Questions about when to bottle

[Wyrmwood]

Hi all,

I've brewed two batches of beer so far, both from extract recipe kits from Old West Brew. The first batch was Black Onyx Porter and my second batch is OWB's take on an ESB, similar to Red Hook's (not really a clone, so much as here's how they do it.) It tasted great when I bottled and am looking forward to drinking day!

However, I'm wondering if I would benefit from leaving the beer longer in the primary? I don't recall what FG was listed on the box for the Porter, (was 1.022 when I finally racked it) but the ESB box says 1.014-1.016, and I'm fairly sure the porter was higher. After my ESB measured 1.018 for 3 days, I racked, and seven days later, it measured 1.018 when I bottled.

What I've been going by is that they both vigorously fermented for a couple of days, then I start sampling and measuring at day 5, and since by day 7, the gravity had not changed, I racked.

I've just been following the instructions that came with each kit, but I neglected to read the fine print that says "if SG is not around 1.010-1.012, more fermentation may be needed." That's the same on both recipes, however the label on the outside of the ESB said expected FG is 1.014-1.016.

I tried this site, http://widcombehomebrew.com/alcocalc.php to calculate ABV and when I entered the numbers for each beer, it popped up a warning, "Your TG reading is not below 1.006 - if you bottle now then the bottles may burst."

1) Is the TG dependent on the recipe (that is, is there a "magic number" you need to reach like the web site implies, or, like is implied by the OG and FG numbers on the labels, does expected TG depend on the ingredients)?

2) What can you do if you are not getting to "nominal" TG?

3) How long is too long to leave in the primary? Could I say, always leave them 10 days instead of 7 before I start measuring? What about 2 weeks?

 

[Snowhere]

Longer fermentation periods are always helpful, especially for higher gravity beers. Most of my batches (AG) go for 2 weeks in the primary and then 1-2 weeks more in my secondary. The longer times allow more conditioning before I bottle and give the yeast plenty of time to do their job. An added benefit is a lot of off flavors will settle out and the beer will be clearer.

 

[pkeeler]

Bulk aging benefits the beer; whether in the primary or a secondary. I would bulk age all beer for at least 3 weeks (using any combination of fermenters or just a primary). That TG warning seems like a bit of ass covering by that website. Unless you are brewing a really light beer, it will not finish below 1.006. Most extract kits finish around 1.020 and all my all-grain ales between 1.010 - 1.014. Not sure I'd even want a beer so thin to be below 1.006.

Longer bulk aging time will also reduce the chance of bottle bombs. Two identical hydrometer readings a few days apart is the best way to confirm your beer has done fermenting.

 

[Skyforger]

Your target gravity changes with the recipe; it depends on how many unfermentable sugars you have, and what yeast you use. I don't know what that calculator's on about.

'Secondary fermentation' is a bit of a misnomer. Fermentation should finish completely in primary - that is, you reach your target gravity before moving it anywhere. You can leave a beer in primary for a long time without trouble, don't let that scare you. I have a dubbel I've left in primary for about 8 weeks now, just to let it develop a bit. I've heard of people accidentally leaving beer in primary for over a year without ill effects (though that's not recommended, obviously).

Anyways, for beer of moderate strength 2-3 weeks in primary would probably be about right. You can bottle straight after that, no need to secondary unless you're doing a huge beer, or one that needs to age for a long time, or if you are adding fruit or something.

If you have difficulty reaching TG, you can try a few things - move the fermenter to a warmer place, gently stir or rock it to get yeast back in suspension, add a bit of yeast nutrient that's been boiled in some water. As a last resort, add more yeast. I keep a packet of a clean-fermenting dry yeast around in case of problems like that.

If you don't reach your exact target, that's fine. There's some variation from batch to batch. Just try to get close. Remember, it's pretty hard to actually ruin beer; it'll be good even if it's not perfect.

 

[Wyrmwood]

Thanks all, that's really helpful!