Stuck or done?

[osoling]

Hey all,

I've got my second batch ever in the fermenter. It's a Belgian ale. The original gravity was 1.071 and the target gravity is 1.014. The airlock stopped bubbling after 6 days and I haven't seen a blip since. Today is day ten.

I took a reading and the gravity is at 1.020. That seems pretty far off of 1.014, but I'm not sure if it's far or not. I guess I'll learn.

My question is... Is this brew done or stuck? I let it warm up through the range of acceptable temperatures. It was at 67* and I left it rise to 74* to see if anything would happen. Nothing did. I sampled what I pulled from the fermenter and it was pretty good, but seemed watery.

If it's stuck, what do I do?

Thanks for your help and anything you feel I should know...

Osoling

 

[Oaney]

Considering you started so high, 1.020 isn't that far off from 1.014. I'll bet it tasted watery because it was flat, but did it taste sweet at all? I made the mistake of bottling too early twice and the resulting beer was a bit too sweet for me, but there is no harm in letting the beer sit in the primary fermenter for longer. Personally I would wait a minimum of 2 weeks in primary especially with such a high OG.

 

[RM-MN]

Hey all,

I've got my second batch ever in the fermenter. It's a Belgian ale. The original gravity was 1.071 and the target gravity is 1.014. The airlock stopped bubbling after 6 days and I haven't seen a blip since. Today is day ten.

I took a reading and the gravity is at 1.020. That seems pretty far off of 1.014, but I'm not sure if it's far or not. I guess I'll learn.

My question is... Is this brew done or stuck? I let it warm up through the range of acceptable temperatures. It was at 67* and I left it rise to 74* to see if anything would happen. Nothing did. I sampled what I pulled from the fermenter and it was pretty good, but seemed watery.

If it's stuck, what do I do?

Thanks for your help and anything you feel I should know...

Osoling

This is a pretty big beer and this is day ten. Leave it where it is and check back with us in 10 more days to let us know what the gravity is then. Beers ferment pretty fast the first few days and then slow way down as the yeast deals with eating more difficult parts of the wort.

 

[osoling]

Considering you started so high, 1.020 isn't that far off from 1.014. I'll bet it tasted watery because it was flat, but did it taste sweet at all? I made the mistake of bottling too early twice and the resulting beer was a bit too sweet for me, but there is no harm in letting the beer sit in the primary fermenter for longer. Personally I would wait a minimum of 2 weeks in primary especially with such a high OG.

Yeah, it did actually take pretty good. Not as "pure" of a flavor as I would like, mostly because of the watery. I did think that if it were cold, that would help. I guess I thought the same thing on my first batch, too. It's all a learning process.

I guess I'll wait until Sunday to bottle it. That will be two weeks. I might also take another reading on Friday to see if it's the same. Like a friend of mine said, "the worst case scenario - you made beer. Next time you'll make good beer."

 

[hnycrk]

I Allways let mine site in the primary for at least 3 to 4 weeks. You can be almost certain its done by then.

 

[Oaney]

Yeah, it did actually take pretty good. Not as "pure" of a flavor as I would like, mostly because of the watery. I did think that if it were cold, that would help. I guess I thought the same thing on my first batch, too. It's all a learning process.

I guess I'll wait until Sunday to bottle it. That will be two weeks. I might also take another reading on Friday to see if it's the same. Like a friend of mine said, "the worst case scenario - you made beer. Next time you'll make good beer."

Well I ask if it tasted sweet because if so, there are still fermentable sugars in there and you should leave it. If it didn't taste 'pure' its because the yeast aren't done cleaning up after themselves and you should still leave it.

I was saying 2 weeks would be my minimum, not a target to shoot for. I agree with the previous poster who said 3-4 weeks, especially with such a high OG. There is no problem with leaving the beer in the primary on the yeast cake at the homebrew scale, it will definitely help to 'finish' the beer, trust me.

The first 2 batches I did, I bottled too early and although I drank every bottle, I was still somewhat disappointed with the results. In hindsight this was only because I was new to brewing and too eager to get it bottled and done and try it out. In subsequent batches I waited longer than 2 weeks even, and although it was killing me to see the fermenter just sit there not doing anything, I was really glad I pushed off bottling to the 3-4 week mark. The resulting beer was so much better than I would have expected on my 3rd batch!

There definitely is a learning curve, but the more you sample along the way, and the more you brew and know what to look for, your beers will grow exponentially better. I like what your friend said about worst case you made beer, haha. You know what else they say though, "Good things come to those who wait."

 

[Kaz]

Agree with hynck....let it go to at least 3 weeks, take another gravity reading, let it go another week and then bottle.

 

[IL1kebeer]

If the yeast are done then you are wasting your time by keeping it in your primary for "good measure". Take three gravity readings over three consecutive days and if they match up then your yeast are likely done.

 

[MindenMan]

If the yeast are done then you are wasting your time by keeping it in your primary for "good measure". Take three gravity readings over three consecutive days and if they match up then your yeast are likely done.

I do agree three consecutive readings do mean the fermentation is over.
I don't agree with him wasting his time. Some yeasts need a D-rest, and racking out of the primary too soon is a recipe for disastrous tasting beer.

 

[Trox]

If the yeast are done then you are wasting your time by keeping it in your primary for "good measure". Take three gravity readings over three consecutive days and if they match up then your yeast are likely done.

Actually it is advisable to leave it in the primary for a week or 2 after the FG stabilizes so that the yeast has a chance to cleanup after themselves.

 

[IL1kebeer]

Actually it is advisable to leave it in the primary for a week or 2 after the FG stabilizes so that the yeast has a chance to cleanup after themselves.

Nope. Once the yeast finish then you are done with any yeast related conditioning, and this happens after 8-14 days for a properly fermented ale at a reasonable OG. It could take longer in poorly conducted fermentations or really big beers.

Yeast clean up is finished more like 2-4 days after terminal gravity is reached. Anything after that is simply clearing and aging, which can be done in a keg or bottles.

 

[IL1kebeer]

I do agree three consecutive readings do mean the fermentation is over. I don't agree with him wasting his time. Some yeasts need a D-rest, and racking out of the primary too soon is a recipe for disastrous tasting beer.

Nope. If the the beer was properly fermented then a D rest isn't even necessary. Not a lick of diacetyl in my American Wheats that are fermented for 7 days without a D rest. Other experienced brewers on here can attest (and do regularly) that if a healthy fermentation is conducted then most ales are ready to be racked in 8-14 days.

Obviously if one is under pitching, under oxygenating, fermenting without precise temp control, etc. then they will need to take extra measures to get the yeast to clean up all they can.

 

[osoling]

Well, I did the smart thing and took a few readings. I pretty much suck at reading the hydrometer consistently, but it went from 1.020 to 1.016 before temperature correction. I think it's just going really slow. It's just so weird not to see any activity in the airlock. At all. Still. But the hydrometer moved, so it's gonna stay in the fermenter a few more days. I'll take another reading in a few days.

Did know that the bottling wand makes a great thief? It fits perfectly in the airlock hole in my bucket. It takes me 15 dips to get enough wort to measure, but the refractor is on the wish list for Christmas.

Still learning from your feedback, so keep it coming.

 

[RM-MN]

Well, I did the smart thing and took a few readings. I pretty much suck at reading the hydrometer consistently, but it went from 1.020 to 1.016 before temperature correction. I think it's just going really slow. It's just so weird not to see any activity in the airlock. At all. Still. But the hydrometer moved, so it's gonna stay in the fermenter a few more days. I'll take another reading in a few days.

Did know that the bottling wand makes a great thief? It fits perfectly in the airlock hole in my bucket. It takes me 15 dips to get enough wort to measure, but the refractor is on the wish list for Christmas.

Still learning from your feedback, so keep it coming.

Here's a good explanation of what is going on throughout the ferementation from when you pitch the yeast until the beer is ready to bottle or keg. Your beer is now in the third (and slowest) phase. http://www.brewgeeks.com/the-life-cycle-of-yeast.html

 

[fartinmartin]

No airlock activity at what seems like the end, there can be a tiny leak, like a slow puncture,
The air pressure dictated from the weather also can have an influence, we have to wait and wait.

 

[osoling]

That was a very useful article. Thanks for that. I'm still waiting...

 

[Yooper]

There is a period of "cleanup" that the yeast goes through. This process doesn't take weeks, though. It takes a couple of days.

You can leave your beer in the fermenter if you want- and many do. Some prefer the flavor of a beer that spends more time on the yeast cake. I do not, and package my beer much sooner.

Once the beer is done for at least 3 days, and is clear (or clearing), the beer can be packaged. It won't hurt the beer to not be packaged then, although there are subtle flavor changes with a bit of time on the yeast cake.

 

[ericbw]

You're always going to get 90 different answers. So it can be done somewhere between 7 days and 4 weeks. I've noticed the best results after at least 2 weeks, but 3-4 is what I usually do.

One issue to consider: while 7 days may work under the right conditions (ferment temp, yeast pitch rate, aeration, etc.), odds are you didn't do all of those optimally. So the extra time lets the beer and yeast fix some of the problems you caused along the way.

When I build things, I take far more steps than someone who is an experienced carpenter. It takes me time to be sure I do it right, and then fix my mistakes. Beer is the same. When you do all those steps right, you can get it done quicker; until then, patience and time are your friends.

And even once you get all of those things down, a few more days in primary isn't going to do much damage (or any, really).

One other thought: I would be careful about too many samples. That's a chance for infection each time.

 

[osoling]

Just a follow-up...
Beer is in the bottles, ready for Christmas and taste great. I'm sure there is some room for improvement, and I look forward to getting better. As for this batch, it's going to be my feat of strength at a Festavus party tomorrow. We refrain from wrestling the 70 year old host to the ground and just do something that's pretty awesome.

So, without further ado, here is my "Feat of Strength Ale"!