Hydrometer Readings Help (Pale Ale Extract)

[Crash 2006]

Ok 16 days ago I cooked up this extract recipe...

7# Pale Malt Extract
1oz Cascade Hops
1/2oz. willamette Hops
1 Package Dry Yeast

After the first week I transfered the beer from the primary into the secondary. This occurred on 4/23/08 and the specific gravity was 1.020.

Today I took another gravity reading and it is still at 1.020. Room temp is around 68°F.

Can the fermentation have completed within the first week? There was a lot of activity the first two days of fermentation.

I don't have a final gravity reading for this recipe... Is it screwed up? If so I am not sure how I could have messed it up...

Thanks!

 

[enderwig]

depending on your yeast, it could be finished, although 1.020 is a bit high. Some of the yeasts that are included in some kits are notorious for finishing high. Did you aerate you wort before pitching the yeast?

 

[Blender]

You may have moved it early and the yeast had not finished up. What type of yeast? I read a lot of folks that have problems with Munton's yeast finishing. 1.020 is high and you should consider another dose of yeast.

 

[Crash 2006]

The yeast that was used is Muntons ale yeast (6 grams)

The beer does not really smell like beer, but I have never really drank a pale ale. The last beer I made up was a wheat beer and it did smell like beer.

So you guys think something is wrong?

 

[Crash 2006]

depending on your yeast, it could be finished, although 1.020 is a bit high. Some of the yeasts that are included in some kits are notorious for finishing high. Did you aerate you wort before pitching the yeast?

Yeah I shook it good to aerate it. It ate all the yeast up fast. I did not see any activity whatsoever the day I moved the beer into the secondary.

 

[enderwig]

a lot of folks that have problems with Munton's yeast finishing. 1.020 is high and you should consider another dose of yeast.

+1 If you used muntons, I would repitch with some Nottingham or something similar.

 

[Crash 2006]

+1 If you used muntons, I would repitch with some Nottingham or something similar.

How do I do that and how do I know when to move the beer from the primary to the secondary next time? I followed the instructions the lady gave me. I thought general rule was one week? I also did not let any of the sediment from the primary get into the secondary. Is that the wrong thing to do?

Will it harm anything to add more yeast? Sorry guys, this is my second batch and I am kind of freaking out. 8)

Thanks.

 

[BierMuncher]

Extracts will not ferment out as far as all-grain brewing and can be inconsistent from batch to batch.

It's not likely that tossing in a bunch more yeast is going to do anything but "yeast up" your beer.

More likely, the fermentable sugars have been exhausted.

Rather than tossing in fresh yeast, use your racking cane to swirl up the yeast cake a bit. Trust me...you have a ton o f yeast in that beer already, and unless you brewed up a huge (1.110 ish) beer, the yeast are still viable...just out of food.

 

[Crash 2006]

Extracts will not ferment out as far as all-grain brewing and can be inconsistent from batch to batch.

It's not likely that tossing in a bunch more yeast is going to do anything but "yeast up" your beer.

More likely, the fermentable sugars have been exhausted.

Rather than tossing in fresh yeast, use your racking cane to swirl up the yeast cake a bit. Trust me...you have a ton o f yeast in that beer already, and unless you brewed up a huge (1.110 ish) beer, the yeast are still viable...just out of food.

So take my racking cane and stir it really good? You mean yeast cake as in the sediment in the bottom? How long should I wait to bottle it? I am in no hurry to bottle.

Thanks!

 

[BierMuncher]

So take my racking cane and stir it really good? You mean yeast cake as in the sediment in the bottom? How long should I wait to bottle it? I am in no hurry to bottle.

Thanks!

No, not stir really good. You don't want to aerate your beer.

A simple swirl back and fort a few times will be sufficient.

You may seem some quick airlock activity, but I doubt you're going to get much more fermentation out of the wort.

My recommendation is to let a beer ferment/condition for 3 weeks before bottling.

 

[Crash 2006]

No, not stir really good. You don't want to aerate your beer.

A simple swirl back and fort a few times will be sufficient.

You may seem some quick airlock activity, but I doubt you're going to get much more fermentation out of the wort.

My recommendation is to let a beer ferment/condition for 3 weeks before bottling.

Ok, I will stir it and bottle it a week from now. That will give it 21 days... I can wait 21 days from now one. So half of that time in the primary and the other half in the secondary? Or 14 in primary and 7 days in the secondary?

I am worried this stuff is going to be screwed up... So worst case we are we looking at here? Not as much alcohol content in the beer?

Thanks...

 

[BierMuncher]

Don't worry. Beer is hard to screw up.

14 days in Primary and 7 in secondary is fine. You can even just skip the secondary and go 21-primary if you want.

 

[Crash 2006]

Don't worry. Beer is hard to screw up.

14 days in Primary and 7 in secondary is fine. You can even just skip the secondary and go 21-primary if you want.

That would be cool... That way I could make two beer brews at once.

I stirred it up and it looks like there is some unspent yeast in there (I think that is what it is).

What is the benefit to moving the beer from the primary to the secondary?

I appreciate your and everyone else's help. I am member of a lot of forums, but not that gives me this much help in such a timely manner as this one. :fro:

Thanks.

 

[scinerd3000]

the purpose of moving to a secondary to get the beer off the trub at the bottom and to let it clear further. When you rack it into a second container it leaves all the junk at the bottom of the first carboy and allows more to settle. When you go from there to bottling you end up with a much clearer beer than if you were to go straight from primary....some people like biermuncher said go straight from primary to bottling but i can vouch that sometimes i kick up sediment that ends up in the beer which is not so good