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Hydrometer reading 1.022 after 2 weeks

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sir_ybarra

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This is my first brew so I'm a little worried that my cream stout is reading 1.022 after 2 weeks. The target is 1.012-1.016. Should I be concerned? Can I bottle it like this?
 
The standard is to have multiple unchanged gravity readings over the course of a week or two. If so, then it's likely gone as far as it will and you can bottle.
 
What's the original gravity? Yeast strain? Did you use a starter? All grain or extract?
 
I broke my hydrometer on brew day so I didn't get an original reading. I used dry yeast that I rehydrated per instructions. And its an extract kit. I've gotten the same reading 2 days in a row.
 
What's your ferm temp? Beer isn't something we rush, because yeast have their own schedule. I recommend keeping it at the recommended ferm temp for another week, then take another reading. You may be surprised, and the time will allow the yeast to eat up byproducts and your beer will taste better because of it. RDWHAHB
 
I give all my ales three weeks in the primary. I don't bother checking gravity until the day I keg it. I don't check gravity multiple times. They usually only bubble for a few days, anyway. I've left some ales in the primary for 30 or 31 days. I bring the primary up to room temp for the last week so the yeast can do some cleanup. Seems to work for me. No big hurry.
 
It's been at about 70° the actual beer is 72°. Yes it only bubbled for about 2 days and it started bubbling about 4 hrs after I sealed the fermenter. I was thinking I would let it ride another week and go from there. I just wanted to make sure that wasn't a crazy end reading. Mainly I just want it to be ready to drink by Christmas but if it's not no big deal.
 
What are your fermenting conditions? If you're letting it ride at ambient room temp and the temp is too low (i.e.: a cold winter basement), then the yeast can drop out early. If this happens to be the case, you'll need to warm the fermentor up to within the recommended temp range for your yeast. Rousing the yeast gently may help.
 
what are your fermenting conditions? If you're letting it ride at ambient room temp and the temp is too low (i.e.: A cold winter basement), then the yeast can drop out early. If this happens to be the case, you'll need to warm the fermentor up to within the recommended temp range for your yeast. Rousing the yeast gently may help.

70°
 
It should be relatively fresh then, unless it was sitting around for quite a while before brewing. The expected FG was around 1.016? I've had yeast stall out around 1.022, only to start up again in the bottle. You might try gentle rousing and check gravity again in a few days.
 
Toss a vial of WLP099 in there, and it'll eat the remaining sugars right up. That fixes 70% of all stuck ferments. Amylase fixes another 20%. UltraFerm is the nuclear option for the remaining 10%.
 
...or try more of your muntons if you have it. If not, perhaps another medium attenuating yeast that your LHBS carries (S04, Windsor?)
 
Extract brews are notorious for ending around 1020. Give it another week and if tbe SG is still the same, it's done. Bottle/keg it and enjoy. It will be fine. I had extract brews that finished 1018-1022 and they were all fine. I didn't start hitting predicted FGs until I went all grain.
 

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