First Brew - 53 hrs in primary

[brtisbuck]

I brewed my first brew, NB Irish Red extract kit w/specialty grains, on Sunday. I did a full boil, but did not want to over compensate so I started with 5.5 gallons before additions figuring I could always top off. I added 1/3 of my extract at boil with 90% of scheduled bittering hops and the remaining 1/3 just past 10 minutes left. I have an aluminum 36 qt kettle that is pretty squatty so I was able to cool to under 95 in about 15 minutes with just an ice bath and was at 72 in about 21 minutes. My wort went into my carboy through a strainer and fine screen and I shook the heck out of it before pitching Wyeast 1056 without a starter. My OG was supposed to be 1.044, I estimated it at 1.043 but I did top of a little.

Foam was appearing @ 8 hrs and going strong in the morning and through the day. At 53 hrs things have slowed a bit. Foam has reduced a bit. My ambient temp is about 65, the temp on my carboy reads 67. I have no intention of touching it till after at least 3 1/2 weeks where I will go to bottle for another 3 weeks. What do you think my FG will be? Should I concern myself with checking gravity since I intend to leave it in primary for almost 4 wks?

Most importantly, what to brew next??

 

[bighorn_brew]

"Should I concern myself with checking gravity since I intend to leave it in primary for almost 4 wks?"

I was just thinking bout when I first started brewing, I hardly ever concerned myself with checking final gravity because I did just this...that is leaving in primary for about a month on average, and when I was doing extract I hardly ever checked original gravity either...If you see vigorous fermentation, meaning it did ferment, probably no worries about whether it reached projected terminal gravity, very little you can do to make it go down even further...other than stirring up some yeast and raising the temperature. I always figured one less way of getting an infection...

 

[jonmohno]

I made a irish red draught based on their two irish beers, it turned out pretty good.
Depending what yeast you used you could check the average attenuation and you could try plugging it into a brew calc, i would think somewhere around 1.010 maybe even less My OG was 1.046 and final was 1.009 i used safale 05 dryyeast.I never check gravity until i bottle @3 wks+, i have glass too so i can see whats going on. Sounds like you have a good process.

 

[NorthBayBrewer]

From one new brewer to another.... check and record your OG and your FG. You will find that sometimes things go wrong. Also, your FG can really influence the beer - specifically mouthfeel. Once you know you are consistently hitting your numbers, you can focus on other areas for improvement.

 

[A4J]

Also, your FG can really influence the beer - specifically mouthfeel.

huh????

 

[Stauffbier]

From one new brewer to another.... check and record your OG and your FG. You will find that sometimes things go wrong. Also, your FG can really influence the beer - specifically mouthfeel. Once you know you are consistently hitting your numbers, you can focus on other areas for improvement.

+1 on this ^^^ I recommend checking OG and FG after 3 or 4 weeks just to see where things ended up. It's a great learning tool when it comes to understanding fermentation and general brewing knowledge. Keep detailed notes of each batch..

 

[brtisbuck]

I am keeping a journal of my process and recipe for each batch if for nothing else my own reference which includes gravities. Plus if I want to reproduce a brew I have recorded what I did. I'm just wondering if I should check it prior to bottling day, which is when I will surely check it.

 

[Stauffbier]

I am keeping a journal of my process and recipe for each batch if for nothing else my own reference which includes gravities. Plus if I want to reproduce a brew I have recorded what I did. I'm just wondering if I should check it prior to bottling day, which is when I will surely check it.

What I do is check about 3 days before I plan to bottle. If FG is on or close to what I expected then I wont check again. If it's off .005 or more I check again 2 more times before I bottle to make sure it's finished.. If it doesn't change in about a 4 day period it's likely finished and ready to bottle..

 

[bighorn_brew]

"I'm just wondering if I should check it prior to bottling day, which is when I will surely check it."
May as well,,,like someone else mentioned, it's a good idea to know your process is sound...I did until about my 4th hydrometer, then I said screw it....that is until I got into all grain, it's esp nice to know at least your getting close to what you want....

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

I am keeping a journal of my process and recipe for each batch if for nothing else my own reference which includes gravities. Plus if I want to reproduce a brew I have recorded what I did. I'm just wondering if I should check it prior to bottling day, which is when I will surely check it.

i primary 3-4 weeks on avg. when i'm several days out from bottling/kegging, i take my first FG reading, then another 3 days later. if they're stable and that number jives with the FG i'm expecting, i go ahead and pkg my beer. i do the same thing before transferring to secondary for dry hopping, or any other post fermentation additions.

your process sounds solid, so check your gravity when YOU feel your beer may be ready to move or package. just always make sure it's stable and goes along with the recipe you're brewing.

 

[brtisbuck]

How much control do you have over fg at 3 weeks? Also, wouldn't fermentation be done at say 4 wks regardless? I know it need to check it before bottling, but if I'm in primary for that length of time is it really necessary to check prior to that?

 

[brtisbuck]

your process sounds solid, so check your gravity when YOU feel your beer may be ready to move or package. just always make sure it's stable and goes along with the recipe you're brewing.

That was part of my first question, my kit doesn't give me a projected fg, just og so I don't know what to expect.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

the only control you really have over FG happens on brew day. at three weeks, theres not much you can do outside of adding things (which you shouldn't) like sugar. unless you're stuck for some reason, which rarely happens, the yeast are in charge of FG at that point.
to answer your question, no, no need to check FG before a few days from bottling/kegging. and only then you check to make sure that the FG is stable over 2 or three days.

 

[Stauffbier]

I've had gravity drop more even after 3.5 weeks, depending on yeast strain, beer style, and fermentation temp.. It's more likely to see something like that on a heavier beer. Most of my low gravity ales usually finish in 10 to 14 days.. I still check them, though.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

That was part of my first question, my kit doesn't give me a projected fg, just og so I don't know what to expect.

with an irish red extract, you can expect a FG somewhere in the teens, maybe as high as 1.02 because its an extract beer. you would need to plug the recipe/ingredients in to software to get exact numbers.

 

[NorthBayBrewer]

Quote:
Originally Posted by NorthBayBrewer
Also, your FG can really influence the beer - specifically mouthfeel.

huh????

Let me elaborate:

I quoted this from Doug Fuchs at BYO,

"Extract brewers may also find that the extract source contained too few dextrins for a high final gravity or too many dextrins for a low final gravity. As when fine-tuning original gravity, combining extract syrup with dry extract may solve this problem as well. For extract brewers adjusting the amount of available dextrins is the only way to adjust final gravity and mouthfeel in a successful brew, because malt extract does not include the proteins and peptides generated by all-grain mashing. Only experimentation and strict notation will help extract brewers obtain target final gravities.

All-grain brewers should examine the mash schedule. Well-modified malt mashed in with a single-step infusion method should stabilize within a range of 150° to 158° F. A mash held at 150° F will produce mostly fermentable sugars, generating a delicate brew with light body and mouthfeel. A mash held at 158° F will produce a blend of fermentable and non-fermentable sugars, creating a brew with either medium or full body."

Check the link for more details.

 

[Yooper]

How much control do you have over fg at 3 weeks? Also, wouldn't fermentation be done at say 4 wks regardless? I know it need to check it before bottling, but if I'm in primary for that length of time is it really necessary to check prior to that?

You can bottle a 1.043 beer long before a month is over! That beer should be completely done fermenting in about 3 days, but 1056 is fairly slow to clear. It will be clearer after a week of sitting after fermentation is over.

I'd check the FG in another week or so, and then two days later. If it's the same, I'd bottle it. Two weeks in the fermenter is more than adequate for that beer style.

I've never left a beer in primary for 4 weeks, but it isn't going to be any more "done" at 4 weeks than at 2 weeks unless the fermentation is stuck or maybe for a super-high alcohol beer without enough yeast added.

You can tell if a beer is done by taking the FG, looking at it visually (it should start to clear), and so on.

 

[brtisbuck]

You can bottle a 1.043 beer long before a month is over! That beer should be completely done fermenting in about 3 days, but 1056 is fairly slow to clear. It will be clearer after a week of sitting after fermentation is over.

I'd check the FG in another week or so, and then two days later. If it's the same, I'd bottle it. Two weeks in the fermenter is more than adequate for that beer style.

I've never left a beer in primary for 4 weeks, but it isn't going to be any more "done" at 4 weeks than at 2 weeks unless the fermentation is stuck or maybe for a super-high alcohol beer without enough yeast added.

You can tell if a beer is done by taking the FG, looking at it visually (it should start to clear), and so on.

This is good to know here. At 70 hrs visual signs of fermentation have subsided and kraussen is down to a thin layer. It is cloudy as heck, so I am spot on with your first paragraph.

My intention of leaving it longer in primary is for the yeast to "clean up" off flavors and for optimum clearing without utilizing a secondary. What is the fine line for it can get better and just bottle, it is what it is going to be? I've read here so much about 3-4 weeks in primary. I'm not in a hurry to drink it (well yes I am), but I am willing to wait to make it the best it could be.

 

[Yooper]

This is good to know here. At 70 hrs visual signs of fermentation have subsided and kraussen is down to a thin layer. It is cloudy as heck, so I am spot on with your first paragraph.

My intention of leaving it longer in primary is for the yeast to "clean up" off flavors and for optimum clearing without utilizing a secondary. What is the fine line for it can get better and just bottle, it is what it is going to be? I've read here so much about 3-4 weeks in primary. I'm not in a hurry to drink it (well yes I am), but I am willing to wait to make it the best it could be.

I'm not on the "month long primary" bandwagon.

What happens with yeast is that during fermentation it produces some by-products. Taking good care of your yeast by keeping the fermentation temperature under control (generally in the mid- upper 60s) helps the yeast produce better tasting beer, but even in a perfect fermentation the yeast do produce these by-products.

After active fermention is over, the yeast are still active and since they've finished eating the fermentable sugars, they will go back and digest the less preferable things, like even their own waste products like diacetyl. That's what is meant by the yeast "cleaning up after themselves".

However, this process takes a couple of days, not a couple of weeks.

One advantage to letting the beer sit a week after fermentation has finished is the yeast will clean up after itself as mentioned. But also, since the yeast will no longer be active they will "flocculate" and fall out of suspension. Not all of them- there are still billions and billions of them in suspension- but many of them. That is what I mean by the beer clearing.

After these two processes, the yeast cleaning up things like diacetyl and the beer clearing, the beer can be bottled. This usually occurs by about day 10 in a healthy fermentation but going longer won't hurt.

That's why a few vocal people say 4 weeks- it's a safe bet. But it certainly isn't necessary and I would say that it's not a majority of brewers that would go a month in the primary for a 1.043 beer!

 

[Hugh_Jass]

I'm not on the "month long primary" bandwagon.

What happens with yeast is that during fermentation it produces some by-products. Taking good care of your yeast by keeping the fermentation temperature under control (generally in the mid- upper 60s) helps the yeast produce better tasting beer, but even in a perfect fermentation the yeast do produce these by-products.

After active fermention is over, the yeast are still active and since they've finished eating the fermentable sugars, they will go back and digest the less preferable things, like even their own waste products like diacetyl. That's what is meant by the yeast "cleaning up after themselves".

However, this process takes a couple of days, not a couple of weeks.

One advantage to letting the beer sit a week after fermentation has finished is the yeast will clean up after itself as mentioned. But also, since the yeast will no longer be active they will "flocculate" and fall out of suspension. Not all of them- there are still billions and billions of them in suspension- but many of them. That is what I mean by the beer clearing.

After these two processes, the yeast cleaning up things like diacetyl and the beer clearing, the beer can be bottled. This usually occurs by about day 10 in a healthy fermentation but going longer won't hurt.

That's why a few vocal people say 4 weeks- it's a safe bet. But it certainly isn't necessary and I would say that it's not a majority of brewers that would go a month in the primary for a 1.043 beer!

Well said, Yoop!

A solid process and a solid recipe generally (there are exceptions) will not require a month's wait.

 

[solbes]

Good stuff there on length of primary. I have gone 2 weeks for a wheat and 5 weeks for a 1.080 tripel. Usually I'm in the 3-3.5 week range.

As to the question of chechking your FG, I think it's good to keep a log of your results. If you brew a beer that's fantastic, you want to detail as much about it as you can so it can be reproduced later. Also needed for calculating alcohol percentage.

You do have some control over FG, but not a whole lot with extract. You will start to develop your tastes so that you can tell a difference between a beer that's really dry at 1.004 and one that finishes pretty sweet at 1.018. Different styles can be targeted within this range. When/if you move to all grain, you can dial in your finished gravity somewhat through your mash temps. But first you need to have the experience of likes/dislikes.

 

[brtisbuck]

All good stuff here. Thanks. My primary is glass so I can see what is occuring. Is there any visual indicators or tips on when clarity has reached its prime or is this just a matter of experience?

 

[Yooper]

All good stuff here. Thanks. My primary is glass so I can see what is occuring. Is there any visual indicators or tips on when clarity has reached its prime or is this just a matter of experience?

You know what you'll probably notice? It's weird at first, but the beer will suddenly look darker. Maybe only darker at the top, at first.

That's because as the beer clears, it clears from the top down. And yeast is white, so as it begins to fall to the bottom, the beer will look darker. That freaks out new brewers at first, because the beer looks too dark! But when you sanitize a turkey baster (high tech brewing gear!) and pull out a sample, it looks lots lighter in a glass!

Once this beer is "darker" like that, you can go ahead and take an SG sample and then pour it into a glass. Hold it up to the light, and you'll see that it's might lighter colored in the glass and pretty clear if not perfectly so yet. If the SG is the same at least two days later, it's fine to bottle at that point.

 

[HopHeadGrady]

For both my Ales, they will be in primary for 14 days, then they sit in the bottle for at least 2 weeks. My lager will also be 14-18 days and sit for 12 weeks in the bottle.

 

[Stauffbier]

For both my Ales, they will be in primary for 14 days, then they sit in the bottle for at least 2 weeks. My lager will also be 14-18 days and sit for 12 weeks in the bottle.

I assume that means you are lagering in the bottle vs. a secondary?

 

[HopHeadGrady]

Correct. Primary fermentation is done at 12C for 14-18 days. Bottle conditioning is at around 8-10C for 12 weeks.

 

[brtisbuck]

You know what you'll probably notice? It's weird at first, but the beer will suddenly look darker. Maybe only darker at the top, at first.

That's because as the beer clears, it clears from the top down. And yeast is white, so as it begins to fall to the bottom, the beer will look darker. That freaks out new brewers at first, because the beer looks too dark! But when you sanitize a turkey baster (high tech brewing gear!) and pull out a sample, it looks lots lighter in a glass!

Once this beer is "darker" like that, you can go ahead and take an SG sample and then pour it into a glass. Hold it up to the light, and you'll see that it's might lighter colored in the glass and pretty clear if not perfectly so yet. If the SG is the same at least two days later, it's fine to bottle at that point.

More exptremely useful info for a newb.