mhochman
Well-Known Member
Hi all,
So I'm brand new to the homebrew hobby/obsession and I'm waiting on my first batch, a Pale Ale. My fermentation seems either stuck or done and I don't know if I should push the fermentation or go ahead and bottle. I've been reading up as much as I can in books, websites, and in these forums, and haven't seen exactly what I'm experiencing, so I thought I'd ask the experienced members of the board.
I'm making the True Brew All Malt Pale Ale kit for my first batch. The target beginning gravity, according to the directions, is 1.043-1.045. Mine was 1.048, which from everything I've read is just fine. I brewed on Monday afternoon.
Tuesday morning the airlock was bubbling and I knew I was fermenting. Wednesday morning the bubbles had stopped, which I know doesn't mean anything in and of itself.
Wednesday morning I took a gravity reading and I wasn't getting a reliable reading. What I mean is, most of the times I dropped the hydro into the cylinder (not the fermenter itself) I got 1.010, which is exactly at the target of 1.010-1.012 (according to the instructions). But a few times the reading was actually 1.020. OK, so that was Wednesday. Saturday (yesterday) I took a reading hoping to see it at 1.010 "again," but instead I was treated to a very steady 1.020.
Now it's Sunday and I took the reading again and again I get 1.020.
So, what's the deal? The taste is that of a flat Pale Ale, so I don't think there's anything going on contamination-wise. I've read that if the readings are consistent over a number of days, you're ready to bottle. But I also suspect that 1.020 is a tad high and there's more fermentation to go, and I think I should pitch a second packet of yeast and let her sit another week.
Help!
(And thanks!)
So I'm brand new to the homebrew hobby/obsession and I'm waiting on my first batch, a Pale Ale. My fermentation seems either stuck or done and I don't know if I should push the fermentation or go ahead and bottle. I've been reading up as much as I can in books, websites, and in these forums, and haven't seen exactly what I'm experiencing, so I thought I'd ask the experienced members of the board.
I'm making the True Brew All Malt Pale Ale kit for my first batch. The target beginning gravity, according to the directions, is 1.043-1.045. Mine was 1.048, which from everything I've read is just fine. I brewed on Monday afternoon.
Tuesday morning the airlock was bubbling and I knew I was fermenting. Wednesday morning the bubbles had stopped, which I know doesn't mean anything in and of itself.
Wednesday morning I took a gravity reading and I wasn't getting a reliable reading. What I mean is, most of the times I dropped the hydro into the cylinder (not the fermenter itself) I got 1.010, which is exactly at the target of 1.010-1.012 (according to the instructions). But a few times the reading was actually 1.020. OK, so that was Wednesday. Saturday (yesterday) I took a reading hoping to see it at 1.010 "again," but instead I was treated to a very steady 1.020.
Now it's Sunday and I took the reading again and again I get 1.020.
So, what's the deal? The taste is that of a flat Pale Ale, so I don't think there's anything going on contamination-wise. I've read that if the readings are consistent over a number of days, you're ready to bottle. But I also suspect that 1.020 is a tad high and there's more fermentation to go, and I think I should pitch a second packet of yeast and let her sit another week.
Help!
(And thanks!)