Hydrometer's broke, is fermentation done?

[BlueSunshine]

So I brewed my second batch of beer (a chocolate coffee stout) 15 days ago, but during that time my hydrometer was broken so I couldn't take an initial reading.

I just got a new hydrometer a few days ago and I was wondering if there was any way I could check if fermentation is done. My airlock is still bubbling about every 30 seconds or so in the carboy and it's been in storage at about 64 degrees. I know airlocks aren't good gauges to tell if fermentation is done, but can a hydrometer still work even if you didn't take an initial reading?

 

[HomelessWook]

I just received 'how to brew' by john palmer as a christmas present - he says he leaves his beer in the primary fermenter for 3 weeks to a month and recommends nothing less then 2 weeks

i think the only way you can tell if fermentation is done is to open up your bucket and take a gravity reading.

i am not an expert at all and am only on my first batch just passing along some info i do know.

 

[Revvy]

Your recipe should tell you what your OG was supposed to be, if this is an extract batch then since they are foolproof, that is what your Og really is. You can take a grav reading at anytime with your new hydromter.

But many of us just leave our beers in primary for 4 weeks then bottle. We find that our beer is greatly improved by doing that.

 

[BlueSunshine]

Your recipe should tell you what your OG was supposed to be, if this is an extract batch then since they are foolproof, that is what your Og really is. You can take a grav reading at anytime with your new hydromter.

But many of us just leave our beers in primary for 4 weeks then bottle. We find that our beer is greatly improved by doing that.

4 weeks eh? Is that the norm for experienced guys? I'll do the 4 weeks then!

 

[Revvy]

4 weeks eh? Is that the norm for experienced guys? I'll do the 4 weeks then!

Yep....4 weeks and no secondary.....

If you wanna read the in depth answer, go here; https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/oxidation-85406/#post1766866

Your beer will thank you!

 

[bonzombiekitty]

I just got a new hydrometer a few days ago and I was wondering if there was any way I could check if fermentation is done.

You should use the same procedure as normal. Take a reading, then a couple days later take another one. If the gravity hasn't changed, your fermentation is done. Caveat to that would be if your gravity is way higher than it should be (i.e. 1.04 on something that should have an FG below 1.02), which may indicate a stuck fermentation.

 

[TheFlyingSparge]

What I wouldn't do is keep opening your fermenter to check it. Fermentation times won't matter if your beer get's contaminated. If you're not racking to a secondary, shoot for anywhere from 2-4 weeks in primary. I would personally aim for 3 at your temps then bottle. If you have a carboy, do 1 week in primary and 2 weeks in carboy. Historically my beer's been done roughly when the airlock bubbles about once a minute. If your projected OG is around 1.035-1.060 a FG of 1.015 or lower is fine and easily achievable at these recommended fermentation times. Crack a beer and don't worry about it.

 

[TipsyDragon]

your OG reading is meaningless when trying to determine if your fermentation is done. its only useful if your trying to decide if your fermentation is stuck and calculating how much alcohol is in your finished brew. like bonzombiekitty said, wait for the bubbling to stop then start taking gravity readings. space them 3-ish days apart. as soon as you get 3 in a row that are the same then your fermentation is done. then bottle and wait another month minimum before drinking. and be sure to chill your beer for a minimum of 24 hours before drinking or you will end up with a beer shower.

 

[Sithdad]

Don't get hung up with "the numbers". Yes, your primary fermentation might be done in 5-15 days, depending on the yeast, but they are pretty intent on cleaning up after themselves. If you taste a sample of your beer at each of the 3-4 weeks of fermentation you will notice a big difference. If your fermentation temp is higher than the yeast like you will get diacetyls in your beer (which taste like butter, buttered popcorn, or butterscotch). Some of these off-flavors can be removed by allowing the yeast to go back and consume them after they have eaten all the sugar. Simply racking your beer and bottling it once your gravity stabilizes will prevent the yeast from cleaning up after themselves. Having patience and allowing your yeast to "do their thing" is one of the hardest parts of this hobby. But, if you wait you will be rewarded.

Depending on how quickly you drink your beer you will want to start another batch so that as you are drinking your current batch your next batch is conditioning in the bottles. This way when one batch is gone you have another waiting for you and you won't be as tempted to rush the beer along so you can drink it.

 

[TipsyDragon]

while i agree with Sithdad that the longer you leave the beer on the yeast the better. i have to disagree that the "cleaning up" stops once you rack off of the yeast. there is still yeast in suspension when you rack and bottle, thats why beer carbs in the bottle. its that yeast that will continue to clean up after the rest while in the bottle. now, if you do leave the beer on the yeast for an extended period of time you will get faster and probably better results because of the larger yeast population.

 

[david_42]

To answer your specific question, you do not need to know what the original gravity was to tell if a beer is done fermenting. What most people do is check the gravity, then 3 days later. If you get the same reading, then the fermentation phase is done.

Also, with an extract recipe, the calculated gravity will always be close to the expected gravity. The only variable is the amount of water used.

Letting the yeast clean up and the beer clear in the fermenter makes a big difference. Racking off the yeast will slow the clean-up.

 

[BlueSunshine]

To answer your specific question, you do not need to know what the original gravity was to tell if a beer is done fermenting. What most people do is check the gravity, then 3 days later. If you get the same reading, then the fermentation phase is done.

Also, with an extract recipe, the calculated gravity will always be close to the expected gravity. The only variable is the amount of water used.

Letting the yeast clean up and the beer clear in the fermenter makes a big difference. Racking off the yeast will slow the clean-up.

Nice, that was my original thought but I wanted to ask you guys to make sure.

This was an extract recipe but I steeped specialty grains as well. I also picked and chose certain things from different recipes so I don't really know what the original gravity should have been.

 

[showtime24]

To answer your specific question, you do not need to know what the original gravity was to tell if a beer is done fermenting. What most people do is check the gravity, then 3 days later. If you get the same reading, then the fermentation phase is done.

Also, with an extract recipe, the calculated gravity will always be close to the expected gravity. The only variable is the amount of water used.

Letting the yeast clean up and the beer clear in the fermenter makes a big difference. Racking off the yeast will slow the clean-up.

should he move it to secondary for a few weeks then bottle, or just leave it in primary for longer and go straight to the bottle?

 

[bce22]

should he move it to secondary for a few weeks then bottle, or just leave it in primary for longer and go straight to the bottle?

Leave it in the primary for at least 3 weeks and then straight to bottle. This is what i would do.

 

[showtime24]

Leave it in the primary for at least 3 weeks and then straight to bottle. This is what i would do.

do you do that will all the beers you brew or just stouts?

im just trying to learn

 

[bce22]

do you do that will all the beers you brew or just stouts?

im just trying to learn

I like to do that with all beers that do not require the addition of fruit, etc. I'll leave it in the primary for 3 to 4 weeks then bottle.

I then will start sampling most beers after three weeks to check the progress. For example I bottled a high gravity scotch ale and a irish red on the same day 4 weeks ago. The red is fantastic and ready to serve, the scotch ale has a ways to go. I'll probably start checking my scotch ale in another 3 weeks or so to see where we're at with it.