Advice

[radu]

My beer is fermenting for 2.5 weeks, monday it will be 3 weeks and I wanted to bottle it. Today I took FG which came out nice at 1.010 but when I poured into the measurement tube it had a lot of yeast so I let sit but when I iluminate it with a flashlight I saw that the yeast is still suspended, swimming also it's a bit cloudy. My question is. Should I leave it another week, 4 weeks it total and then bottle it? Do you have any sugestions?

The temperature has constantly been at 71.5 degrees.

 

[flars]

Sounds like your beer may need a few days to clear. The yeast may have been carried into suspension by the CO2 leaving solution. If that is the case you could bottle and let it drop out during bottle conditioning.

Would need more information about the beer before I would say go ahead and bottle though. You could have something else going on.

1.010 would be a good FG for quite a few beers. How many readings did you take for finding FG? Depending on the style, the SG could go lower.

 

[flars]

Your picture just popped up. That is a lot of yeast for a SG sample. How so you take your samples? How you are taking the sample may be the reason for the yeast being present.

 

[radu]

I am making a Single hop Amarillo IPA. All grain. OG was 1.065. This is my first sample that I took from the plastic bucket.

 

[bobeer]

+1 on what Flars said... That is a lot of yeast for a gravity sample. I usually take a turkey baster, sanitized of course, and pull some beer off the very top of the fermentor. It's usually pretty clear and leaves no sediment in my graduated cylinder.

I'd take another sample in a couple days and see if it's dropped any further. If not I'd go ahead and bottle it up.

 

[radu]

Your picture just popped up. That is a lot of yeast for a SG sample. How so you take your samples? How you are taking the sample may be the reason for the yeast being present.

Poured it right from the tap of the plastic bucket into the measuring tube. Maybe some yeast was stuck there and that was the reason. I don't think the yeast bed is at the tap level since I am only making a 4 gallon batch.

 

[flars]

Take another sample through the top of your fermentor. I'm pretty sure it will be clear. Using the spigot drew off the yeast that is still in suspension just above the yeast cake layer. More time in the fermentor will compact the cake even more so you can rack off a bit more clear beer.

 

[unionrdr]

It could be it's not quite done yet with that much yeast still in suspension. Listening to my dampfbier v2 knocking the airlock as it bubbles away...

 

[radu]

Take another sample through the top of your fermentor. I'm pretty sure it will be clear. Using the spigot drew off the yeast that is still in suspension just above the yeast cake layer. More time in the fermentor will compact the cake even more so you can rack off a bit more clear beer.

How can take the sample from the top of the fermentor, i have never done this.

 

[unionrdr]

Use a sanitised baster or wine thief.

 

[flars]

When using a bucket fermentor a turkey baster works very well. Turkey basters are also widely available even without a local home brewing shop.

 

[myndflyte]

How can take the sample from the top of the fermentor, i have never done this.

Use a wine thief or a turkey baster. Just remember to sanitize.

 

[radu]

I will go and buy one if I can find .

 

[j1n]

So you have a spigot at the bottom of the fermentor and that's how you got the hydro sample?

 

[radu]

So you have a spigot at the bottom of the fermentor and that's how you got the hydro sample?

Yes. This is a picture of it.

 

[j1n]

Well, i don't see anything wrong with pulling the hydro sample that way. Yeah you got some yeast but that's cause the yeast cake is at the bottom. Your beer is done if the FG is 1.010. Go ahead and bottle it if you want.

The fermentor i have that has a spigot, i normally have a bucket where i start the flow and let any yeast / trub go into there. Once it runs clear of that crap i move the tube to the keg and fill it.

 

[radu]

Well, i don't see anything wrong with pulling the hydro sample that way. Yeah you got some yeast but that's cause the yeast cake is at the bottom. Your beer is done if the FG is 1.010. Go ahead and bottle it if you want.

The fermentor i have that has a spigot, i normally have a bucket where i start the flow and let any yeast / trub go into there. Once it runs clear of that crap i move the tube to the keg and fill it.

Well after I add the priming sugar and wait do you suggest I let it pour until it's clean and then bottle it? What about the suspended yeast that has not settled?

 

[flars]

Well after I add the priming sugar and wait do you suggest I let it pour until it's clean and then bottle it? What about the suspended yeast that has not settled?

For bottling you should rack to the bottling bucket, with a spigot. The priming sugar solution should be stirred into the beer to make sure it is evenly distributed. If the priming sugar solution is not evenly distributed throughout the beer, some bottles may get to much and become over carbonated or even explode if they get way to much.
Also, if you stir the priming solution in the fermentor, the sugar would be fermented out before all the trub and yeast settle out again to get clear beer into the bottles.
A bottling bucket would be cheap. If you don't have a shop that sells them, you could make one. A simple food grade bucket drilled to accept a spigot.

 

[flars]

Forgot. I give the suspended yeast time to settle out. I usually don't bottle until about the three week mark. Longer if I don't have time to bottle. Extra time in the fermentor is not detrimental to the beer. To short of time in the fermentor can be detrimental.

 

[radu]

Would another bucket like the fermentor be ok? A friend of mine has one exactly the same.

So I rack the beer to the bucket, add the priming sugar and stir and after that bottle it? From what I read the beer shouldent be in contact with oxigen to much.

 

[myndflyte]

Your beer right now is in what should be the bottling bucket. Next time you should get a bucket without a spigot to ferment in, and then siphon the beer off the trub into your current bucket.

Calculate your priming sugar, boil a cup of water and the sugar, rack maybe a gallon of beer, add the sugar water, rack the rest of the beer and then bottle. Just try to be gentle with the racking so you don't aerate it. By adding the sugar and racking beer on top of it, you are essentially stirring it. You don't need to stir it more.

 

[flars]

Would another bucket like the fermentor be ok? A friend of mine has one exactly the same.

So I rack the beer to the bucket, add the priming sugar and stir and after that bottle it? From what I read the beer shouldent be in contact with oxigen to much.

That would work. Remember to sanitize everything that will touch the beer. Starsan is great. Have your friend help with the bottling when the time comes. The fermentor/bottling bucket will need to be tilted at the very end to get all the beer out without bubbles of air going into the bottles.

 

[flars]

myndflyte,
That is a fermentor. This style is especially popular in European countries.

 

[myndflyte]

No I know. A lot of people will have a bucket with no spigot to ferment. I guess just get another bucket with a spigot and rack your beer into the 2nd bucket to bottle.

 

[unionrdr]

I have spigots on all my fermenters to make life easier. Although most kits have only one bucket with a spigot to act as a bottling bucket. In this country anyway.

 

[radu]

Unfortunatelly here in Romania there is only 1 beer ingredients/hardware store and they don't have to many things. If the beer ends up ok I will the motivation to buy all the necesarry stuff. But I will buy a bucket with nu spigot because it's cheap.

 

[unionrdr]

Your username reminds me of Radu florescu that wrote that book about Vlad Tepes with Raymond Mcnally called In Search of Dracula.

 

[myndflyte]

Off topic I know but my wife is Romanian. She speaks it fluently and her parents actually moved back to Romania last year. We are planning to visit this summer and I can't wait to check the country out.

 

[radu]

Your username reminds me of Radu florescu that wrote that book about Vlad Tepes with Raymond Mcnally called In Search of Dracula.

Ha ha. Yeah we have the same first name . Thank's for all the suggestions guys. I will let the beer sit until wendsday/thursday when it will have 3.5 weeks of fermentantion, hopefully it the end I won't have problems with the yeast and no yeasty taste. (the aroma was good, not very powerfull because I haven't used too many hops, but very nice overall)

 

[radu]

Off topic I know but my wife is Romanian. She speaks it fluently and her parents actually moved back to Romania last year. We are planning to visit this summer and I can't wait to check the country out.

That's great. If you need some beer tips when you arrive here I will gladly help you.

 

[flars]

A fermentation bucket without a spigot can work very well for cooling a fermenting beer in a swamp cooler. The water in a swamp cooler can get sort of funky sometimes. The under water spigot could then become a source for infection despite sanitizing attempts.

 

[unionrdr]

Some just rubber band a plastic bag over the spigot before submersion.

 

[radu]

One more thing. Does hot break and cold break affect the taste of the beer? From what i read, no. I am asking because I didn't a hot break and cold break...well I placed the bucket in cold water and in 20 minutes it was at pitching temperature but nothing else.

 

[j1n]

You prob did get a cold break. and i dont think it matters.

Also i don't think you need to wait for the beer to clear. I think it already is clear enough. 2 weeks and most mine are clear. I think the yeast is suspension in your hydro sample is from you pulling some of the yeast cake into the cylinder and it mixed with the beer that went in with it.

 

[mdbrewer1]

Some just rubber band a plastic bag over the spigot before submersion.

Have you had success with that method? I wanted to put my LBKs in a swamp cooler for my most recent batch, but had concerns with the spigot being underwater. Does it make a waterproof seal?

 

[flars]

One more thing. Does hot break and cold break affect the taste of the beer? From what i read, no. I am asking because I didn't a hot break and cold break...well I placed the bucket in cold water and in 20 minutes it was at pitching temperature but nothing else.

Without a good cold break your beer might be hazy after chilling following bottle conditioning. If it is a dark beer it makes no difference.

Your water must be very cold to get to yeast pitching temp in twenty minutes. Most ale yeasts should be pitched in the low 15°C to 16°C range. It is better to pitch lower than the fermentation temperature and let the wort warm to the fermentation temperature.

It is easier to keep the fermenting wort from getting to warm, when active fermentation begins, than cool off a to warm wort after the fermentation beings.

 

[unionrdr]

If you get the rubber band tight enough & use a zip lock freezer-type bag yes. The heavier plastic works a bit better. And covering the temp strip with clear packing tape will keep it from going white.

 

[radu]

If you get the rubber band tight enough & use a zip lock freezer-type bag yes. The heavier plastic works a bit better. And covering the temp strip with clear packing tape will keep it from going white.

Took another sample today also from the lower part and it came out ok, FG was the same 1.009 - 1.010, with just a little yeast. One more thing. I have some left over cadel sugar, do you think it would be ok to use it for priming or should I use regular sugar? Since all is ok I will probably bottle it tomorow, exactly 3 weeks since I made it.

 

[mdbrewer1]

If you get the rubber band tight enough & use a zip lock freezer-type bag yes. The heavier plastic works a bit better. And covering the temp strip with clear packing tape will keep it from going white.

Thanks. I'll give that a shot next time.

 

[flars]

Took another sample today also from the lower part and it came out ok, FG was the same 1.009 - 1.010, with just a little yeast. One more thing. I have some left over cadel sugar, do you think it would be ok to use it for priming or should I use regular sugar? Since all is ok I will probably bottle it tomorow, exactly 3 weeks since I made it.

Can't find cadel sugar with Google, so have no idea of the fermentability. I would use the table sugar since it is known to be 100% fermentable.

Here is a link to a priming calculator which lists different sugars that can be used.
http://www.northernbrewer.com/priming-sugar-calculator/