First time 5 gallon brew

[lstewartff]

I did a 5 gallon extract of amber ale. it has been sitting in fermentor for 2 and 1/2 weeks. I am planning on bottling today so i racked into my bottling bucket but I noticed that it tasted really bitter. I started with a gravity of 1.042, it says that the FG should be 1.010, but i am only getting 1.018. will this be ok or is this batch ruined.

Thanks
Lee

 

[twelvebeer]

It is ruined. Send it all to me.

 

[BendBrewer]

It's not ruined but if you can put a lid on your bottling bucket with an airlock I would just leave it for another week before bottling.

 

[lstewartff]

If I leave it for another week in my bottling bucket, how do I batch prime it? I figure That I shouldnt mix up everything that has settled to the bottom, should it be racked to another bucket.

 

[BendBrewer]

I am assuming that your bottling bucket is just a fermenter with a spigot and that you already added the priming sugar. Do you have another one with a spigot that you can use to bottle?

Had you checked the gravity on different days to insure that fermentation was complete? i.e. no change in the readings.

If so, you could go ahead and bottle and let it condition in the bottle for a while but if fermentation was not complete, (gravity still falling) then you run the risk of bottle bombs or over carbonated beer at best.

 

[mixedbrewer]

You could just let it ferment out even if you added the priming sugar (hopefully it was boiled in water). If not you can add it later to the top. I have done it many times. Just boil it in a few cups of water. Then while it is still hot, slowly pour it in a circular motion around and into the top of the wort while gently swirling with a sanitized spoon. Then you need to let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes so it can disperse through the wort.

 

[lstewartff]

I have just put it in the bottling bucket, have not put in priming sugar yet. I did check the gravity a fews days and it said 1.018 everytime so I thought that it should be done fermenting.