Some noob questions

[stricklandia]

First-time homebrewer, so I'm brewing my first batch mostly from instructions, rather than from experience and knowledge. The beer is in the fermenter, and all is going well so far. It's been in there for a week, and fermentation appears to have slowed, if not stopped. So I'll measure the gravity a couple of times over the next few days to confirm it's done. Is there anything else I should be doing? Like should I shake or stir it up at all to activate any remaining yeast? The temperature has been near the low end of ale fermentation (low 60s) for most of the time, and went down to about 58 degrees last night, so I was unsure of whether that might have put the brakes on fermentation? But it was going strong last week, big ol' foam head, bubbling through the airlock every 5-10 secs, so I'm thinking maybe it's fine, just nearly done.

On the subject of measuring the gravity: is there a best way to get a sample from a glass carboy? Do I tip it over to fill a glass? Use a siphon? (but if I prime a siphon with water, won't that throw off my sample?) Suggestions welcome.

The beer is still quite cloudy; is that normal? Do you recommend filtering it when I rack it from the carboy fermenter to the bottling bucket? Or will it clear up over the next few days as the dead yeast settles to the bottom? I read the FAQ "Do I have to use a Secondary?" Is that the only way to clear up the beer? Or if I leave it alone for another week or two, will that clear it up?

I'm a noob, so I have no idea whether these questions are obvious or dumb, so thanks in advance for your replies. (Yes, I did some browsing and searching first.)

p.s. I'm brewing a California Common (steam beer).

 

[Xaphoeous]

To take a sample, get a turkey baster (sanitize it) and grab a sample out of the carboy that way. Don't try pouring a sample from the carboy into a glass...unless you're a big fan of cleaning up messes and wasting beer!

Many brewers here, when using only a primary, leave it sitting for a good 2-3 weeks. I put my secondary in a cold closet (gets down to about 53F on the fermometer) for 3 days or so before bottling. Seems to clear up some of my beers, but only a little. Use whirlfloc in your next boil and you'll get clearer beer...depending on the beer, of course.

Oh, and don't shake your carboy. You'll just need to let it sit another couple of days after that to let everything settle back out!

Welcome to the forums and to brewing!

 

[asidrane]

Just let it chill, don't shake it around or anything. Take a sample in a couple days and take a sample a couple days after that. If they match, you know fermentation is complete. To get a sample, I would purchase a wine thief and use the tube your hydrometer came in as a test tube.

 

[Cold Country Brewery]

Before you start shaking it or worrying, I'd first check the gravity (a couple days in a row like you said you would). If the FG is where it was supposed to, leave it. If it appears it's stalled or anything abnormal then lets troubleshoot it.

For sampling I use a wine thief and a test jar. Take up some beer with the wine thief and put it in the test jar. Drop the hydrometer in the test jar. It makes it real easy to read and you don't waste much beer. Make sure the wine thief is sanitized. It's a good time to taste the beer too!
http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/3-piece-thief-plastic.html
http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/economy-test-jar.html

A secondary will clear up the beer...so will time. As the yeast settles it will naturally clear up the beer.

 

[hudsonj6]

A few things:
-Don't bother stirring, and actually avoid shaking as this can lead to oxidation (post fermentation)
-Don't use the airlock as a measure of complete fermentation
-You can use either a thief or a turkey baster to get a sample from the carboy
-The beer being cloudy (suspended yeast) is normal and it will clear up/drop out with time
-Lots of people just leave the beer alone for 3 weeks to a month and then it's usually cleared up enough to bottle
-And once you do bottle allow a good 2-3 weeks for it fully carbonate (it might take longer if your temps are on the low end as well)

 

[stricklandia]

Thanks for the replies. Regarding sampling and hydrometer measurement, is it possible (based on the following) that I measured the OG incorrectly?

Not knowing any better method at the time, I carefully poured a sample from the carboy into a glass, and then poured from there into the hydrometer tube to take my reading. I did a partial wort boil, and added water when I put the wort into the fermenter. To get an accurate OG reading, was I supposed to have done a more thorough job of mixing the boiled wort with the water? The reason I have doubts is because my OG was 1.03 (which is low for what I'm brewing: California Common, which calls for an OG of 1.048-1.054). If the wort was not mixed well enough, maybe my sample was watered down, therefore bringing down the OG reading...? So either I got an inaccurate reading, or something is wrong with my beer. I'm assuming (and hoping) it's the former.

 

[rycov]

yes. this happens. since you used a kit, really the only way to have a low OG would be to add too much water. if you followed the directions then your good. you probably either got a sample that wasn't mixed well or didn't take into acount the temperature of the wort (that affects the readings, there are calculators for this out there). RDWHAHB and welcome!

 

[asterix404]

That is most likely the mistake. When I first started taking hydrometer readings I found that when I didn't stir it up before adding yeast that it would be far lower than I would expect, so I threw out the reading and waited 2 weeks and it was done.

As a note, if you are adding water to the wort to get it up to 5g or whatever, shake the primary or use the stirring spoon after it has been sanitized. This will also add oxygen to the wort which you do want (for most beers).

One tip that I have found worked extremely well, wait 2 weeks in the primary, don't take readings because if it's not done correctly you might introduce stuff into the primary (unless you are very careful and even then, opening up the primary and introducing air does strange things to yeast at that stage in the fermentation process), just basically wait. You will not see the air lock bubble vigorously even though it is very much actively fermenting. After two weeks, if there is krausen (a thick sort of poofy white/grey substance) on top of your beer, take the readings then and if it doesn't change you are fine. I have brewed a lot and this only happened to me once.

 

[stricklandia]

Thanks again. If I'm lacking an accurate OG measurement, is there any way to calculate the ABV after the fact?

 

[RM-MN]

If you are brewing from a kit they often tell you the expected OG and your wort will be in the middle of that range somewhere. Once you have the FG where the ferment is totally done, ABV can be calculated. A bunch of the kits I've seen show the expected ABV right on the package.

 

[Cold Country Brewery]

Thanks again. If I'm lacking an accurate OG measurement, is there any way to calculate the ABV after the fact?

Drink a 6 pack... :cross:

 

[rycov]

Thanks again. If I'm lacking an accurate OG measurement, is there any way to calculate the ABV after the fact?

if your not using a kit there are calculators for it online. (dont remember the website) where you can punch in your ingredients and your process and it will give you a predicted OG. try googling brew calculators

 

[McMalty]

First-time homebrewer, so I'm brewing my first batch mostly from instructions, rather than from experience and knowledge. The beer is in the fermenter, and all is going well so far. It's been in there for a week, and fermentation appears to have slowed, if not stopped. So I'll measure the gravity a couple of times over the next few days to confirm it's done. Is there anything else I should be doing? Like should I shake or stir it up at all to activate any remaining yeast? The temperature has been near the low end of ale fermentation (low 60s) for most of the time, and went down to about 58 degrees last night, so I was unsure of whether that might have put the brakes on fermentation? But it was going strong last week, big ol' foam head, bubbling through the airlock every 5-10 secs, so I'm thinking maybe it's fine, just nearly done.

On the subject of measuring the gravity: is there a best way to get a sample from a glass carboy? Do I tip it over to fill a glass? Use a siphon? (but if I prime a siphon with water, won't that throw off my sample?) Suggestions welcome.

The beer is still quite cloudy; is that normal? Do you recommend filtering it when I rack it from the carboy fermenter to the bottling bucket? Or will it clear up over the next few days as the dead yeast settles to the bottom? I read the FAQ "Do I have to use a Secondary?" Is that the only way to clear up the beer? Or if I leave it alone for another week or two, will that clear it up?

I'm a noob, so I have no idea whether these questions are obvious or dumb, so thanks in advance for your replies. (Yes, I did some browsing and searching first.)

p.s. I'm brewing a California Common (steam beer).

Do not shake it, you will risk oxidizing the brew, which is not a good thing.

I like to think that i invented this method of hydrometer reading (i'm sure i did not tho), but i find it the easiest way. Get some string/twine, tie it securely to the very top of the hydrometer (make sure the hydrometer is clean and sterilized) and lower it into your carboy, let it float and settle w/o letting the string touch the brew, then take your reading by looking thru the carboy, then pull the hydrometer out. it's simple. lol, please do not try to tip your carboy over and pour some out, that would be a disaster.

 

[rycov]

i would becareful putting that hydrometer in your fermenting beer. a big reason people take the samples out of the carboy is so you don't risk breaking the hydrometer in the beer. do a search on broken hydrometers. i was just talking to someone about this in another thread.

 

[Pivovar_Koucky]

Do not shake it, you will risk oxidizing the brew, which is not a good thing.

I like to think that i invented this method of hydrometer reading (i'm sure i did not tho), but i find it the easiest way. Get some string/twine, tie it securely to the very top of the hydrometer (make sure the hydrometer is clean and sterilized) and lower it into your carboy, let it float and settle w/o letting the string touch the brew, then take your reading by looking thru the carboy, then pull the hydrometer out. it's simple. lol, please do not try to tip your carboy over and pour some out, that would be a disaster.

Also, the weight of the string will affect the gravity measurement.

 

[rycov]

dental floss might affect it less. but still i would becareful. actually i wouldnt do it, just incase. but if your going to do it, then becareful

 

[Pivovar_Koucky]

. It's been in there for a week, and fermentation appears to have slowed, if not stopped. So I'll measure the gravity a couple of times over the next few days to confirm it's done.

Just wait another week, there's no reason to measure the gravity yet unless you're really curious and you want to know what the beer tastes like with a crap-load of yeast in it.

 

[McMalty]

Also, the weight of the string will affect the gravity measurement.

the string is very very light. can't affect it that much, can it?

 

[Pivovar_Koucky]

the string is very very light. can't affect it that much, can it?

If the temperature of the water can significantly affect the measurement then the weight of a string could certainly affect it. More than 0.1% ABV? Maybe not. But I really don't think its worth it just to know the SG after a week in the fermenter. Unless you are lagering or brewing high gravity or something it's just not that important.