check it or leave it?

[hoverfly]

This board is great -- I've learned a lot from you guys so far. This is my first post and I am a complete beginner.

Started a partial mash: buckwheat kasha, quinoa, teff, amaranth, with a little sorghum extract and white sugar--has to be gluten free unfortunately--bleh.

My OG was lower than expected, probably due to low mash efficiency--this was only my 2nd homebrew ever [read: I = lost]. But, I was okay with that since I was hoping for a beer a little on the wimpy side, as long as it is high enough to ferment.

OG: 1.03 at 70 degrees. I'm using SafBrew T-58 yeast. Temp range has been 66 to 68 or so. Batch size: 2 gallons (in a 2 gallon bucket).

It bubbled really well for the first couple of days (bubbles every 10 seconds). Now, on day 3, no bubbles. I waited for 2 minutes and nothing.

Should I crack it open and check gravity? Any chance it's actually fermented already--or should I just hold off a few more days?

-Cheers

 

[HopJuicer]

Let the yeast do their thing. Bubbles are not an indicator for active fermentation, it can look like nothing is happening when its doing its thing. Let it do its thing for a couple of weeks before checking the SG.

 

[HopJuicer]

Also I have hit FG at day 3 or 4 but the yeast still need time to clean up after themselves. I don't think you have anything to worry about.

 

[hoverfly]

Thanks for the reply -- So, there's no need to test it before 2 weeks for any reason? (I'd actually rather not test it since I'm more likely to introduce bacteria by opening it--so leaving it alone is definitely my preference.)

 

[BigJay13]

Leave it. Check it when you think it is ready to bottle.

 

[appstatezymurgy]

Conducting a gravity check is the only true way to know whether your beer is fermenting. However, doing a lot gravity checks when home-brewing can be seen as a bit of a waste as well as a risk, especially for novice brewers. Each time you check it equals about half a beer gone and with your 2 gallon batch that can add up quickly. Also, each time the fermenter is breached by your sampling device you risk contamination which can ruin the whole batch.

It is possible your beer has completed fermentation by day 3, but a more likely outcome is a stalled fermentation due to a lack of amount or quality of yeast. This can be indicated by a gravity reading much closer to the OG than FG and a sweet, syrupy like liquid.

Again, gravity checks are the only way to be sure fermentation has stopped; but there are some visual indicators that can at least assist. When the yeast head begins to become thick and bubbly the fermentation is active and when it begins to recede and the bubbling slows, your fermentation is typically coming to an end.

This is why I recommend a Glass or PET clear carboy, so that you can have a visual reference instead of depending only on taking excessive sampling.

 

[kevin009]

check it. it was very nice when you double check what you did so in cae there's a mistake you can change your strategies.

 

[BigJay13]

Conducting a gravity check is the only true way to know whether your beer is fermenting. However, doing a lot gravity checks when home-brewing can be seen as a bit of a waste as well as a risk, especially for novice brewers. Each time you check it equals about half a beer gone and with your 2 gallon batch that can add up quickly. Also, each time the fermenter is breached by your sampling device you risk contamination which can ruin the whole batch.

It is possible your beer has completed fermentation by day 3, but a more likely outcome is a stalled fermentation due to a lack of amount or quality of yeast. This can be indicated by a gravity reading much closer to the OG than FG and a sweet, syrupy like liquid.

Again, gravity checks are the only way to be sure fermentation has stopped; but there are some visual indicators that can at least assist. When the yeast head begins to become thick and bubbly the fermentation is active and when it begins to recede and the bubbling slows, your fermentation is typically coming to an end.

This is why I recommend a Glass or PET clear carboy, so that you can have a visual reference instead of depending only on taking excessive sampling.

While I would agree that a higher og beer would take longer than three days, a 1030 beer should be done after 3 if the temps are good. The yeast should still be active and absorbing metabolic byproducts.

 

[RiffMagnum]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00186ADYS/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Get one of these if you wanna take alot of gravity readings but don't wanna waste the beer. Just make sure you sanitize the thief and your hydrometer. Not only does it save beer, but i think it's way easier and definitely less risky than taking samples "manually."

 

[hoverfly]

Thanks all. Now I'm leaning toward checking. I'm planning to check my other batch of beer tomorrow anyway, so I might as well check both.

Batch 1 will be at 2 weeks tomorrow--the recipe called for 2 weeks in the primary.

Batch 2 will be at about 1 week tomorrow.

I do have the Thief (link above) -- haven't used it yet. May need to watch a YouTube vid to make sure I'm using it correctly.

On brew day, instead of using the thief, I just dipped a sanitized scoop into the beer to pull out enough for the hydrometer (my batch wasn't deep enough to float the hydrometer directly in it, nor did that seem as sanitary as pulling a little out to test and then dumping the test wort.)

Thanks again -- will update if I learn anything (or if I become even more confused).

 

[iambeer]

Started a partial mash: buckwheat kasha, quinoa, teff, amaranth, with a little sorghum extract and white sugar--has to be gluten free unfortunately--bleh.

Wow, I didn't even know this was possible. That's pretty brilliant. Beer made from grains like those would excite my crunchy granola friends. It's making me all excited.

 

[hoverfly]

Decided to test them both just now.

Beer 1 (been in primary for 2 weeks)
OG: 1.06
Currently at: 1.02 (expecting FG of around 1.016)
Tastes pretty good. Better than expected for my first ever beer.

Beer 2 (been in primary for less than a week)
OG: 1.03
Currently at 1.01 (expected FG of 1.01)
Tastes like Budweiser--haven't decided if this is a good thing or not. It's only my second beer (and it's gluten free, my own freaky partial mash recipe with the kasha, quinoa, amaranth, etc.) hrm.

Do young beers all taste like Bud, Coors, etc? and change a bit with age?

I'm guessing that I should give them both at least 1 more week?

 

[iambeer]

I don't know how much sugar is produced by those grains in the second beer but the OG is really low, .. 1.030... I make a mild which is higher than that, and the only thing going for it is a balance of roasty flavors... I am assuming your grains aren't kilned, roasted etc. As for flavor, I don't know where you would increase that. But again, your gluten free grains, you might have to roast them yourself somehow. Waiting won't change much imo.

 

[hoverfly]

oh, no worries, they were all roasted--and then aged for a week. I didn't bother malting them though. I did want to make a wimpy beer, but maybe not as low as 1.03. I think my efficiency was poor--it was only my first time doing a partial mash. (Beer no. 1 had a bit of steeped kasha, but not mashed to the same extent as beer 2.)

 

[iambeer]

Cool. You roast grains yourself in a regular oven or ...? This sounds like a lot of work.