Help determine my FG

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jeepin

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2 weeks ago I brewed the NB Dead Ringer IPA extract kit. 9.15 lbs Gold Malt, Wyeast 1056 American Ale, OG was 1.061. Checked the last 2 days and it is 1.02. Krausen is down and no bubbling. I want to dry hop in my secondary. The kit does not state what FG i am shooting for. How can I determine what I should be shooting for. BTW this is my first brew. Also it looks really good and taste is pretty good. A little green but no off flavors at all(so I am happy!).
 
One of the smarter people on here may need to confirm or deny this, but if your not sure what you are shooting for then I would wait until it keeps a steady gravity for two or three days. Around here they also speak often of leaving it on the cake for a while longer even after fermentation is done instead of transferring to secondary for additional clearing.
 
What i have learned is to check the Gravity every three days until it has stopped dropping (or you can check it every day for 3 days), because your FG is a target gravity, you may not always hit your target, but when fermentation is done its done. It doesnt hurt to leave it sit for a while either as the yeast will have a chance to clean up after themself. Once the gravity remains the same its finished and can be dry hopped!
 
My educated guess is FG 1.014 to 1.018. After you reach a stable FG,let it sit on the yeast cake for 3-5 days to clean up & settle out more before dry hoping for a week. You don't want the hop oils cling to the settling yeast cells & be lost. Works quite well for me...
 
You are probably close to you FG. Note that predicting FG is very hard, especially in a extract recipe. Very hard to guess how fermentable that wort really was as it vary from brand to brand.
Just to have an idea, the 1056 yeast attenuation is said to be from 73 to 77%, but most of my all grain brew reach over 80%, some up to 90% attenuation. So the range is wild.
For your recipe:
att%=73 => FG=1.019
att%=77 => FG=1.016
att%=82 => FG=1.014

So just relax, follow the advices to let it sit until you gravity is a flat line and you will know your FG and will be ready to rack to a sec and dry hop.
 
i recommend you leave it in the primary fermenter for a full 4 weeks before moving it to secondary for dry hopping. if you dry hop too soon, the top fermenting yeast will settle on the hop leaves/pellets and get mixed back into your beer while you are racking it into the bottling bucket. then you end up with a unnecessarily thick layer of yeast in your bottles/keg.
 
Thanks. I will check it a couple times this coming week. I,m hoping to be able to move to secondary next weekend. That is when I am hoping to brew a stout. Thanks for all the info.
 
well...there is a lot of free opersource brewing software out there....brewtarget, beersmith (trial version), etc that you can use that will do all that work for you. otherwise...I never recommend taking gravity readings like a damn crack addict. just pitch your yeast and leave it the hell alone for 3 weeks. NO SECONDARY!!! just leave it alone. chances are everything is alright. but seriously, if I have to read 1 more "new post" asking if their fermentation is done judging by airlock activity I'm going to have a panic attack.
 
I was not asking if it was done due to airlock activity. Bubbling has been done for about 5-6 days. I checked gravity 2 days in a row and it was constant. These are the only 2 times I have taken readings. I was just wanting to know if FG is looking ok. I have read of someone else w/ same kit that had 1.014. I am at 1.020, just wondering if I am close. I will check it again towards the end of next week and see where I am at. Thanks guys
 
right...I'm not saying that you do...but I do know people that will take gravity readings 6 plus times after 2 weeks of primary fermentation. I just don't get it.
 
I don't secondary many of my beers, but I secondary the APAas and IPAs when I dry hop. I lose too much flavor in the trub dry hopping in the primary. However, all my beers sit 4 weeks or more at 63F before anything else.
 
Just some math but 1lb of liquid extract roughly 36 points per lb per gallon. 9.15lb x 36 points is 329. 329 / 5 gallon batch is 65 points. So you have an estimated OG of 1065. 73% of 65 points is 47 points so subtract the to and you get 1018 as the highest estimated FG. and 77% of 65 is 50 points so subtract and you get 1014 as the lowest estimated FG. So the average range of 73-77% attenuation you would get 1016 FG.

That is how you would find it if you kit doesn't come with them. You would use 44 points per lb per gallon for dry. But that is just an industry average, some might be more fermentable and some might be less.

What temperature are you at?
 
Brewing this as my first- very excited


I don't secondary many of my beers, but I secondary the APAas and IPAs when I dry hop. I lose too much flavor in the trub dry hopping in the primary. However, all my beers sit 4 weeks or more at 63F before anything else.


I wish we had a "homebrew law of secondary fermentation"

I have to dry hop too. Also dont want to run into grassy flavors and bad hoppification. If I dont fill up the 5 gallon with Apfelwein, than I might try secondary for a week of conditioning and dry hopping. Or go the extra week in the swamp cooler- dry hop in the primary and rack a week later. Too many say dont do it. Lots say do it. :drunk:



mcaple1 right...I'm not saying that you do...but I do know people that will take gravity readings 6 plus times after 2 weeks of primary fermentation. I just don't get it.

I'm sure they are drinking the beer alot sooner than the people letting it to settle in primary 2 weeks longer. P A T I E N C E

I'm not very patient but I want to allow my baby a chance go grow properly.
 
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