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An update:
Finally beer got settled, on the 10th day and as you guys suggested to take a sample for gravity reading. Surprisingly the gravity is 1.003 that means 7.74% ABV. That means a strong beer brewed. I don't think I'll have to take other reading. I'm planning to bottle it.
Any suggestions?🙂
Note - OG was 1.062
My suggestion would be to take another reading as that seems awfully low. It isn't impossible but unlikely.
 
@Howitzer , I know it's your first brew, but is your equipment new?
My first though with your FG was "diastaticus"...
But that's hardly possible if your equipment is new.
What temperature did you do your reading at (both OG and FG)?
What did your sample taste like? Assuming you tasted it ;)
 
That's an unusually high 95% apparent attenuation for S04, which typically goes 72-75%, so I am a little surprised.

I also would say to wait more. 10 days since brew day is not a long time, and I would say wait another week.
95% attenuation with S-04 makes me suspicious - something out of the ordinary going on. I agree with waiting another week and check gravity again.
 
Yes, all of my equipments are new.
My hydrometer is calibrated at 20* C (degree Celcius).
OG temperature for the hydrometer was spot on. Which showed 1.062
And now surprisingly FG is 1.003. (@20 degrees C) reading 😁
The beer tasted like the beer that I usually purchase from the shop (it's my first batch, before this, I used to purchase them.) And I was surprised that I made this beer that smelled and tasted the same as the one I've been purchasing. 😉
Will wait for another week and surely share images of hydrometer reading with you guys.
I know this 1.003 is too much for the yeasts to digest, but the strong taste and smell also tell that the beer is ready.
Will give it another week, let's see 🙈
 
I think the newer data for S-04 is apparent attenuation of 74 - 82%. Don't go by what's on the sachets. Go by what the current data on the fermentis website shows. Unless your sachets are well beyond their use by date.

Though I am surprised too that it got down to 1.003. Most everything must have been fermentable or something wild got in the mix. Or another lesson yet to be learned.
 
Way forward ⏩
Hi Professional Brewers, under your suggestions and help my first batch is almost ready (bit waiting for further reading).
Till then I'm anxious to know about the bottling process (Priming sugar method not kegging 😁). How much priming sugar per liter is good for carbonation? I have a 15-liter batch and 1-liter (56mm) flip-top bottles. I'll be using table sugar for carbonation.
(Don't want to make a bottle 💣 😜) medium to low foam will be great.
 
Professional? Maybe some of us are.

However the Homebrew in the forum name to me indicates we tend to do this as a hobby. And hobbies usually cost money instead of make money.

Professional sort of implies we get paid to make beer. And I certainly don't.
 
And when you use the priming sugar calculator, be sure to use the HIGHEST temperature that the fermenting beer saw. The calculators used to specify "temp of beer at bottling" when you really need to use the highest temp during ferment.
 
Professional? Maybe some of us are.

However, the Homebrew in the forum name to me indicates we tend to do this as a hobby. And hobbies usually cost money instead of making money.

Professional sort of implies we get paid to make beer. And I certainly don't.
Professional in the sense of one who knows and mastered a specific field. The reference isn't indicating any sort of corporate professionals who prints through professionalism. 😁
 
And when you use the priming sugar calculator, be sure to use the HIGHEST temperature that the fermenting beer saw. The calculators used to specify "temp of beer at bottling" when you really need to use the highest temp during ferment.
What temperature is ideal for bottle conditioning? Same as fermentation temp?
 
There are lots of online priming calculators - one is Homebrew Priming Sugar Calculator. For the volume, use the expected volume in the bottling bucket - not the total in the fermenter. If you need a starting point for trub loss, mine average 0.38 gallons trub loss for five gallons in the fermenter.
That was something new and important for a beginner. I was calculating without trub loss. 😌
 
Professional in the sense of one who knows and mastered a specific field.
Oh, mastered as in the specific field of blabbing here on the forum? Yeah I've got that covered.

Most of my blabbing is just trying to see if any can find fault with what I say so I can assess if I need to change my thinking or ways.
 
What temperature is ideal for bottle conditioning? Same as fermentation temp?
Don't remember your beer type, are you doing ales and such?

Here is what I've been doing. It works well for me, but I encourage you to at least do some of your beers differently to see what works well for you. Little things we don't know or speak of might make some differences. Untried things might leave us without revelations.

I'm usually about 69°F (20°C) ambient air fermenting them. I'll let the internal do what it want's to do but will externally cool if if it gets to the upper limit of the ideal and looks as if it might exceed it. However it almost always drops back from that high temp quickly. So maybe any cooling I did wasn't even needed.

After bottling, I keep them at about 74°F (23°C) maybe a tad higher for 2 weeks or more, but eventually they just get kept are room temp whatever that is until needed in the refrigerator.

Use the ideal temp range of your yeast for a guide. I suggest you get that from their website and not the sachet. I've ask about the differences I've found and their response seems reasonable to me.
 
You don't really have to worry about off flavors from too-warm yeast during bottle conditioning, and the conventional wisdom is 70F for 21 days, after bottling. Darker/stronger beers benefit from more conditioning time.
 
You don't really have to worry about off flavors from too-warm yeast during bottle conditioning, and the conventional wisdom is 70F for 21 days, after bottling. Darker/stronger beers benefit from more conditioning time.

Don't remember your beer type, are you doing ales and such?

Here is what I've been doing. It works well for me, but I encourage you to at least do some of your beers differently to see what works well for you. Little things we don't know or speak of might make some differences. Untried things might leave us without revelations.

I'm usually about 69°F (20°C) ambient air fermenting them. I'll let the internal do what it want's to do but will externally cool if if it gets to the upper limit of the ideal and looks as if it might exceed it. However it almost always drops back from that high temp quickly. So maybe any cooling I did wasn't even needed.

After bottling, I keep them at about 74°F (23°C) maybe a tad higher for 2 weeks or more, but eventually they just get kept are room temp whatever that is until needed in the refrigerator.

Use the ideal temp range of your yeast for a guide. I suggest you get that from their website and not the sachet. I've ask about the differences I've found and their response seems reasonable to me.
That's the whole information 🙂.
Does Yeast still mix with the beer or do we've to add it for bottling?
You don't really have to worry about off flavors from too-warm yeast during bottle conditioning, and the conventional wisdom is 70F for 21 days, after bottling. Darker/stronger beers benefit from more conditioning time.
Oh.. Is there any chance of infection after bottling or there's an alcohol tolerance for bacteria?
 
That's the whole information 🙂.

Does Yeast still mix with the beer or do we've to add it for bottling?

Oh.. Is there any chance of infection after bottling or there's an alcohol tolerance for bacteria?
People have reported that even with beer in the fermenter for a year there was enough yeast still suspended in the beer to allow the beer to carbonate. Personally, I have only left beer for 9 weeks and it carbonated just fine.

Beer has alcohol which restricts bacteria but its acidity is the bigger factor. You still need to be careful with your beer becuse bacteria are so resourceful that at least one type (acetobacter, the bacteria that makes vinegar) can infect your beer but it needs oxygen, somthing that will be missing in the bottle.
 
Does Yeast still mix with the beer or do we've to add it for bottling?
From my experience there is plenty of yeast in the beer. Many times I leave my beer in the fermenter till everything drops out of it and it's very clean and clear and also very dead looking. It still carbonates fine.

As I mentioned though, if your ABV is at the yeasts limits for alcohol tolerance you might add some other more alcohol tolerant yeast. SafAle makes a F-2 yeast that they promote for such use. However I haven't used it. Though occasionally I have had some slow to carbonate bottles that took a little longer. So maybe this might have helped.

But the places I normally purchase from don't seem to carry it. Though it is also sold in 10 gram sachet's.

https://fermentis.com/en/product/safale-f-2/
If you see a clump of yeast or trub in your beer in your bottling pot of beer to be bottled, then I'd either remove it or mix it in till it's dispersed.

Oh.. Is there any chance of infection after bottling or there's an alcohol tolerance for bacteria?

IMO, there is always a chance for both bacteria or wild yeast to mess things up. So the less you mess with it and the more sanitary you keep everything, the better.

So always minimize the risk within what ever your set of reason says is needed.
 
Yes, but one that's been used for carbonated drinks, like sparkling water, coca cola, sprite etc. I like sprite bottles because they are green, but clear bottles work as long as you keep them out of the light
Sounds good, will try 👍
 
From my experience there is plenty of yeast in the beer. Many times I leave my beer in the fermenter till everything drops out of it and it's very clean and clear and also very dead looking. It still carbonates fine.

As I mentioned though, if your ABV is at the yeasts limits for alcohol tolerance you might add some other more alcohol tolerant yeast. SafAle makes a F-2 yeast that they promote for such use. However I haven't used it. Though occasionally I have had some slow to carbonate bottles that took a little longer. So maybe this might have helped.

But the places I normally purchase from don't seem to carry it. Though it is also sold in 10 gram sachet's.

https://fermentis.com/en/product/safale-f-2/
If you see a clump of yeast or trub in your beer in your bottling pot of beer to be bottled, then I'd either remove it or mix it in till it's dispersed.



IMO, there is always a chance for both bacteria or wild yeast to mess things up. So the less you mess with it and the more sanitary you keep everything, the better.

So always minimize the risk within what ever your set of reason says is needed.
So, We don't have to mix trub (greacy thing from the bottom of fermenter), beer alone have live yeast in them? It'll carbonate with added sugar.
Noted.
 
People have reported that even with beer in the fermenter for a year there was enough yeast still suspended in the beer to allow the beer to carbonate. Personally, I have only left beer for 9 weeks and it carbonated just fine.

Beer has alcohol which restricts bacteria but its acidity is the bigger factor. You still need to be careful with your beer becuse bacteria are so resourceful that at least one type (acetobacter, the bacteria that makes vinegar) can infect your beer but it needs oxygen, somthing that will be missing in the bottle.
How much head space to be left? I've read fill the bottle till there's bottling wand and remove the wand. The space taken by wand is the space to be left. Is this true?
 
How much head space to be left? I've read fill the bottle till there's bottling wand and remove the wand. The space taken by wand is the space to be left. Is this true?
That's how I have always done it. That much space will ensure the beer doesn't expand to push the cap off.
 
That's how I have always done it. That much space will ensure the beer doesn't expand to push the cap off.
Are there any visual signs of bottle conditioning? Like how will one know it's going fine inside the bottle? Does it form krausen or any foam like the fermenter?🙂
 
Bubbles can be meaningless. We have done brews where there were no apparent bubbling, some bubbles at first then none, some bubble for several days. In a Carboy you can see the fermentation without bubbles as the wort to beer process has moving stuff most of the time and Krudsen. WE never end primary fermentation prior to 14 days for an Ale, longer for lagers. The bung in the top of the carboy can let the CO2 escape around the edges if it is not perfectly tight. We have never had an issue with a beer that did not "bubble" thru the Airlock (Since 2008).
 
Are there any visual signs of bottle conditioning? Like how will one know it's going fine inside the bottle? Does it form krausen or any foam like the fermenter?🙂
No visible signs except that you may see some sediment start to build up at the bottom of the bottle. Giving it 2-3 weeks (or more) at room temperature then testing is about the only way to know.
 
Bubbles can be meaningless. We have done brews where there were no apparent bubbling, some bubbles at first then none, some bubble for several days. In a Carboy you can see the fermentation without bubbles as the wort to beer process has moving stuff most of the time and Krudsen. WE never end primary fermentation prior to 14 days for an Ale, longer for lagers. The bung in the top of the carboy can let the CO2 escape around the edges if it is not perfectly tight. We have never had an issue with a beer that did not "bubble" thru the Airlock (Since 2008).
Here, I'm talking about bottling and bottle fermentation.
 
No visible signs except that you may see some sediment start to build up at the bottom of the bottle. Giving it 2-3 weeks (or more) at room temperature then testing is about the only way to know.
As @hotbeer said, we don't have to add extra yeast in bottling. There is enough yeast in the beer to begin with. By not adding extra yeast is the reason for slow carbonation (2 weeks time).
 
How much head space to be left? I've read fill the bottle till there's bottling wand and remove the wand. The space taken by wand is the space to be left. Is this true?
That's the standard way to fill, but some brewers are starting to change this. Filling the bottle to about 1/2" below the top reduces the oxygen in the bottle, and therefore reduces oxidation. I've been filling this way for probably a year now and it seems to help. But I've never done a side-by-side test. I fill the last bit by pressing the tip of the bottling wand against the side of the bottle. Be sure to leave a little head space because if you fill to the very top, expansion of the liquid can break the bottle.
 
Again I must advise patience.
3 weeks at 72F for bottle conditioning.
You ca certainly try earlier, you will find in time, that leaving them the heck alone is better.
 
You really just need to do it and see what you get. No matter how you do it. Then you'll have some frame of reference instead of imagination that sometimes runs rampant with stray thoughts taking you down many improbable rabbit holes.

Like how will one know it's going fine inside the bottle?
Faith.

And maybe prior experience once you get enough of that.

I usually put one bottle in the fridge about 5-7 days later and let it chill for 2 days. Then I pour it in a glass and hopefully enjoy it. This lets me assess the carbonation level and the flavor and aroma notes which do slowly change all the while it's in the botte.

Also, if your refrigerator is really cold like mine, then you may not notice the carbonation right off the bat as the cold temps keep it in solution better. Let your beer warm up in the glass as you drink it to 50 - 55°F (10 - 12°C) and the carbonation will be more apparent and your beer will have a fuller taste than when right out of the fridge.

Do this every 5 - 7 days till the carbonation is whatever it's going to become and then you can just put the bottles where you want to store them. Warmer temps, the faster the beer tastes and aroma might change, the cooler the slower that might be. Sometimes beer gets better with time. At some point that might go the other way.

Don't worry too much though. Your friends will be happy to drink it all if you let them, no matter what it tastes like to you.
 
 Update
Another week passed in the fermenter. FG is same at 1.003.
Should I bottle it today. 😀
Smells like strong alcohol.
 

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You really just need to do it and see what you get. No matter how you do it. Then you'll have some frame of reference instead of imagination that sometimes runs rampant with stray thoughts taking you down many improbable rabbit holes.


Faith.

And maybe prior experience once you get enough of that.

I usually put one bottle in the fridge about 5-7 days later and let it chill for 2 days. Then I pour it in a glass and hopefully enjoy it. This lets me assess the carbonation level and the flavor and aroma notes which do slowly change all the while it's in the botte.

Also, if your refrigerator is really cold like mine, then you may not notice the carbonation right off the bat as the cold temps keep it in solution better. Let your beer warm up in the glass as you drink it to 50 - 55°F (10 - 12°C) and the carbonation will be more apparent and your beer will have a fuller taste than when right out of the fridge.

Do this every 5 - 7 days till the carbonation is whatever it's going to become and then you can just put the bottles where you want to store them. Warmer temps, the faster the beer tastes and aroma might change, the cooler the slower that might be. Sometimes beer gets better with time. At some point that might go the other way.

Don't worry too much though. Your friends will be happy to drink it all if you let them, no matter what it tastes like to you.
Any reason for 2 weeks in the fridge? This way leftover yeasts will die in the bottle.
 
Any reason for 2 weeks in the fridge? This way leftover yeasts will die in the bottle.
I didn't say anything about 2 weeks in the fridge. I'm not understanding what you are getting at.

I don't really know for certain, but I don't think that yeast die after a certain time period. They just become inactive. The only way they die is for something to rip their cell walls open.

Yeasts have been recovered from unopened beer casks of 200 or more year old shipwrecks on the cold bottom of the ocean.
 
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