Fermentation - 90/-

[DRM]

I have a question regarding my first batch of home brew, which is currently in process. It is an organic Scottish 90/- shilling ale from a kit. The yeast is white labs edinburgh yeast.

It had an OG of 1.066 (after adjusting for temperature - 1.065 at 70 degrees) when I put it in the primary. Fermentation was pretty slow to start. Because it was in a bucket, I couldn't see what was going on inside, but bubbles only first appeared in the airlock after 36 hours (of anxious waiting). After that time, however, it seemed to go pretty well. Bubbles would come every two seconds at the strongest.

I moved it into a glass secondary after 7 days, by which time bubbles had slowed down greatly. After six days in the secondary, curiousity got the better of me and I took a reading. Its gravity at that point was at 1.022. It tasted sweet and looked very cloudy. I have nothing to compare it to, however, except store bought beers.

It is now six days later, and I took a second reading today, thinking it might be getting close to ready for bottling. The reading was 1.020. It looked a little clearer. I didn't taste it.

Temperatures have been very close to 63 degrees (probably 61-65, but pretty constant) throughout. In retrospect, I think I probably should have aerated it more at the beginning.

The recipe led me to believe the FG would be 1.012 to 1.018, so clearly I am currently outside that. In addition, I expected to be in the lower end of that range, because my OG was in the lower end of its range.

What I am wondering is, if the reading is the same tomorrow, should I bottle (which I would like to do, if appropriate)? Should I do anything?

 

[Pivzavod]

Wait a few more days until you at least hit the 3 weeks. Take a reading in a few days and see if its falling or not. Maybe you still have a few clicks to go

 

[Yooper]

That yeast should attenuate a bit more, but I checked in my software, and it says that it should be at 65-70 degrees. Could you warm it up just a bit and swirl the fermenter a bit to resuspend the yeast?

You're at about 68% attenuation, and I'd expect over 70% for that yeast. I wouldn't bottle yet. I'd see if the warming slightly, swirling a little technique could bring a few more gravity points. You should be in the 1.017 range in order to bottle.

 

[joe6pack]

^ +1

Do that.

 

[DRM]

When you say "swirl the fermentator", do you mean I should put a spoon into the fermentator and stir the bottom up a bit?

 

[Pivzavod]

No, he means to shake it (swirl) closed fermenter

 

[Hugh_Jass]

When you say "swirl the fermentator", do you mean I should put a spoon into the fermentator and stir the bottom up a bit?

Please correct me if I'm wrong, Yooper.

Pick up the carbouy by the neck. Move carbouy in a clockwise or counter-clockwise motion so the beer swirls inside the container. This will pick up some solids from the bottom and hopefully kick-start the fermentation process.

Good luck. Have a happy Thanksgiving
Best Regards

 

[DRM]

Ok, thanks! Happy Thanksgiving.

 

[dontman]

Please correct me if I'm wrong, Yooper.

Pick up the carbouy by the neck. Move carbouy in a clockwise or counter-clockwise motion so the beer swirls inside the container. This will pick up some solids from the bottom and hopefully kick-start the fermentation process.

Good luck. Have a happy Thanksgiving
Best Regards

Glass carboys, like babies, should not picked up by the neck. The bottom should be supported.

 

[noremorse1]

That yeast should attenuate a bit more, but I checked in my software, and it says that it should be at 65-70 degrees. Could you warm it up just a bit and swirl the fermenter a bit to resuspend the yeast?

You're at about 68% attenuation, and I'd expect over 70% for that yeast. I wouldn't bottle yet. I'd see if the warming slightly, swirling a little technique could bring a few more gravity points. You should be in the 1.017 range in order to bottle.

First off, I am from the UP too (Marquette) but, I have been living in Seattle since I graduated from NMU in 2005.

He should not be fermenting that high. A Scottish ale lends itself well to a long, cool fermentation. Fermenting at cooler temperatures with this yeast will stress the yeast a bit which gives off a subtle smokey flavor typical of this style (and often mistaken for peated malt). See the BJCP guide for this style to confirm this.

His mistake was pulling it off the yeast after only 7 days. Impatience is up there with poor sanitation for bad brews. I just made a 80 shilling and kept it in the primary for 2 weeks at 62 degrees. Went from 1.058 to 1.004. I crashed it out for 24 hours and kegged it up. Tastes great after only a week in the keg already. However, with such a low attenuation, it is still a bit green and will need to sit for a week or more to mellow out.

 

[Hugh_Jass]

Glass carboys, like babies, should not picked up by the neck. The bottom should be supported.

The reason carboys are often found in plastic milk crates?

 

[Yooper]

No, he means to shake it (swirl) closed fermenter

Are you talking about me? I'm certainly no "he"!

Please correct me if I'm wrong, Yooper.

Pick up the carbouy by the neck. Move carbouy in a clockwise or counter-clockwise motion so the beer swirls inside the container. This will pick up some solids from the bottom and hopefully kick-start the fermentation process.

Good luck. Have a happy Thanksgiving
Best Regards

Just swirl a bit, even if it's just rocking the carboy. You just want to rouse some of the early flocculated yeast.

First off, I am from the UP too (Marquette) but, I have been living in Seattle since I graduated from NMU in 2005.

He should not be fermenting that high. A Scottish ale lends itself well to a long, cool fermentation. Fermenting at cooler temperatures with this yeast will stress the yeast a bit which gives off a subtle smokey flavor typical of this style (and often mistaken for peated malt). See the BJCP guide for this style to confirm this.

His mistake was pulling it off the yeast after only 7 days. Impatience is up there with poor sanitation for bad brews. I just made a 80 shilling and kept it in the primary for 2 weeks at 62 degrees. Went from 1.058 to 1.004. I crashed it out for 24 hours and kegged it up. Tastes great after only a week in the keg already. However, with such a low attenuation, it is still a bit green and will need to sit for a week or more to mellow out.

I agree that it should have been in the primary longer. But it wasn't. So, now, the best option is to rouse the yeast and follow the yeast manufacturer's instructions as to temperature. The White Labs website gave those temperatures- I have no idea what the ideal temperature range would be for that yeast strain. However, I agree that ideally, cooler is better as long as it's in the yeast strain's fermentation range. I'm not a fan of that peated taste, and would try to not stress the yeast if possible.

You should get a few more points out of this yeast, and I think you will.

 

[Skipstr21]

Did you use a starter with the Edinburgh yeast? I have found that I get MUCH better results when using a starter with all WL yeasts. Also, I always leave it in the primary for at least 2 but not more that 4 weeks. I made an 80/- about a week and a half ago and the fermentation was active after about 8 hours and was gang busters for about 36 hrs. This is at about 61-63 degrees. It still bubbles about once every few minutes. Because of the lower temps, I'll probably leave it in the primary for 3 weeks, then secondary for a week.

 

[noremorse1]

http://www.whitelabs.com/beer/audio/wlp028.mp3

 

[DRM]

No, I didn't use a starter. Its funny, but everything I previously read suggesting a primary of 4-7 days, then a longer secondary, but everyone in this thread seems to do the opposite and that apparently may be what I did wrong.

 

[Righlander]

No, I didn't use a starter. Its funny, but everything I previously read suggesting a primary of 4-7 days, then a longer secondary, but everyone in this thread seems to do the opposite and that apparently may be what I did wrong.

Yeah for sure dude. I had the same thing happen to me. But everyone on this site suggested that i leave it in primary 3-4 weeks from now on. So I currently have an EPA in the primary it's been in there over 2 weeks. I'm just going to leave it in the primary 4 weeks as suggested by brewers on this site. They seem to swear by it. So I'm giving it a try! Hopefully it will come out better, I think it will.

 

[Kauai_Kahuna]

No, I didn't use a starter. Its funny, but everything I previously read suggesting a primary of 4-7 days, then a longer secondary, but everyone in this thread seems to do the opposite and that apparently may be what I did wrong.

The 1-2-3 rule of thumb is OK for most standard beers, but different yeast and recipes need longer primary fermentation. To be honest the only thing that will tell if your beer is ready to rack to a secondary is your hydrometer. You do not want to rack until you have hit your target gravity, then racking to secondary to condition the beer, not finish the fermentation.

 

[DRM]

Well after receiving this advice, I moved it to a warmer spot (69 degrees) and swirled it a bit. I could see parts of the bottom debris rising several inches. No great change that is visible to the eye, but I'll check it with the hydrometer in a day or two.

I will be out of town for eight days as of a week from tomorrow, so I was hoping to bottle so it would have a good few warm days before I leave (and turn the heating off). It will not get that cold while I'm gone, but it probably will fall below fermentation range.

How far is 1.020 from a 1.018 in terms of taste/possible bottle bombs? There just numbers to me at this point.

 

[WBC]

Just let it go as long as you can before you have to bottle for this batch. If you do that you will not have bottle bombs.

The next time you brew this same beer just leave it alone in the primary for 3 weeks and then take the hydrometer reading. Most 50 point ales need 2 weeks in the primary. There is no use in taking the FG before this time is up because it also needs conditioning on the yeast to clean up byproducts of fermentation. Older brewing books do not consider the yeast conditioning for some reason but we as home brewers need to take our time as we are not rushing to sell beer and want it to turn out good.