Questions on fermentation

[brewtus72]

I did a clone kit of surly furious ipa from midwest called ferocious ipa. The kit instructed that I transfer after 5-7 days to secondary to dry hop. I began my transfer and forgot to take a gravity reading. So when I remembered to take one it showed either 1.020 or 1.021. When the fg was suppose to be 1.016 or 1.018. The og was 1.068. Will my beer finish out in secondary or did I screw up. Let me know guys im worried. Thanks in advance

 

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

If sure your beer will finish up in secondary and be fine. That being said though. You generally only want to rack to secondary once your primary fermentation is complete. Check your FG and then in a few days check again. If the readings are the same then your primary fermentation is complete. If they are different check again in a few days. Dates on fermentation schedules are really just a guideline or approximation of the time it takes to complete fermentation. The yeast will finish in their own schedule it all depends on a lot of variables pitch rate, temp, nutrients, fermentability of wort, etc etc etc.

 

[brewtus72]

Yea I was hoping it would. I pitched a 75 got it down to 65 and I pitched last saturday so it has been eight days. it og was 1.068 and today mine was 1.020 so pretty darn close to being done. Its dry hopping now with 3oz 2 of cascade and 1 of simcoe so im gonna let it dry hop for ten days then keg it so I will take a reading the hopefully it will drop a little more

 

[Canadianbrewer2012]

Hey there .. I'm pretty worried about the 2 batches I have going right now .. They are both cheaper extract batches but I have had a lot of success with them in the past. My concern is that I have had these batches in their primary fermentors for 24 days now .. I have never done this before but I know that your supposed to transfer them after a week or so.. I just don't know why? Have I damaged my beer by leaving it in the primary too long? What happens to it?

 

[907_fellow]

Not a problem. Lots of peps on here use only primary fermention and skip the secondary, unless adding fruit or dry hopping, an even then it's not essential. That being said, my beers typically sit in primary for 4-6 weeks, and then go to the keg. Your fine.

 

[Curtis2010]

Hey there .. I'm pretty worried about the 2 batches I have going right now .. They are both cheaper extract batches but I have had a lot of success with them in the past. My concern is that I have had these batches in their primary fermentors for 24 days now .. I have never done this before but I know that your supposed to transfer them after a week or so.. I just don't know why? Have I damaged my beer by leaving it in the primary too long? What happens to it?

I would not worry. Most beers will do just fine without racking to secondary.
Much debate of this subject (just search here), but the current consensus seems to be that significant issues with things like yeast autolysis are really only a factor in larger commercial scale brewing -- not so much at home brew volumes.

What was your OG and what is your SG now?

 

[Brulosopher]

If sure your beer will finish up in secondary and be fine. That being said though. You generally only want to rack to secondary once your primary fermentation is complete. Check your FG and then in a few days check again. If the readings are the same then your primary fermentation is complete. If they are different check again in a few days. Dates on fermentation schedules are really just a guideline or approximation of the time it takes to complete fermentation. The yeast will finish in their own schedule it all depends on a lot of variables pitch rate, temp, nutrients, fermentability of wort, etc etc etc.

Oooor, you generally don't ever need to rack to secondary

 

[Canadianbrewer2012]

I would not worry. Most beers will do just fine without racking to secondary.
Much debate of this subject (just search here), but the current consensus seems to be that significant issues with things like yeast autolysis are really only a factor in larger commercial scale brewing -- not so much at home brew volumes.

What was your OG and what is your SG now?

#1- OG was 1032 and now 1004
#2-OG was 1036 and now 1004

 

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

Oooor, you generally don't ever need to rack to secondary

Yeah I agree with you. I usually don't. But since he was asking about racking I figured if he's going to use secondary do not rack prematurely just because a recipe calls for it.

 

[Canadianbrewer2012]

Phew good to know .. Thanks a lot for the intel!

 

[brewtus72]

The only reason I racked to secondary was for dry hopping purposes it was 1.020 but was suppose to be 1.018 so do you think since it likes so little being done it shld finish on up during the dry hop

 

[Curtis2010]

#1- OG was 1032 and now 1004
#2-OG was 1036 and now 1004

Hmmm, 24 days, 1.004, I would say you're pretty close to done. How's it taste?

 

[Canadianbrewer2012]

Hmmm, 24 days, 1.004, I would say you're pretty close to done. How's it taste?

It's pretty good a actually .. I still plan on racking into a secondary for a couple weeks and I keg my beer so it will be a while before I get the finished product ... especially because I carbonate with the "set and forget method"... I really want to have a beer with the "wheaty" flavor that MGD or Kokanee has... Anyone know If there is an extract kit that can provide that kind of grain flavor?

 

[Brulosopher]

The only reason I racked to secondary was for dry hopping purposes it was 1.020 but was suppose to be 1.018 so do you think since it likes so little being done it shld finish on up during the dry hop

I dry hop in primary all the time, a lot of us do, successfully.

 

[igotsand]

It's pretty good a actually .. I still plan on racking into a secondary for a couple weeks and I keg my beer so it will be a while before I get the finished product ... especially because I carbonate with the "set and forget method"... I really want to have a beer with the "wheaty" flavor that MGD or Kokanee has... Anyone know If there is an extract kit that can provide that kind of grain flavor?

Imo, Skip the secondary, and just keg the beer. keggin is just another secondary especially if you leave it for a couple of weeks with the set and forget method....

Do you add steeping grains to your brews?
Sorry never had mgd, so I can't add my opinion on what grains to add for steeping.....
Igotsand

 

[Canadianbrewer2012]

I don't know anything about steeping grains in my brew but I am enthused about trying it.. Any suggestions on some avenue of research?