Done fermenting.......maybe

[Drummeruss]

So I have a mocha porter in the fermenter, 3 gallon batch, yeast pitched on December 26. Due to a lack of brain waves, I forgot to take the beginning specific gravity. Tested it (SpGr) after 3 days and got 1.030. On 1/4/23, it was 1.023; this evening, 1.022. Seems like it may be done, but the target SpGr, according to the recipe, is 1.012. Wort tastes fine, nothing going wrong. Checked my yeast pitch rate and it was well above what I needed (didn't make a starter). Sort of afraid to bottle it, but it really isn't bubbling much anymore. So.....bottle it? Wait another week? Or pitch another packet of yeast?

I appreciate all who may have taken the time to read this and offer advice. Still sort of new to this, but enjoying the heck out of it. Thank you again for your time.

Russell

 

[Zambezi Special]

How did you measure gravity?

Your Final Gravity depends on a couple of things, one of which is Original Gravity. Another is your mash temperature.
Plus it will not always be what the software says. It's an estimate.

 

[Drummeruss]

I measure specific gravity with a hydrometer, corrected to the temperature of the wort. I've been monitoring the gas lock, it's barely bubbling, so I'm assuming that what is done is done.

Russ

 

[RM-MN]

Your Final Gravity depends on a couple of things, one of which is Original Gravity. Another is your mash temperature.
Plus it will not always be what the software says. It's an estimate.

Another factor in the final gravity is the recipe. A porter may have some unfermentable sugars added within the recipe. It is also possible that the yeast quit early if the fermentation was kept too cool.

 

[hotbeer]

Wait 3 more days and check the SG again.

The general rule for FG is getting the same gravity 2 - 3 days apart. However I have had a few batches go 4 days between a single point drop. One did that for the last 2 or 3 points of drop.

If you wait for the beer to get very clear and everything drop out of suspension, then you probably reached FG quite a while before that. I usually wait for the clearing of the beer. FG only tells you when it stopped making more alcohol. IMO, not when it's ready to bottle/keg and drink.

 

[grampamark]

A couple of questions-
What yeast did you use and what did the recipe predict for an original gravity?

A final gravity of .012 would suggest an OG of around 1.050. If you’re at .022 you’ve only taken out 28 gravity points which would be an attenuation of 56%. Most ale yeasts will finish in the 70-80% range, but some are known for relatively low attenuation. With an OG of .050 an FG of .012 would be 38 gravity points or 76% attenuation.

As suggested, try warming the beer up and leaving it warm for another 4-5 days before taking another gravity reading. I don’t think I‘d chance bottling it at this stage.

 

[balrog]

Re:

if the fermentation was kept too cool.

@Drummeruss , what was the fermentation temp situation?

 

[Drummeruss]

Thank you for all the input, I do so greatly appreciate it. So.....fermentation temperature has been pretty consistent in the 68-70 range. I used Safale US-05, warmed to room temperature for about 3 hours before pitching; wort temperature was 74F at pitching. The SG hasn't changed for a week, well it dropped 0.001 points. As stated, I messed up and forgot to take an initial reading, but per the recipe it should have been around 1.055 at the start-totally my bad. But.....what I did do, as has been suggested on other chats, was give the fermenter a pretty good shake, and after 2 hours it's bubbling away again quite consistently, about 1-2 bubbles/second. So gonna let it sit until the bubbling slows again, and see where I am at that point.

Thank you all again for taking time and for your input.

Russell

 

[balrog]

Some of that bubbling may simply be outgassing. As the yeast work they convert sugar to alcohol and CO2, some of which is dissolved in the liquid. By agitating the fermenter, some of that dissolved CO2 will come out of solution and cause the airlock to bubble. Just keep it in mind.

 

[ncbrewer]

I'll just suggest that if you do bottle at a high FG, handle the bottles carefully, with protection in case some explode. This applies when stored, and when you carry or open them.