first "whoops"

[SkaBoneBenny]

So I just got back from a working an 8 hour nightshift from midnight till about now and remembered I need to transfer over my Gonzo IPA to secondary and add the dry hops. I'm going to be away until Sunday and wanted to make sure it didn't sit in secondary too long and had plenty of time to soak up those dry hops.

So I opened up my Ale Pale and began transfering it. I was amazed at how much and creamy it looked and how wonderful it smelled. Then i realized it had only been fermenting for five days and I didn't use a yeast starter. When i checked my hydrometer as the air settled out I saw it read 1.015 or so. It's supposed to finish at 1.010 or so. I ever added the dry hops before my consciousness kicked in and sugggested that perhaps I had transfered my brew too soon. Have I screwed myself over? I ususally transfer to secondary after a full week or so and my finsihing gravity is almost at it's right place. I'm just worried I really messed up the fermentation. Or thatit will keep fermenting but mess up my dry hops. Up intil now I've never really second guessed any of my brewing decisions. Now I'm worried. And because of my 24 hour lack of sleep it's all i can think of. Am I over-reacting? Is this something to be worried about? It smells so goddamned good too. I think I got the hops just right. Blarggg.
-Ben

ps please forgive typos or such right now, the night shift has just poisoned my mind.

 

[david_42]

You're over-reacting. The brew will continue fermenting, it won't interfere with the dry hopping.

Night shifts are the pits.

 

[Evan!]

You are the definition of overeactionary right now, man. Chill out. Drink a homebrew or two...or five. Get some sleep. A couple of things to ease your tired head:

1) If you've gotten down to 1.015 on an IPA, then you're doing juuuuust fine. You said it's "supposed" to finish at 1.010, but that's assuming optimum attenuation. A great many of my batches turn out with FG's that are a little higher than I would like...but to that end, the lowest FG I've ever gotten was 1.014. So please, dude, just relax.

2) Even though you racked to secondary and left the trub behind, that doesn't mean that you left all the yeast behind. Not by a long shot. Unless you've been aging in secondary for a year, there are still yeasties in suspension. So, at the end of the day, if there are still fermentables in there, they'll be taken care of in secondary...

 

[fiddup_is_a_middup]

RDWHAHB you and your beer will be just fine. The Yeast will be fine, the hops will be fine, RDWHAAHB

 

[SkaBoneBenny]

Wow, I just reread that whole exchange. Sorry for the terror filled panic that gripped me. Working night shifts I've had hallucinations before but never had a beer freak out like that. Thanks for the reassurance.
-Ben