First beer fermenting, now what?

[level-one]

Hello! I brewed my first ever beer last weekend. It is fermenting in a carboy and I've taken a gravity sample and everything seems to be going surprisingly well. I'm using a Kveik yeast which calls for six days of fermenting. Brewfather app estimated about 6% ABV and I'm already at over 5% after a few days. I did not really plan on what to do when I got this far into the process, what do I do on day six?

I have read about "cold crashing" to stop fermentation and help clear up the beer, which sounds like a good idea to me. However, the carboy is too big to fit into my fridge. However, I was thinking of breaking it into two batches anyway because I wanted to bottle some and bottle condition it, and I wanted to bring some to a gathering to share and get feedback and for that I was thinking of putting it in 2L soda bottles and force carbonating it as it would make it easier to share with a group of people that way than in smaller bottles, and also faster than waiting for natural carbonation. I could transfer it into two smaller containers and those would fit in my fridge, is that advisable?

 

[hotbeer]

Sit back and relax until day 5 or 6 and then get another sample to take a SG reading. If it is near about's or lower than the predicted FG, then relax for another 48 hours or so and then take another sample for an SG.

If it's the same as the previous SG then is the beer can be bottled or kegged. If it's somewhat murky looking, then you can clarify it by cold crashing, gelatin or other methods. Or just wait for a few more days or weeks and it'll get real clean and sparkly on it's own. Your choice.

I have read about "cold crashing" to stop fermentation and help clear up the beer,

I've never heard of any informed people saying to stop fermentation by cold crashing. Sure it will stop it, or at least just slow it way down, but then if bottle carbonating you risk over carbonating and having bottle bombs... though I've never experienced bottle bombs.

It does help yeast go to the bottom after they've finished will all the fermentable sugar. But yeast do other things after they've finished with the sugars that also benefits the beer for taste and aroma notes. Depends partly on you and your specific style and recipe of beer.

I was thinking of putting it in 2L soda bottles and force carbonating it as it would make it easier to share with a group of people that way than in smaller bottles, and also faster than waiting for natural carbonation.

How is a big bottle easier to share with others? Then you either don't have enough for everyone or too much. But that is a personal preference and very subjective, so to each their own idea of easier!

Some others will have to talk about force carbonation. Natural carbonation only takes two weeks. And I've sampled many at 1 week that are more than acceptable for carbonation, but the taste and aroma notes are better at 3 weeks.

 

[Gilbert Spinning Horse]

Considering it's your first beer I'd advise keeping it simple. Forget about splitting it into different batches and forget about cold crashing too.
Don't keep opening it to check while its fermenting either. When the beer ferments it fills the head space in the fermenter with CO2, if you open it you'll let oxygen in which can ruin the beer. After pitching your yeast you want to do everything you can to minimize the beer's contact with the air.
If it says 6 days to ferment leave it for 8, check the gravity and, as Hotbeer said above, then leave it another 2 days and check it again. If it's the same reading bottle it, leave it a week or so then drink it.
Hope you enjoy your first beer mate.

 

[level-one]

Hi, Thanks for the advice. Here is an update on where I'm at. Fermentation should have finished on Saturday - day 6. I have not checked the gravity since day 3. Original gravity was measured at 1.062 and target final FG from the brew software says 1.015. As of today I'm at 1.020. Also, I taste a slight green apple flavor. The pH has dropped further from day 3 to day 8. Starting pH of wort was 5.2 and I'm now at 4.5.

Given all of that, what is the advice? Should I check gravity again on Wednesday and if it has not changed, bottle? Or should I wait longer?

 

[Gilbert Spinning Horse]

I'd do that mate, check it wednesday and you'll probably be good to bottle.
Are you checking with a hydrometer or refractometer? Just that 1020 could be slightly high.

 

[tracer bullet]

Let it sit a few more days then call it done. Final gravity is dependent on a lot of things, 1.020 or a little less for a higher ABV beer is just fine.

Congrats!

 

[level-one]

I'm using a hydrometer and using an online calculator to compensate for the temperature - which is about 11-12 degrees F warmer than it is calibrated for. That usually bumps it up about one extra point. So today it read 1.019 and the calculator says it should be 1.020 after compensating for temperature. The 1.062 on brew day was measured by refractometer. Prior to starting brewing I checked it with distilled water and it showed 1.0 but afterward the distilled water was showing 1.002, so it may actually be 1.06 OG. Not too sure what happened there.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

Given all of that, what is the advice? Should I check gravity again on Wednesday and if it has not changed, bottle? Or should I wait longer?

I seldom will bottle a beer before 14 days, and often after 3 weeks. A little extra time to ensure that fermentation is complete, and to give some time for yeast and debris to settle in the fermenter. Rushing to bottle can lead to over carbonation (due to further fermentation in the bottle), off flavors that were not cleaned up, or lead to more debris settling out in each bottle.

 

[KeizerBrewr]

Welcome to the addiction! Don't rush yeast, it won't let you. Doesn't matter what beer I brew, or what yeast I use. I let it ride two full weeks before I even consider checking in on it. That doesn't mean I look at the progress on my Tilt or open the window on my fermenter to see whats going on, it just means I don't break the seal on my fermenter for anything other than DH(dry hopping) before day 14 rolls around. If you let the beer finish fully, the majority of the solids/proteins and whatnot will drop out in your fermenter. Cold crashing, I know is a topic with strong opinions. If you bottle, putting it into the fridge to chill out for a couple days is COLD CRASHING. If you put a keg into the fridge to chill down, that is COLD CRASHING. I don't mind having a layer of yeast in the bottom of my bottle, it just means it is done and the beer is ready to drink. The beer will tell you when it is ready. RDWHAHB.

 

[renstyle]

Also, I taste a slight green apple flavor....

That is acetaldehyde, which is precursor to the creation of alcohol during fermentation.

In kegged beer this flavor can stick around in the batch seemingly forever if you ended fermentation prematurely.
I dunno if the priming sugar used to carbonate in bottles would clear this, as I have never bottled that way.

Time is your best friend here, a few extra days at fermentation temps will eventually eat this compound up.

Getting to that 14-21 day window prior to packaging should be sufficient.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

I brewed my first ever beer last weekend.

I have read about "cold crashing" to stop fermentation and help clear up the beer, which sounds like a good idea to me.

bottle some and bottle condition it

I've never heard of any informed people saying to stop fermentation by cold crashing. Sure it will stop it, or at least just slow it way down, but then if bottle carbonating you risk over carbonating and having bottle bombs... though I've never experienced bottle bombs.

---

@level-one - @hotbeer is correct about cold crashing slowing down, but not stopping fermentation.

If you are bottling, you need to know that fermentation has completed (not stalled or infected / contaminated).

Typically, this is done taking a FG reading every couple of days starting when fermentation is believed to be complete. If the FG readings are 1) stable and 2) fall within the estimated range for the recipe, then fermentation is complete.