Is it done yet? How about now??

[snowbeavers]

I can't wait to actually start drinking this! Anyone else finding themselves checking it every few hours?

I am brewing a Canadian blonde ale from Cooper's. On the instructions from the guy at the homebrew store, he told me after 10 days, you can start bottling. I know, I know...the longer you wait, the better.

Anyway, my SG readings are as follows:
March 24-1.028
Today-1.022

I forgot to take an initial one (oops!). I am kind of confused about how the readings work.

So as there is more alcohol, the density decreases (compared to water), so the hydrometer sinks more thus giving a lower reading? Is that right? It is just a little confusing as when I look at the scale, it makes it seem as though the numbers should be increasing. Sorry for newbie questions but I guess this is the newbie forum right?

Another dumb question: I tasted it and it well...sort of tastes like beer! I wont' get sick from drinking it will I?

Can someone clarify this for me? So big question is, when can I bottle?? Estimated SG reading?

 

[Cyanide]

You can bottle after the readings stop changing for a week!If it was 1.022 today, take another reading on Monday. If it is still 1.022, take a final reading Wednesday. If it still is sitting at 1.022, you can move to bottling. Since it was 1.024 on the 24th and 1.022 today, it might not be done yet! Just wait till it all settles out!

 

[dbsmith]

1.022 seems really high to me. I don't know what the FG for that style is supposed to be, but...most beers are at least below 1.020, right?

 

[CABeerMaker]

I agree with Cyanide, wait until Monday and take another reading if it is still at 1.022 then it should be finished. I would still give it a few more days to clean itself up before bottling. If you can wait a week after getting a stable gravity it will clean up real nice and give you a better beer. Bottle and condition for 3 weeks before drinking and you will be very happy.

 

[Fid]

Yeah I would say MOST beers are going to be below 1.020. If you post your original recipe I'm sure someone can give you a guess for what your OG was and a ROUGH estimate on what your FG will be but ultimately the yeast decide what your FG is.

To make the AVB thing hopefully make a bit more sense as far as all of your readings go try playing around with this.
http://www.rooftopbrew.net/abv.php
Lets assume that your OG reading (although you didn't take one, but honestly no big deal) was 1.050 and your finishing Gravity is 1.010. Your ABV is 5.3%. The ABV is calculated by the fluctuation between your OG and your FG which is why your gravity number is decreasing. As the yeast do their thing and consume the food (sugar) in your beer the density decreases.

So again, assuming that your OG was 1.050 and saying that your yeast are done working where your beer sits now, giving you a FG of 1.022.. your ABV would be 3.7%.
There is a mathematical equation behind all of this that this website sorts out for you. God Bless Computers eh?

Now, all of that being said I'm willing to bet that your beer is not ready yet... 1.022 is pretty high. I suggest you take the advice given above, wait a few days and take another reading. Chances are the gravity will drop which means the yeast are still active and you wouldn't want to bottle. Bottling too early wont only result in a lower quality beer but could also easily result in bottle bombs and you don't want that at all.

Congrats on the first brew! Go buy a couple of books and do some reading up. The forums are a great tool when you've got questions but reading a couple of quality books definitely helped me understand why I was doing what I was doing when brewing.

An oldie but a goody:
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Homebrewing-Third-Harperresource-Book/dp/0060531053/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301122274&sr=8-1-spell

And a more up to date guide:
http://www.amazon.com/How-Brew-Everything-Right-First/dp/0937381888/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1301122315&sr=1-1

I own both and have read both multiple times. Definitely worth the investment.

Cheers!

PS
Your beer isn't going to get you sick.

 

[TANSTAAFB]

Wait for stable hydrometer readings over at least 3 days.

Pathogens cannot grow in beer, so sample away...but remember every early sample means less good, carbonated, conditioned beer!

It is a good idea to do forced fermentation tests on all your brews. Just take a big enough sample to get a hydrometer reading AFTER pitching your yeast and let it ferment at room temp. Putting it on a stir plate is even better. Take a hydrometer reading after a week. This number will be the maximum attenuation you can expect to get out of your beer. Your full scale batch will probably be a couple of points higher than your forced ferment, but you will know around what number you are shooting for and is far more reliable than a recipe estimate!

My latest brew has been in the fermenter for a week and is still chugging away...be patient!!! Allow the yeast time to finish then clean up their mess. I never bottle before two weeks and that is only for my simple, low gravity session beers. Anything over 1045-1050 OG gets at least 3-4 weeks in the primary.

Welcome to your new obsession

 

[snowbeavers]

Thanks so much for your advice guys. Much appreciated!

 

[snowbeavers]

Turned out absolutely delicious! I guess it paid to wait. I only have a couple of bottles left. I ended up bottling it at 1.012 and no problems! I used the Coopers candy drops and added 2 to each bottle.