Another "is it done yet" question

[lmnop]

I brewed the AHS Left Hand Milk Stout clone on 7 Dec (first batch ever), but I put the carboy in too cold of an area, so fermentation didn't really start until the 8th. It never built up a huge krausen, but there was a good two-inch layer of foam on it. That's been falling for 3 days and is almost gone, the current gravity is ~1.020 (theoretical FG = 1.018)

I don't have a refractometer yet, so I'd rather not take tons and tons gravity readings, and all things being equal I'd love to have this keged and carb'ed ready for xmas.

I was thinking I'd let it sit for another day or two and keg it, but I just wanted to check: could the ferment really have finished in only a week? I double pitched White Labs Cali 001

Sorry for yet another one of these threads, thanks for the advice.

 

[D0ug]

You need to wait three days from your last reading and see if it's the same, at least you do for bottling. If your gravity is still going down it is still fermenting, it is not done fermenting until the gravity is constant over 3 days.

I know this is a rush job, but in the future you might want to consider a 4 week or longer primary, it's been highly recommended all over this site. I've been doing it myself and am very happy with the results.

 

[lmnop]

You need to wait three days from your last reading and see if it's the same, at least you do for bottling. If your gravity is still going down it is still fermenting, it is not done fermenting until the gravity is constant over 3 days.

I know this is a rush job, but in the future you might want to consider a 4 week or longer primary, it's been highly recommended all over this site. I've been doing it myself and am very happy with the results.

Yeah, I'm kegging, not bottling though; I don't think a little extra pressure inside a keg is as much of a concern as it would be in bottles.

I've also noticed the 4 week in primary recommendation, but I don't know why that is such a common number.

Also forgot to mention: I accidentally put in more bittering hops than the called for, so if it winds up a bit under-attenuated it really won't be a big deal.

 

[D0ug]

I think the 4 weeks is a compromise number. It gives the yeast a chance to work on consuming some by-products, and allows the beer to clear (beautifully) but isn't as daunting a number as 3 months or 6 months that some folks have done with apparently STELLAR results.

Excepting some hefe or other styles meant to be drunk young, it seems that the longer you can stand to leave it alone the better it gets, at least up to the 6 month point.

PS sounds like you already have your answer anyway?

 

[Pappers_]

I would not bottle or keg a batch that has only been fermenting for a week unless I was sure that active fermentation was done. Use your hydrometer and take another reading in a day or two. If its still 1.020, then you can keg it. If its still dropping, you need to wait.

 

[lmnop]

PS sounds like you already have your answer anyway?

Yeah, sorry, I don't mean to be 'ask a question and then argue' guy, I was just trying to clarify my thought process.

I would not bottle or keg a batch that has only been fermenting for a week unless I was sure that active fermentation was done. Use your hydrometer and take another reading in a day or two. If its still 1.020, then you can keg it. If its still dropping, you need to wait.

Yeah, I thought maybe I was being too optimistic. Just....a little....more.....waiting!

Thanks guys