First batch halfway done.

[boydster]

If you cold crash in a freezer you need a temperature controller. At freezing temperatures it will not clear before it freezes and you do not want it to freeze. You could use the swamp cooler and a lot of water bottles to get the temperature maybe into the low 40's

My fermentation schedule: 3 weeks, then check gravity. If done I bottle. Store the bottles at about 70 degrees for two weeks minimum and check one bottle. They almost always take 3 weeks to truly finish.

I don't return samples to the fermenter. It is too big a risk even as minimal as it is, for a couple ounces. I take the minimum amount of samples needed. Often just the OG and FG if the FG is at the predicted number.

Temp control: agreed, 100%
Only 1 check for final gravity: I can't jump on that wagon. It is so easy to take one, wait 2-3 days, and take another to make sure you are at a true terminal gravity. And you risk very little in doing so. The primary is full of CO2 to help prevent oxidizing the beer, and as long as you sanitize your thief/baster that you pull the sample with, you have a negligible risk of introducing an infection. On the other side, though, if your beer has picked up an infection and you bottle at 3 weeks thinking it is done, it may continue fermenting in the bottles and create bottle bombs.

I think it's just too easy to take two FG readings. Plus, if you are just starting (as the OP is), it is a great practice to get into so you know, without a doubt, that your beer is ready to bottle. In my eyes, all you have to gain by taking a single reading is a 3-day head start on bottling. I choose to wait the 3 days.

 

[tahoetavern]

just took my first FG reading. it was 2.003 at 70*F. My OG was right on target at 1.052. My kit doesn't give me a target FG to hit. How does it sound so far? Again it was the brown ale caribou slobber from NB. Thanks for everyone's help. Tastes fine so far. Not really good or bad. Going to taste it again after a few minutes in the frig. To see if it will taste better once it cools down.

 

[boydster]

just took my first FG reading. it was 2.003 at 70*F. My OG was right on target at 1.052. My kit doesn't give me a target FG to hit. How does it sound so far? Again it was the brown ale caribou slobber from NB. Thanks for everyone's help. Tastes fine so far. Not really good or bad. Going to taste it again after a few minutes in the frig. To see if it will taste better once it cools down.

Safe to assume you mean the FG was 1.003?

It sounds low to me. I would have expected it to be somewhere between 1.008-1.012. I'm just guessing though, I don't have the ingredients or my brewing software in front of me to double check.

A low gravity like that will mean a dry, thin beer. I think you may have misread it, though, because that is a really high attenuation if it is correct

 

[tahoetavern]

Just looked again. 1.023

 

[boydster]

Ok, at 1.023 you are at around 55% attenuation. That's probably going to drop lower. Check it again in a week and see if it has changed. If you get 75% attenuation (which is a good target) you should finish around 1.013. It might help to let the temp come up slowly to around 70 now that the vigorous fermentation has tapered off. The higher temp will help keep the yeasties active while they finish up.

 

[tahoetavern]

Sweet, my water bath temp is 70*F. I keep my house at 74*F.

 

[tahoetavern]

Took a reading last night. Still at 1.023 should I bottle?

 

[boydster]

Wow, I expected it to drop a little more. Given that you have left it on the primary cake for this long and kept the temp up to help the yeast finish up, it sounds like it has hit its terminal gravity, so I would say yes, bottle it up.

I'm sure you have some process changes you are planning that will help with getting better attenuation on your next batch. Keep beer temp (not ambient) in the low to mid 60's for the initial fermentation, then once it dies down slowly let the temperature come up to 68-70 while it finishes up. And always check to make sure you are pitching enough healthy yeast (mrmalty.com is a great way to double check).

 

[tahoetavern]

Doing a yeast starter on m next batch. Thanks for all the help.