A little nervous...FG still pretty high

[jonwilliams48]

Hi all,

I am new to brewing and have my first batch in the fermenter. I feel i did my homework really well and read a TON and watched a lot of videos to educate myself. I did my first batch last week which was a Scottish Red Ale. I used BeeerSmith and pretty much hit all my numbers. It was a 1 gallon BIAB method.

Anyhow my OG was 1.061 into the fermenter. Pitched a half packet of White Labs Scottish Ale yeast. No starter as it was only a 1 gal batch. I actually over-pitched a little...no biggy.

It's been in primary for 10 days now with no visible activity for the last 6 days. Just did a gravity reading and it;s still pretty high at 1.034. I was expecting it to be closer to 1.018. Temperature has been around 66 degrees.

Do I just wait? I was planning on 3 weeks in primary (no secondary) then bottling for 3 weeks with corn sugar for bottle conditioning.



Thoughts?

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Since there is a drop in SG reading fermentation is taking place. Is your measurement taken with a hydometer or refractometer? If it was the later you need to "correct" the reading to account for the ETOH.

 

[jonwilliams48]

OK I'm a noob and forgot one important thing. I am using a refractometer and need to correct for final gravity. So according to BeerSmith...my corrected gravity is 1.021...much better. I was reading 9 brix.

So I should be good?

 

[kh54s10]

Are you measuring with a hydrometer or refractometer. If a refractometer you have to run the number through a calculation to account for the presence of alcohol.

If you measured with a hydrometer make sure the temperature of the sample is close to what the hydrometer is calibrated for. Usually 60 degrees.

It should still not read that high. I would swirl it a little and let it sit at room temperature - 70 degrees or so if possible for a few of days then measure again. IMO, 1.034 is too high to bottle. If it ferments more you will get bottle bombs. If not it will probably be very sweet.

 

[jonwilliams48]

Since there is a drop in SG reading fermentation is taking place. Is your measurement taken with a hydometer or refractometer? If it was the later you need to "correct" the reading to account for the ETOH.

I promise I thought of this myself before reading your reply

 

[jonwilliams48]

Are you measuring with a hydrometer or refractometer. If a refractometer you have to run the number through a calculation to account for the presence of alcohol.

If you measured with a hydrometer make sure the temperature of the sample is close to what the hydrometer is calibrated for. Usually 60 degrees.

It should still not read that high. I would swirl it a little and let it sit at room temperature - 70 degrees or so if possible for a few of days then measure again. IMO, 1.034 is too high to bottle. If it ferments more you will get bottle bombs. If not it will probably be very sweet.

Thanks. I was planning on going 3 weeks before bottling. Just wanted to see where I was at. My plan was 3 weeks in primary then bottle condition for 3 weeks. It's a pretty big beer at 1.061 so I didn't want to rush it.

 

[kh54s10]

OK I'm a noob and forgot one important thing. I am using a refractometer and need to correct for final gravity. So according to BeerSmith...my corrected gravity is 1.021...much better. I was reading 9 brix.

So I should be good?

I type too slowly.

I would still swirl it a little and let it warm up for a few days and take another reading. 1.021 is still a little high. For more accuracy use a hydrometer, though a sample with a hydrometer would be a significant portion of a one gallon batch.

Refractometer calculations are not totally accurate.

 

[jonwilliams48]

I type too slowly.

I would still swirl it a little and let it warm up for a few days and take another reading. 1.021 is still a little high. For more accuracy use a hydrometer, though a sample with a hydrometer would be a significant portion of a one gallon batch.

Refractometer calculations are not totally accurate.

Yeah totally. With a 1 gallon batch I pretty much figured I would sample my beer away with a hydrometer. I will definitely use one when I go to bigger batches. Now though I am just trying to learn and get a few small batches under my belt while I save/build a keezer. I tasted my sample from the dropper. It actually tasted like beer and only a little sweet. I was pretty happy actually. I actually made beer

I'll certainly try your suggestion after 2 weeks. Was going to stir it up a bit and amp up the temp to around 70 for 5 days. Then cold crash in the fridge for a couple of days before bottling. Does that sound like a decent plan?

 

[kh54s10]

Yeah totally. With a 1 gallon batch I pretty much figured I would sample my beer away with a hydrometer. I will definitely use one when I go to bigger batches. Now though I am just trying to learn and get a few small batches under my belt while I save/build a keezer. I tasted my sample from the dropper. It actually tasted like beer and only a little sweet. I was pretty happy actually. I actually made beer

Keep it going for a few more days anyway. If swirled and warmed a little the gravity might still fall a little. I do as you were planning. 2-3 weeks primary then 3 weeks bottle conditioning. Though I have usually sampled a bottle at a week and then 2 weeks before really hitting them hard.

I also keg and can get to them a week or two quicker depending on how urgently I want the beer.

 

[jonwilliams48]

Though I have usually sampled a bottle at a week and then 2 weeks before really hitting them hard.

Well...I'm doing 16 oz. Grolsch style bottles...so I'm only getting like 11 of them. Can't afford to sample too much at weeks 1 and 2 . Lot's of disadvantages to 1 gallon brewing I'm finding. I think I'll do 2 gallons next time.

 

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

Yes that's why lots of people make larger batches. Same amount of time/work double or more the amount of beer.

 

[PADave]

Well...I'm doing 16 oz. Grolsch style bottles...so I'm only getting like 11 of them. Can't afford to sample too much at weeks 1 and 2 . Lot's of disadvantages to 1 gallon brewing I'm finding. I think I'll do 2 gallons next time.

How in the world do you get 11 16 oz bottles from a gallon? 11x16=176 oz. 1 gallon = 128 oz. Back when I was doing 1 gallon batches I would be lucky to get 9 12 oz bottles and a hydro sample. That's what turned me to larger batches, too much work and only a few beers. Now I'm up to regular 5 gallon brews, with the occasional 3 gallon and it's not much more work.

Just let it sit for 3 weeks and bottle. No need to sample before then, and you can be sure it's done. That's how I do every brew, 3 weeks and bottle. I take one hydro reading, as I'm bottling, for my records.

 

[jonwilliams48]

Keep it going for a few more days anyway. If swirled and warmed a little the gravity might still fall a little. I do as you were planning. 2-3 weeks primary then 3 weeks bottle conditioning. Though I have usually sampled a bottle at a week and then 2 weeks before really hitting them hard.

I also keg and can get to them a week or two quicker depending on how urgently I want the beer.

How in the world do you get 11 16 oz bottles from a gallon? 11x16=176 oz. 1 gallon = 128 oz. Back when I was doing 1 gallon batches I would be lucky to get 9 12 oz bottles and a hydro sample. That's what turned me to larger batches, too much work and only a few beers. Now I'm up to regular 5 gallon brews, with the occasional 3 gallon and it's not much more work.

Just let it sit for 3 weeks and bottle. No need to sample before then, and you can be sure it's done. That's how I do every brew, 3 weeks and bottle. I take one hydro reading, as I'm bottling, for my records.

Actually it's 9. I have a tad over a gallon of wort I added to the fermenter. I definitely plan on larger batches eventually, but need some equipment. I live in the desert so temperatures can get crazy and I really need a fridge I can convert in to a fermenter before I go bigger than 2 gallons. I can fit 2 gallon jugs in my ice chest and add some blue ice to keep it nice and cool for now. I think next brew I am going to find two beers I can do with the same yeast so I'm not wasting money there.