Okay to bottle?

[brewzter]

I'm brewing my first batch, of an extract-based IPA. I was expecting it to take a couple of weeks, but it brewed flat after four days.

I started it in a carboy with a blow-by tube. The foam subsided after 2 days. At 2.5 days, I switched to an airlock (on the same carboy). The bubbles started out every 2-3 sec in the airlock, and after another 1.5 days (4 days total) they had gone down to every 90-120 sec. It has now been a total of 6 days, and the bubbles are coming every 90-105 sec.

The only thing I know I did wrong is that I forgot to agitate the carboy after adding the wort to the water.

Is it okay to bottle this now? Just don't want any bottle bombs...

Many thanks,
brewzter

 

[Buckwheat Brewing]

I'm no expert but I would definitely let it go for at least two weeks and if your planning on dry hopping I would go longer.

 

[QuaffableQuips]

You can bottle any time after the final gravity has stabilized. My rule of thumb is to take 3 gravity readings over the course of a week. If it doesn't change, then you can bottle without worrying. It's unlikely you'll get bottle bombs if you wait to bottle till after the gravity has stabilized.

That said, you can substantially improve the quality of your beer by leaving it alone for at least a couple of weeks. After the fermentation has completed, the yeast remain active, reabsorbing by-products of fermentation and generally cleaning things up. For an IPA, I would suggest 3 weeks in primary and then bottle, but I'm lazy.

Did you take an original gravity reading? If you didn't, you can estimate it based on the amount of extract and the total volume (try tastybrew.com or beercalculus.hopville.com). The higher the OG, the longer I'd let it sit.

 

[brewzter]

Good points, NEMB. I did not take an original gravity reading. Don't have a hydrometer, in fact, but I will buy one tomorrow and give it another week, testing.

(I will be priming with 2/3 cup dextrose in the carboy before bottling. I assume that's understood.)

 

[el_caro]

(I will be priming with 2/3 cup dextrose in the carboy before bottling. I assume that's understood.)

Sorry if I have got the wrong idea but I hope you are not just adding the 2/3 cup dextrose to the carboy you are using for primary fermentation. The dextrose needs to be carefully mixed throughout the wort without aerating it and you do not want to stir up all the material that has settled out. Best transfer it carefully to a bottling bucket to which you have added the dextrose.
Leave the sediment behind in the primary .

 

[GreenDragon]

I'd give it 2-3 weeks or until the yeasties get things cleared up, makes a big difference in the clarity of the beer. How high was your OG on that?

 

[unionrdr]

He didn't have a hydrometer to take an OG with. But def leave it in primary till you get a stable FG,then allow 3-7 days more to clean up & settle out more. It should be clear or slightly misty at bottling time. You'll get less yeast dregs in the bottles that way.

 

[GreenDragon]

Yeah I know but usually those kits come with instructions that give you an estimate on what the OG should be, if everything goes according to plan.

 

[unionrdr]

Yeah,a decent kit will have the expected numbers. But ones like cooper's & Munton's only have genralized instruction for that beer's series. I was just going by what he said.
Anyway,the fact that the bibbling slowed way down after 4 days only signifies that initial fermentation was over. But it'll still need time to get a stable FG & settle out well.