4 days into fermentation

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Geneticjim

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So I was impatient and wanted to take a gravity reading. I sterilized everything. I started with OG 1.066. The gravity reading today is 1.010. the fermenter is still bubbling but it slowed down. Did I just make a beer that's about 7.4% avb? I guess I need to wait until day 10 to cold hop and go to secondary. I'm excited, this is my first batch and it's all grain.
 
Congrats on your first all grain!
Posting the recipe would help folks answer your question.
I know its hard to be patient but do try. A beer at 1.010 is probably done but leaving it on the yeast cake for a week to ten days is a good idea. Unless it is cloudy, you don't have to cold crash a beer. If it is cloudy in the secondary then you may want to do that.



So I was impatient and wanted to take a gravity reading. I sterilized everything. I started with OG 1.066. The gravity reading today is 1.010. the fermenter is still bubbling but it slowed down. Did I just make a beer that's about 7.4% avb? I guess I need to wait until day 10 to cold hop and go to secondary. I'm excited, this is my first batch and it's all grain.
 
So I was impatient and wanted to take a gravity reading. I sterilized everything. I started with OG 1.066. The gravity reading today is 1.010. the fermenter is still bubbling but it slowed down. Did I just make a beer that's about 7.4% avb? I guess I need to wait until day 10 to cold hop and go to secondary. I'm excited, this is my first batch and it's all grain.

I have a better idea. Assuming you have a carboy for secondary, fill that carboy up with mead. Now mead will take a while to finish so your carboy will be in use when you think you need to move your beer to secondary...so don't. There isn't any real benefit to moving your beer unless you are trying to harvest yeast (and even that is questionable) so just dry hop right in the primary. That eliminates another vessel to clean, avoids the chance of infection or oxidation that can happen when moving to secondary, and you end up with a nice mead to drink too. :mug:
 
So I was impatient and wanted to take a gravity reading. I sterilized everything. I started with OG 1.066. The gravity reading today is 1.010. the fermenter is still bubbling but it slowed down. Did I just make a beer that's about 7.4% avb? I guess I need to wait until day 10 to cold hop and go to secondary. I'm excited, this is my first batch and it's all grain.

It does look like you made a beer at that alcohol level. The recipe says it should be 1.073 OG. Did you correct for temperature when you took the reading in the beginning?

It could go a little lower, especially if it is still bubbling. At day 10, check it again. Then dry hop and leave it alone till that's done.
 
I'm actually using the fast ferment conical. I will leave the collection ball on until day 10. Then I am going to need to empty it a few times though.
 
So my gravity is at 1.007 and it's still bubbling a little. I started the dry hop. I have 3 more additional dry hop days. Tomorrow if it's done bubbling I will collect the trub and yeast. I have the fast ferment. The krausin is gone. I am chilling a sample so I can taste it and see if it clears out better
 
I have a better idea. Assuming you have a carboy for secondary, fill that carboy up with mead. Now mead will take a while to finish so your carboy will be in use when you think you need to move your beer to secondary...so don't. There isn't any real benefit to moving your beer unless you are trying to harvest yeast (and even that is questionable) so just dry hop right in the primary. That eliminates another vessel to clean, avoids the chance of infection or oxidation that can happen when moving to secondary, and you end up with a nice mead to drink too. :mug:


Not to pick a fight or anything, but just so I can pass along some knowledge from a Ken Grossman of Sierra Nevada and also the head brewer of Laganitus. They said the best temp to dry hop is 68F, and that you get the best aroma from your hops at that temp, because it extracts more of the oils. They also suggests only dry hopping for 72hrs. Oh and the part that clashes with what you suggested was that they strongly suggests that you transfer to a bright tank or secondary once you start seeing the PH level of your beer start to rise slightly. You will never get the most out of your dry hopping while the beer is on the yeast cake.

Again I'm just passing along what they have said, but do what you want. There is no one correct way to make beer.
 
Is there anything negative going that low for a FG?


The flavor of your beer. When its that low it will be thin and dry.

Usually it means there's bacteria fermenting it, since yeast can't eat all the sugars in beer.
 
The flavor of your beer. When its that low it will be thin and dry.

Usually it means there's bacteria fermenting it, since yeast can't eat all the sugars in beer.

Depends on a lot. I have Saison's that will finish out near 1.000. Still flavorful, but dry.

I doubt this one will finish much lower if lower at all.
Of course unless there is something other then yeast eating at those sugars.
 
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