6 Days in Primary, SG at 1.020?

[dirtymartini]

This is my second batch and I feel like this one is not going well either. My OG was 1.032, but I took the reading right after adding the make up water to my Primary.

It is a Brewers Best kit, American Micro Pale Ale(Sierra Nevada)

After pitching the re-hydrated yeast (Nottingham), fermentation took off after just a few hours. It bubbled like crazy for about 24 hours, good Krausen, and then bubbling came to a screeching halt. It has been 6 days so I decided to check the SG, and came up with 1.020. Should I stir up the Trub/Yeast Cake to see if it will re-start or should I add another packet of yeast? Or should I just go the the Beer Store and buy my Micro Brews???

I followed the directions to a "T"

BTW, the temp has stayed right around 68 degrees.

 

[Fiery Sword]

For the most part it sounds like a pretty typical fermentation. The only # that seems a bit low is you starting gravity - maybe a more experienced member could clarify if that could be the source for a problem. Are you planning on racking the beer to a clearing/secondary tank? If so, I think I'd just rack it and let it go for another 2 weeks. You will probably drop a few more ticks on the gravit and all will be well.

Overall though, it sounds fine!!!!! .....but I'd drink some Micro if you've got no homebrew anyway.

 

[dirtymartini]

OK....I feel better now! After thinking I was not going to get a handle on this Brewing, I remembered the the advice I was offered early on....RDWHAHB.
So I did. After only conditioning in the bottle for one week I said screw it, I have to know if the first batch turned out like anything resembling beer.

I reached for my antique bottle opener and slowly popped the cap. I was rewarded with a nice PFFFFTTT. WOW, It was actually carbonated! I carefully tilted the bottle and poured slowly. Looks like beer. TASTE! Tastes like beer!
It's actually quite good., now the trick is to leave it alone for another couple weeks...Well maybe one or two on my Birthday (the 20th)

If this is only going to get better, I'm definitely hooked

 

[cweston]

1. I don't believe your OG figure--I think that's too low if you followed the kit directions. Did you stir well before taking your reading?

2. Your very fast ferment is actually pretty typical, especially with dry yeast, in my experience.

3. 1.020 is probably approaching being finished, but a little high. If you're planning to rack to secondary, do it. That may rouse the yeast back into suspension and get things going a little. If not, try gently swirling the fermenter. Some dried yeasts are extremely flocculent (meaning they fall out of suspension a little too easily).

There's no hurry--every day your beer ages, it gets better, whether it's in the primary, in the secondary, or in the bottle.

 

[Fiery Sword]

I agree with cweston that the starting gravity # is suspect.

Regardless, I bet the beer is fine. Let 'er go like usual.

Also, your bottled beer will definitely get better with age. I am at the point where I have enough bottles and kegs around to let things condition for a month before I open them. At that point, they are usually reeeeal good. Now that doesn't mean I can help myself sometimes in popping a beer that has only been in a bottle for 2 weeks. Sometimes curiosity wins out, as you seem to be experiencing! The longer you want though, the better it will be.

......Which is why some of us go nuts and end up sitting on 30 gallons of beer just to "be ahead of the game" and always have great homebrew at the ready. You wil find yourself buying more and more bottles.....and you will probably end up want a keg rig soon! Cheers!

 

[dirtymartini]

Did you stir well before taking your reading?

No, I actually took the reading after pouring in the make up water, my bad!





3.

1.020 is probably approaching being finished, but a little high. If you're planning to rack to secondary, do it. That may rouse the yeast back into suspension and get things going a little. If not, try gently swirling the fermenter. Some dried yeasts are extremely flocculent (meaning they fall out of suspension a little too easily).

I just bought another glass carboy, I'll rack to secondary for two weeks.

There's no hurry--every day your beer ages, it gets better, whether it's in the primary, in the secondary, or in the bottle.[/QUOTE]

 

[zoebisch01]

I would keep an eye on it. Nottingham is a pretty high attenuating yeast in general. Did you take your OG reading with the sample at room temperature?

 

[werb]

I am very new to this, but can speak from my first failure. What was the wort temperature when you pitched your yeast? My first brew was very similar to your in that I had great activity for 24 hours then nothing. Someone on here suggested that I committed a classic rookie mistake in pitching when my wort was still too warm. And, this turned out to be the problem.

For my next batch, the one I am currently fermenting, I made sure the wort temp. was mid-70 before pitching. I am now into day 3 of active fermentation and am feeling much more confident. :fro:

 

[cweston]

Also, if you haven't already, check your hydrometer by taking a reading in 60 degree water. It should read 1.000.

 

[zoebisch01]

Also, if you haven't already, check your hydrometer by taking a reading in 60 degree water. It should read 1.000.

Good idea, also make sure it is calibrated @ 60 F. Mine is a 68 F calibration.

 

[TheJadedDog]

No, I actually took the reading after pouring in the make up water, my bad!

You should be taking the reading after bringing your wort up to 5 gallons, otherwise your OG will be mistakenly high.

Gravity readings are a measure of the liquid's density, if you take it with only 2gal of liquid rather than 5, the density will be much higher than after you top off to the full amount and it's the full amount that you care about.

 

[dirtymartini]

You should be taking the reading after bringing your wort up to 5 gallons, otherwise your OG will be mistakenly high.

Gravity readings are a measure of the liquid's density, if you take it with only 2gal of liquid rather than 5, the density will be much higher than after you top off to the full amount and it's the full amount that you care about.

Actually, what I did was pour the wort into my primary, then added the water and didn't mix it in thouroughly before taking my sample for OG.

At least I think this is where the OG reading got screwed up...and yes I have checked the calibration of the Hydrometer it was reading 1.000 in 60 degree water.

 

[SOB]

I am very new to this, but can speak from my first failure. What was the wort temperature when you pitched your yeast? My first brew was very similar to your in that I had great activity for 24 hours then nothing. Someone on here suggested that I committed a classic rookie mistake in pitching when my wort was still too warm. And, this turned out to be the problem.

For my next batch, the one I am currently fermenting, I made sure the wort temp. was mid-70 before pitching. I am now into day 3 of active fermentation and am feeling much more confident. :fro:

I also believe I did this. For my first brew I didn't have a wort chiller. I cooled it down in an ice bath till it reached about 100, then, thinking I would help mix the yeast (because I didnt have a sanitized spoon anymore) I pitched my yeast, THEN added my almost frozen water to bring it down to approx. 70.

I had a good, some what active ferment for a day or two, now nothing!

Last night I did take a hydro reading (and a little sip ) it looked pretty good, and tasted alot better than I thought it would!

My question is, if my yeast didn't ferment like it should have, how would I know? I forgot to take a SG so I can't compare it to my FG.

 

[TheJadedDog]

What was the hydro reading? What was your recipe? Yeast? How long has it been in the fermenter? Is there any airlock activity? Was there any sign of fermentation (krausen)?

These are the basic questions you should answer in order to determine where your ferment is at right now. For example, low SG, apparent attenuation based on probable OG and current SG, more than a week in the fermenter, no airlock activity, ext... Post your recipe and the guys on here will be able to calculate your OG (they are good at that around here).

Once you have those answers you'll be able to get a better idea as to whether or not fermentation is complete.