Calendar or Hydrometer?

[Special brew]

Hi to all... be gentle... first post in beer section!
I'm not exactly new to brewing... but I certainly don't have a lot of experience.
Anyway, I read when I first started brewing that beer conditions better in larger volumes. Leaving the fermenting brew in the bin for two weeks or even three, will do wonders for its overall conditioning.
However, I also read that the FG of a beer, as a rule of thumb, should be about a 1/4 of the OG...give or take 0.001 or 0.002.
What should I do if the SG of my brew is accelerating past the target FG and it's only been in the bin for 8 days?
If I leave it for two weeks then surely the SG will plumet and the strength of the beer will be much more than my target. But If I bottle it based on the SG, the strength will be on target but will the shorter time in the barrel, and consequent reduced conditioning time, adversly affect the finished beer?
My apologies if this question seems a little trivial... but I'm aiming for consistency. Please help

 

[bikebryan]

It will ferment based on how much fermentable sugar is in the solution, and how much yeast there is in there to ferment it. You can't really stop it, or at least not very easily.

The downside of bottling before fermentation is completed is that you will likely create bottle grenades and a pretty big mess to clean up.

Just let it finish. All the brews I've made are stronger that the predicted final ABV content. I do, however, get to drink it instead of mopping it and broken bottle pieces up off the floor.

You should perhaps consider kegging. Refrigeration stops most yeast activity. Put you secondary in the fridge for a week or so to stop the yeast action; it will go dormant and lots of it will settle out. Then you rack it into the keg and carbonate. Done. No bottle bombs. No waste. No fussing with bottles.

 

[Special brew]

It will ferment based on how much fermentable sugar is in the solution, and how much yeast there is in there to ferment it. You can't really stop it, or at least not very easily.

The downside of bottling before fermentation is completed is that you will likely create bottle grenades and a pretty big mess to clean up.

Just let it finish. All the brews I've made are stronger that the predicted final ABV content. I do, however, get to drink it instead of mopping it and broken bottle pieces up off the floor.

You should perhaps consider kegging. Refrigeration stops most yeast activity. Put you secondary in the fridge for a week or so to stop the yeast action; it will go dormant and lots of it will settle out. Then you rack it into the keg and carbonate. Done. No bottle bombs. No waste. No fussing with bottles.

Thanks for the prompt response, Bikebryan, your point is well made...better to drink than to mop!
Unfortunately, I am brewing by demand (about 20 gallons a week) so I'm single container fermenting, and bottling in 2.25 litre Coke bottles. This is the reason I've been chasing consistency... fridge chilling just isn't that practical until I can get hold of a commercial 'Coke' fridge (or similar).

 

[Janx]

Wow that's a lot of beer to be making every week!

So, have you seen this same recipe finish with a higher FG using the same recipe and techniques? Did you change anything this time?

 

[Special brew]

Hi Janx, sorry for the delay in replying... been busy brewing.
I make alot because... I live in a country that... well, outlaws booze! So, it's home brew or no brew!
It's very hot where I live so the problem is always keeping the environment cool. Earlier in the year I was easily maintaining 68F but its creeping up and is now about 71-72F. This may be a factor in a faster ferment. Also most of my yeast is harvested from previous brews and recycled (after being fed!). However, every now and them I introduce fresh yeast... maybe another factor. Finally, I have to confess to being a compulsive tinkerer! I simply cannot repeat a brew without first thinking... " I wonder what will happen if I add a little more.... ". "More sugar adds strength but robs it of body... what if I...". So you see, I may just be my own worst enemy!
I do have another question though - If I am using "Isomerised" hop extract, do I still need to boil the malt? (I am doing at the moment but wondered if this was an unnecessary step)