Should I bottle my beer today or wait another week?

[lucasweb]

I'm brewing my first beer using a 1 gallon kit from The Brooklyn Brew Store. It is the Everyday IPA kit.

The recipe says to wait for 2 weeks after pitching before bottling. It has only been 1 week but I have not seen any activity in the carboy for a couple of days.

I took a reading today with a hydrometer which was 1.03 which is not ideal for an IPA. I do not have a OG reading as my hydrometer only arrived in the post today.

My question is at this stage will leaving it another week make a difference and if not what are my alternatives. Should I bottle, should I pitch some more yeast, or is there anything else I can do?

Thanks in advance.

 

[kickz28]

Definitely wait at least another week. I would check the SG again in 2-3 days. If it hasn't moved, you can try to swirl the beer around a bit in the fermenter to get the yeast back in suspension. At 1.030, I would be surprised if fermentation is done.

Also, the only reliable way to know if the beer is fermenting or not is a hydrometer. Activity in the carboy doesn't really mean much.

I usually leave my beer in the fermenter for 4 weeks.

 

[JLem]

I agree that 1.030 is very high. You should wait at least another week. Maybe 2...or 3. Airlock activity is not an accurate sign of fermentation...nor is lack of activity a reliable sign that fermentation is complete.

I know it is tough, especially with your first brew, but just walk away from the fermenter and let the yeast do their thing. No good comes out of rushing things.

 

[Revvy]

When in doubt wait it out....I leave my beers in primary 1 month minimum.

 

[lucasweb]

Took another reading today and it is now 1.021 I'm going to give it another week and see what happens.

It has a nice hoppy smell about it and tastes pretty good but does leave a bit of a overly bitter aftertaste at the moment, is this something that will mellow over time?

 

[unionrdr]

Yes. You can count on it like death & taxes. But yeah,give it another week,then test again.

 

[jaycount]

3 weeks minimum, and then only if I'm in a rush and there is 3+ days without any drop in the SG. More time is better. Patience is a key ingredient in beer

Yes the bitterness of the hops will mellow out over time. It is an IPA you're drinking though...

 

[JohnTheBrewist]

I really like the idea of the Brooklyn Brewshop 1 Gal kits. But, a 1 gallon batch doesn't leave much beer for hydrometer readings. My advice on these is generally not to worry about hydrometer readings but give your beer at least 3 weeks after pitching before bottling (4 weeks or more is even better). The other option of course is to use a refractometer. You want at least two readings, a couple days apart with no change before bottling.

 

[lucasweb]

I use a wine thief and return the sample to the carboy, it seems to work well. There's more information on this thread that I started https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/using-hydrometer-1-gallon-batches-248838/

@jaycount - I like bitter and love IPA's, but this after taste isn't one I've encountered before and I've drunk a lot of IPA's

 

[msa8967]

When in doubt wait it out....I leave my beers in primary 1 month minimum.

Two years ago I took Revvy's advice on leaving my beers in the primary for at least 4 weeks and the quality of my brews has continued to get better and better. An extra 1-2 weeks beyond what a "recipe from a kit" might state will help give time for the yeast to clean up after themselves. I know waiting the extra 1-2 weeks might seem hard but it will be well worth it.