1.020 in secondary, time to bottle?

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balzur

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My SG was 1060, transfered to secondary after a week and the gravity was 1030, so I pitched more yeast. After 3 weeks in secondary it's at 1020. I think it's time to bottle. Would that be right? There's no more bubbling, so I think the yeast has ran its course. Should I use priming sugar even though the gravity is already high? Thanks...
 
Just a tip for next time:

Don't just transfer to secondary after a week if it's not done yet. Did you check via hydrometer to make sure your beer was done fermenting in primary first?
 
PseudoChef said:
Just a tip for next time:

Don't just transfer to secondary after a week if it's not done yet. Did you check via hydrometer to make sure your beer was done fermenting in primary first?

+1 secondary is NOT for fermentation, its for clearing. you shouldn't transfer to secondary until fermentation has ceased in primary.
 
Mind if I add my .02.... I ferment in the primary until the bubbles commence to about 2 a minute (about 3 to 4 days). Then I leave it in the secondary for 1 week. I read this guideline in a homebrew book. I have always done my secondary fermentation this way.
Perhaps I should go by the sg. more than just t he bubbles. I would love some critique on my process.
My theory is that if the beer completely ferments in the primary there would no active to create the protective co2 blanket in the secondary. Furthermore, if all the active ceases in the primary, would there be anything left for bottle conditioning?




Got some Robust Porter clearing in the fridge.
 
brewdoctor said:
I ferment in the primary until the bubbles commence to about 2 a minute (about 3 to 4 days). Then I leave it in the secondary for 1 week. I read this guideline in a homebrew book. I have always done my secondary fermentation this way.
Perhaps I should go by the sg. more than just t he bubbles. I would love some critique on my process.
My theory is that if the beer completely ferments in the primary there would no active to create the protective co2 blanket in the secondary. Furthermore, if all the active ceases in the primary, would there be anything left for bottle conditioning?

Critique: its not terrible, but you're just guessing when the beer is done.
7 days in primary, minimum. you need 3 days of consistent hydrometer readings, which you should start taking when the airlock ceases to bubble.

as far as the protective CO2 blanket...as long as you're not rough housing the secondary, a little headspace is nothing to worry about. I'm assuming you're brewing 5 gallons, and then going to a glass carboy that's 5gallons, so that you've got very little headspace to begin with.
when that's the case, the minute amount of CO2 that simply falls out of the beer will provide that CO2 blanket, even if you don't see the airlock bubbling.

that's how I do mine, and I also have to tote the carboy down to the basement for crash cooling, and my beer doesn't have any oxidation type flavors/staleness.

really, the act of racking beer, and bottling, is more likely to oxidize than when the beer is still and at rest.

and for bottle conditioning...there's guys on here that do 4 month secondaries, then prime & bottle like normal, and they get carbonation.
so 2-4 weeks in secondary still leaves plenty of yeast in suspension to carbonate when bottling. You must add a priming sugar or dry malt extract to give them food to carbonate with.

:rockin:
 
I am in a similar boat right now to balzar. I have a wheat beer (OG 1.047) that I just transferred into secondary after 10 days. I took a hydrometer reading after for 3 days and had an approximate reading of 1.020 each time. Due to scheduling, I had to transfer the beer (in my own mind at least).

I would not like to have a 3% ABV brew and called my local HBS to inquire about re-pitching some yeast. Advice given was to aerate and leave it alone for another week and that it would drop another .5 percent. I DO NOT LIKE THAT ADVICE (Oxygenation and .5 will do nothing but add off flavors and no significant drop).

What does the group believe would be the best move in this position?

1. Create a starter from my washed yeast (Nottingham Munich) from this current batch and re-pitch?
2. Leave alone? ... (Relax and have a homebrew? :) )


Also, I am going to keg this beer, not bottle so no new sugars will be added.
 
I'd start by trying to figure out what I did wrong with the initial pitch, not enough yeast, yeast not viable, temperature too low, etc... I'd pass this 3% batch off as a 'light' wheat beer and try to do better the next time around.

As for not having yeast left for bottle priming....I've already done many lagers where the primary fermentations took 4 weeks, followed by another 4 weeks in the refrigerator to condition, and every one bottle carb'd just fine at 65F with the same yeast.
 
Idk,1.020 is still a little high to me. Make sure you have stable hydrometer readings over 3 days to make sure it's done.
 
I'd start by trying to figure out what I did wrong with the initial pitch, not enough yeast, yeast not viable, temperature too low, etc... I'd pass this 3% batch off as a 'light' wheat beer and try to do better the next time around.

As for not having yeast left for bottle priming....I've already done many lagers where the primary fermentations took 4 weeks, followed by another 4 weeks in the refrigerator to condition, and every one bottle carb'd just fine at 65F with the same yeast.

I pitched a re-hydrated Nottingham Munich dry packet. As I am draining my wort, I aerate it by siphoning it into my fermenter and giving it about a 1.5ft gravity drop through a screened funnel. On that note, I feel pretty confident that process was successful.

The one area that remains open for me was that I followed the advice in "Brewing Classic Styles" for my fermentation temperature. They suggested 62*F. Jamil claimed that we was even skeptical of the temp, but that it produced great results (less banana and more malt characteristics).

+1 on the "light wheat beer" it's all about how we sell the brew :)

For the future, would you suggest a warmer fermentation? 67 - 70*?

- Clint
 
Idk,1.020 is still a little high to me. Make sure you have stable hydrometer readings over 3 days to make sure it's done.

Hey Everyone,

Sorry for the back to back messages, I'm just getting used to the forums options. Anyways, I actually just picked up this hydrometer within the past week. It is a True Brew triple hydrometer. It seems pretty decent to me. The 1.020 reading came three consecutive days in a row.

- Clint
 
I'm still trying to figure out why you replied to a thread from 4 years ago?

Hey Malkore,

So far I have had good luck with people reaching out to me, despite the age of the thread. I'm guessing that brewers are searching through threads to trouble shoot like I am and notice the fresh post. Also, I post on these threads because they are the most unique to my current situation. Since I am new to the forum, is it more appropriate to begin new threads?

- Clint
 
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