H E L P....OG to FG average times

[cheeseburger]

Hi,

I brewed my 3rd extract batch last weekend, my first 2 brews had a healthy krausen and airlock activity stopped after around 4 days for both batches. I used gervin english ale for both of these.......for my 3rd brew I changed to US-05 I didn't see a krausen and just seemed to have lots of little krausens floating on top (although there's lots of oils/sediment around the fermenter about 1 cm above the beer/maybe I missed it??)

However, what I am trying to find out is the speed it should take to reach FG and whether I should pitch more yeast????

My OG was 1.052 and it now reads 1.033 (3.5 days into fermentation) my airlock is still bubbling but it does seem to be slowing down. My est FG is 1.011 is likely that I will still reach est FG now that the vigorous fermentation has slowed????? Would more yeast help???

Any advise is appreciated......

Other info:
3kg DME with 21 litres of water (no other grains or sugars/just hops)
temp is 16-18c and i cannot really increase this.
I pitched the yeast a little on the high side, about 35c

 

[flars]

First 35° C (95° F) is rather high for pitching yeast, but not deadly. Your current temperature is ideal for SA-05. Are you using a bucket or carboy for your fermentor? Keep the fermentor at 16° to 18° and wait two weeks to take your next SG reading. Yeast will be done when they are done. The majority of the fermentation is probably over. Now you need to let the yeast clean up any off flavors that may have been developed with less than ideal initial fermentaiton temperature.

 

[cheeseburger]

I'm using a clear better bottle fermenter and i've left the sanitised hydrometer in there so I can keep an eye on progress. Fingers crossed gravity will keep reducing.

 

[brycelarson]

The speed of fermentation depends on a bunch of things - yeast health, temperature, aeration, wort gravity among others.

Basically, chill out, relax and give it time. There's never a reason to get too worked up until you have given it at least two weeks to do it's thing.

Don't try to use the airlock as a fermentation indicator - it's not reliable. Keep an eye on the temperature - try to keep it constant and watch the hydrometer.

You may not be getting accurate gravity readings while fermentation is going on - the little bubbles sticking to your hydro may be increasing the gravity reading somewhat. Wait a while - at 14+ days report back.

 

[cheeseburger]

OK, my reading seems to be static now at 1.030!!! target was 1.011 This means my ABV is only around 2.9% Do you think fermentation has finished or stuck? Should I pitch some more yeast???? If fermentation is finished, I was thinking of chucking in a jar of honey to increase ABV???? Thoughts........

 

[suckmyale]

From my reading on here the hydro reading can be incorrect if just floating in the primary. Extracting a sample with a thief an testing the hydro in there is more accurate. .

 

[bleme]

Hopefully you aerated well. When you pitch yeast and they find oxygen, they start to multiply. There should be 10 times more yeast in there than you pitched initially. If they can't get the job done, what is another packet going to help?

 

[cheeseburger]

This reading was from a sample....my plan is to brew another beer when I rack the new beer into secondary I'll rack the 'stuck' beer onto the yeast cake of new brew......means I have to buy another fermenter and brew some more beer