Double IPA Still Too active to bottle?

[Mizamook]

Hi,

Having trouble determining if my Double Zythos IPA is done, and ready to bottle.

OG= 1.091 (hydrometer and refractometer agreed) brewed Oct 5th

Transferred/dryhopped to secondary on the 13th

Checked gravity with hydrometer on Nov 3rd, results inconclusive, as the sample was very foamy. Looked like 1.014-1.020 (target FG is 1.019)

Today, since I REALLY think I want to get my Belgian Quad out of primary, I need the carboy that the DIPA is in. I would transfer the DIPA to a 6 gal carboy, prime (dextrose) and bottle immediately. I checked with refractometer and used Brewersfriend refractometer adjustment (with wort correction factor of 1.00 since I did not perform the needed tests to adjust). This indicates 1.014 (10.3 BRIX unadjusted)

Thing is, with this much activity visibly in the DIPA, how do guesstimate carbonation amount? I almost think I would not need any priming sugar at all.

The activity I see is a 1/4" ring of bubbles around the outer edge. Persistent. I see rising bubbles as well. Taste as indicated by sampling drops is very nice.

Thanks for any advice. I hate bottle bombs.

 

[Mizamook]

 

[Mizamook]

Today's hydrometer sample I say is 1.021.

I'm not using the wine thief, and planning to just drink it. (when I use the thief is is so I can return the sample) For best hydrometer readings I actually transfer the (beer wine or mead) to my flask using the Allinone vacuum pump. Then let it settle.

Here are a couple pics (prev post, whoops)

 

[kh54s10]

1.020 on the 13th, and 1.021 today. I would say that is within reading error margin.. 1.019 target.... Close enough. Taste it, if really sweet it needs something. Time alone will not help at this point. Not sweet - proceed.

It seems to me like you are good to go.

Added: I would never return any sample back to the fermenter, no matter how sanitary I think I am being.

 

[Mizamook]

Wifey's comment: Tastes sweet, but good.

I agree with her. So will give it more time. VERY curious what you mean/suggest by "...if really sweet it needs something. Time alone will not help ... "

I have a cranberry wine in my other 5 gal carboy ... I'll figure out a "forest of airlocks" racking for that (will be three jugs, 3 1/2-gal growlers, and just drink the remainder)

The frustrating thing is that I cannot start my first all grain batch until these carboys are cleared up! (Note to self: buy more carboys at first convenience)

1.020 on the 13th, and 1.021 today. I would say that is within reading error margin.. 1.019 target.... Close enough. Taste it, if really sweet it needs something. Time alone will not help at this point. Not sweet - proceed.

It seems to me like you are good to go.

 

[kh54s10]

I think by this time the yeast have done all they can. You will need to use a more aggressive yeast, enzyme or something. First try swirling up the cake at the bottom of the fermenter and raising the temperature a little. That might be all that is needed. But you are very close to target so I wouldn't expect anything to happen.

Also I find that fully finished beer often tastes quite a bit different than the beer before carbonation and conditioning time is done. Even the few days between kegging and burst carbonating.

 

[Mizamook]

OK, so I really need to figure this beer out, and I "think" I have. The gravity is still at or near where it seems to want to stay. But there is yet a persistent ring of bubbles on the upper surface/age. I did swirl lightly, and also place it closer to the wood stove.

It is the bubbles, not the gravity, that bothers me. By all accounts, the gravity is indicating it's very close to target, and basically has fermented all it can.

Safale US-05 is good to 9.5% ??? So if my math and my readings are close to correct, and using the alternate computation for ABV, we are looking at 10.13%, (9.3% using the standard). So either way, the yeast is done. If I wanted more attenuation I need to hit it with a more tolerant yeast, but again, I'm OK with where it is ... I'm just concerned about those bubbles.

So the bubbles may be originating not from yeast specifically, but from Cthulhu lurking in the 1.5" of yeast cake at the bottom. If I rack the beer off that, and into the bottling keg with a tad shy of the priming sugar called for, I think I "should" be OK.

Obviously I'd start testing bottles after a week, relieving and recapping if necessary.

Part of this apparent impatience on my part is due to the fact that my beer supply is going to run out in a month, and I'm trying to catch up so I have several different beers to choose from at all times.

A very similar situation happened with my RIS ... in fact I wonder if the story is the same ... THAT beer is turning out to be splendid, and while I think I might need to develop better practices and control as far as brewing bigger beers, I'm at least enjoying the fruits of my labors and perhaps need to worry a mite less. Only one bottle bomb to date, and that was in a weaker type of bottle, and left on board my boat for a month and a half. We cleaned that up, and drank the other two from that batch right away.

So ... off to bottle some IPA.

 

[Jag75]

As long as you check your gravity with a hydrometer and it's the same within a few days your good. Bubbles are just a tiny amount of co2 I believe . Bottle away.

 

[Mizamook]

I did ... maybe 4 more days and we get to try one .... so far so good.

Cheers!

As long as you check your gravity with a hydrometer and it's the same within a few days your good. Bubbles are just a tiny amount of co2 I believe . Bottle away.