I shook things up to see if I can get those last few points. Im cold crashing on Monday to bottle Tuesday which gives me two weeks carbing and two in the fridge.

Sound like a plan?

 

[unionrdr]

...or 3 weeks in the bottle at room temp,one week fridge time. That's about what my porter is going to wind up with. I bottled the Whiskely stout on 11/6,so that one might just be gettin good by,say,12/16 fridge time.

 

[brew_ny]

I checked the beer yesterday, and everything points that it is done except that the gravity is a bit high: 1.015 vs 1.011 expected. I may have thrown in one too many frozen water bottles in the swamp cooler towards the end, so I shook things up to see if I can get those last few points. Im cold crashing on Monday to bottle Tuesday which gives me two weeks carbing and two in the fridge.

Sound like a plan?

.004 isn't that far off

 

[PRE66_6TART]

I checked the beer yesterday, and everything points that it is done except that the gravity is a bit high: 1.015 vs 1.011 expected. I may have thrown in one too many frozen water bottles in the swamp cooler towards the end, so I shook things up to see if I can get those last few points. Im cold crashing on Monday to bottle Tuesday which gives me two weeks carbing and two in the fridge.

Sound like a plan?

I agree with union. I'd do three weeks carbing and one in the fridge.

 

[knope]

3 and 1 it is!

.004 isn't that far off

My mash was a little wacky and my OG was a little low (1.044) so my FG can't stay too high or else I'm stuck with beer that is a little too weak