Dry-hopping/fermentation question

[samie85]

I had a quick two-part question about an amber I brewed about a week ago. All signs of fermentation have slowed and I'm thinking of trying to bottle it this Sunday. It was a pretty straight-forward amber:

6.3 lbs of Amber LME
1 lb. of Caramel 20 Specialty
3 0z. of Cascade
US05 Yeast

I just peeked at the beer and there's no krausen anymore and the airlock has all but stopped bubbling. It's been a week and two days since I brewed, is this beer done?

I also wanted to dry hop the beer with an oz. of Centennial in the primary. If I drop the hops in tonight, will that short amount of time(1.5 days) be worth it to dry hop?

The main reason for trying to bottle it Sunday is that I want to take a couple bottles back home with me to give to relatives. I know it has to bottle condition, but am I otherwise rushing it?

 

[Suthrncomfrt1884]

You're rushing it, and you'd be doing your family a favor by not allowing them to drink it and ruining their opinions of homebrew.

If you want to dryhop, it's best to allow 5-7 days for the hops to really shine.

I can't stress enough how important and benificial it is to your beer to allow it to sit in primary for AT LEAST 2-3 weeks. You'll need an additional 2-3 weeks minimum for it to be carbonated. Yes, sometimes it will carbonate faster, but by waiting the 3 weeks, you'll get yourself into a good habit and your beers will be much better.

 

[Suthrncomfrt1884]

I just peeked at the beer and there's no krausen anymore and the airlock has all but stopped bubbling. It's been a week and two days since I brewed, is this beer done?

Forgot to mention... use your hydrometer. It's the best way to know if your beer is done. Check it now, and then check it again in a few days. If it stays the same, it's done.

Airlocks are a horrible way to monitor your beer. They're there to keep air from getting in, not to tell you when fermentation is done.

 

[samie85]

You're rushing it, and you'd be doing your family a favor by not allowing them to drink it and ruining their opinions of homebrew.

If you want to dryhop, it's best to allow 5-7 days for the hops to really shine.

I can't stress enough how important and benificial it is to your beer to allow it to sit in primary for AT LEAST 2-3 weeks. You'll need an additional 2-3 weeks minimum for it to be carbonated. Yes, sometimes it will carbonate faster, but by waiting the 3 weeks, you'll get yourself into a good habit and your beers will be much better.

Yeah, I wasn't going to let them try it anytime soon, I know bottle-conditioning takes a couple weeks. I just wanted to take some home so they'd have a couple bottles because I don't get home very often. I haven't taken a hydrometer reading to make sure it's done yet, but I plan on it. I figured the dry-hopping would take way longer than the time I have.

Thanks for the advice.

Would it be stupid to do a partial bottling for 3 or 4 bottles worth without dry-hopping that portion? Then dry-hop what's left in the primary?

 

[Pappers_]

What Suthrn said is good advice - bottling after one week is generally not a good process, it's too quick. The dry hopping is a seperate issue. Of course, you could bottle it up and see how it turns out - give it a try.

Good luck!

 

[samie85]

I decided on just dry-hopping right before I left for home, and let that go for 2 weeks. I bottled the other day and it tasted pretty good. Thanks for the advice everyone.

 

[DavidSteel]

You're rushing it, and you'd be doing your family a favor by not allowing them to drink it and ruining their opinions of homebrew.

If you want to dryhop, it's best to allow 5-7 days for the hops to really shine.

I can't stress enough how important and benificial it is to your beer to allow it to sit in primary for AT LEAST 2-3 weeks. You'll need an additional 2-3 weeks minimum for it to be carbonated. Yes, sometimes it will carbonate faster, but by waiting the 3 weeks, you'll get yourself into a good habit and your beers will be much better.

+++++++++++++

 

[Suthrncomfrt1884]

I decided on just dry-hopping right before I left for home, and let that go for 2 weeks. I bottled the other day and it tasted pretty good. Thanks for the advice everyone.

I really hope your beer doesn't turn out tasting like grass. Dry-hopping should really only be done for 5-7 days unless you have lots of experience with a certain hop and enjoy the flavors it gives off.