Finished Brewing or Stuck fermentation

[clarkjo]

So I'm new to the world of brewing, and I just started my first batch. Within the first 2 hours, the fermentation went crazy, to the point that the wort was bubbling over into the airlock. However, within 24 hours of starting, the fermentation has essentially stopped. I checked the SG of the water I was using before I started mashing (1 exactly) and right before I introduced the yeast (1.05). Is it possible that the fermentation finished in 24 hours, or does this sound more like a stuck fermentation? Any insight and advice would be extremely helpful.

 

[osagedr]

Only way to know is to take an SG reading with your hydrometer.

 

[dogma9]

i'm new myself, and getting rdy to make my first 5 gallon batch. I see everybody saying to take hydrometer samples, but i don't understand how you get the samples without taking the lid off and contaminating the beer?

 

[clarkjo]

Just checked and the SG is at 1.02. Is that reasonable for finished beer?

 

[Yooper]

Just checked and the SG is at 1.02. Is that reasonable for finished beer?

It could be. It's a bit higher than most of us hope for (depending on the ingredients and yeast strain), but it's not out of line. If it stays where it is for at least three days (check it in three days), it's done.

 

[Yooper]

i'm new myself, and getting rdy to make my first 5 gallon batch. I see everybody saying to take hydrometer samples, but i don't understand how you get the samples without taking the lid off and contaminating the beer?

You would sanitize whatever you're using to pull out the sample. In my case, I use a new (never used for turkey!) turkey baster to suck out my sample. Then, stick the lid back on.

 

[clarkjo]

Alright, thanks for the help. I'm really hoping this first one turns out well.

 

[dogma9]

You would sanitize whatever you're using to pull out the sample. In my case, I use a new (never used for turkey!) turkey baster to suck out my sample. Then, stick the lid back on.

okay, i bought a baster to use for that. So just taking the lid off to look inside does not hurt? or is this something you don't wanna do except to get a sample? I'm just going by my mrbeer kit that said to never open the lid on it, so thats why i'm confused on the topic with my new bigger kit

 

[wyzazz]

Sanitize the turkey baster and all will be fine, just don't drop a bunch of stuff in your beer, cough/sneeze/snot in it, etc...

 

[buffalobrewer]

a quick opening to get the sample with a sanitized baster will not cause a problem. Even if something gets in at this point the yeast will have a huge head start.

check out the sticky at the top on "so you think you ruined your beer" or something like that for a little insight on how "durable" your beer is.

 

[Smokeater233]

Just checked and the SG is at 1.02. Is that reasonable for finished beer?

Do your instructions offer a suggested FG? I just went through this and learned the hard way that patience is most certainly a virtue with homebrewing. Like you, I had a very fast ferment and my first hydrometer reading took place just a few days after the ferment "completed", showing 1.022. That was on a Thursday. I decided to bottle on the following Saturday, but the hydrometer then showed 1.018...meaning fermentation had indeed not completed. So, I decided to wait another week and bottle this past Saturday, but Friday night when I came home, the fermentation was suddenly active again - on account of the room being warmer, or perhaps some slight rousing of the yeast as I moved my primary fermenter in taking a hydrometer reading a few days prior. The "second" fermentation completed on Sunday, and my hydrometer reading now shows 1.011 - the sweet spot. I'm sure the most recent round of fermentation left some crap behind, so I'm going to give it another full week to clear before I go ahead with bottling. Had I bottled when I wanted to a week ago, I would not have allowed fermentation to complete, meaning plenty of off flavors, likely an overly sweet beer, and the very real potential for bottle bombs. I tasted the beer after my most recent hydrometer reading...and it's wonderful. So take it from me, another quickly learning noob - wait it out, the time waiting is downright awful, but it's been very clearly worth the wait. And use the downtime wisely, by buying more kits...

Cheers!

 

[Blulakr]

Give it a week. At 48 hours and 1.020 sg it is not done fermenting.

Resist the temptation to tamper with it. I know it's tough to do but if you want good beer you need to be patient.

If at the end of the week you are still at 1.020 then you may have a stuck ferment. Cross that bridge when\if you come to it. RDWHAMB (relax, don't worry, have a microbrew)