One week fermentation, already at Final Gravity range.

[rcamara]

My Belgian Pale Ale is already at 1.001, started at 1.0055, but its only been one week.

Shall I bottle already or should I wait a few more days. The airlock is still ocassionally bubbling, it went bezerk the 3 first days.

Any comment would be greatly appreciated.

 

[RM-MN]

I've bottled beer at one week. That was when I started and the kit said to do it that way. I know better now and leave the beer in the fermenter longer, usually about 3 weeks. That gives the yeast time to complete cleaning up the intermediate products of the fermentation and to clump up and settle out. My early beers would have at least 1/4" of sediment in each bottle. Now it is hard to see the sediment.

 

[Calder]

I'm in no hurry, I leave mine at least 5 weeks. Beer is clear and very little sediment.

Leave it a couple more weeks at least. It will help clear the beer = less sediment in the bottle, better storage (dying yeast can deteriorate beer).

Yeast create some intermediate products during fermentation, leaving the beer longer (a few days is probably all it needs for this), will help the yeast clean up these products making a cleaner tasting beer.

There is no need to rush it, and there are some benefits from waiting.

 

[rcamara]

Thank you both! Its my second all grain batch, and the first time with the hydrometer so it kind of confused me that the FG was ok already.

 

[vincentAlpha]

Some of the more aggressive yeast strains can rip right through to just above the FG in a few days so after a week it isn't too surprising. As others have said it is worth sitting on it for at least 2 weeks before bottling(about how long I can wait before getting too twitchy and kegging )

 

[rcamara]

Thanks! I have a follow up question. Is there a correlation between a final high gravity and a "thicker" mouthfeel of the beer?

 

[PLOVE]

Just assuming you meant 1.05 OG. . . what temp were you fermenting at? For a low OG beer it's not uncommon to completely ferment to dryness within 48 hours with a healthy pitch and ferm temps around 70. Somewhere I read that Bass Ale is mash to ship in like 5 days. Of course they're likely filtering, but it indicates that fast ferments are pretty common (even desirable).

To wait or not? To be safe, I'd recommend waiting another week (even two). This gives the yeasties some extra time to clean up and undesirables (e.g. diacetyl), and ensures that you won't end up with bottle rockets due to an uncalibrated hydrometer. Beer is perfectly happy sitting on a healthy yeast cake too; no need to rack to a secondary IMHO.

Good luck!
P

 

[btbnl]

Just assuming you meant 1.05 OG

And 1.01 FG

 

[BigFloyd]

And 1.01 FG

Yeah, if you're at 1.001, you may have a problem.

Give it another 4-5 days for the yeast to consume/convert fermentation by-products before you consider bottling this batch.

 

[rcamara]

Thanx!! I did meant 1.0XX as gravity i added an extra zero. I am fermenting at 15 - 17°C

 

[rcamara]

This sunday will be 14 days and I intend to move 2 gal to a small fermenter and to check how much it improves in the secondary and an extra week, and bottle the rest of the batch.

 

[brew_ny]

if it is done it is done cold crash keg and enjoy