Should I bottle?

[Bullbythehorns]

My first batch is a True Brew Red Ale kit. The ingredients that came with the kit were Muntons-1 can Hopped LME, 1 Can Unhopped LME, 4 oz. Melananoidin Malt grain. I made a noob mistake and did not crack the grains before steeping, and steeped at a light boil (learning by my mistakes )

The brew stats that came with the kit state:

Beginning Gravity 1.052-1.054
Final Gravity 1.012-1.014

My actual beginning gravity was 1.052 when I brewed 3 weeks ago. The 1-week primary fermentation seemed to go ok and I had a thick ring around the top of the bucket and an active fermentation. I racked to a glass carboy 2 weeks ago and the sg reading at racking time was 1.020 (I think, forgot to write it down), 1 week into it 1.020 and today (2 weeks in carboy) still at 1.020. I thought I had a stuck fermentation so I swirled the carboy, didn't see much so I re-pitched a packet of yeast 1 week ago. I did not notice any additional fermentation after pitching the 2nd packet of dry yeat. SG has not changed any so should I prime and bottle? Just worried about exploding bottles.

2nd batch (wheat kit from Midwest) is in primary. Boy what fun it has been so far, just waiting patiently for that first bottle.

 

[Revvy]

Since you swirled the secondary I'd let it sit another week to resettle anything you kicked up from the bottom of the secondary. Since the purpose of the secondary is to let the beer clear, off of the yeast cake. ANd if you swirled the secondary, then you sort of defeated it's purpose.

I think people get confused about the purpose of the secondary, the misnomer happens because some places call it secondary FERMENTATION. But all your fermentation happens in the primary...If you saw a ring around the fermenter (The krausen) and you had the same gravity reading for 3 consequtive days, then your fermentation is done and it is ready to rack to secondary to clear.

I can't answer about the overpitching of the yeast in the secondary and bottle bombs. Letting it rest for another week may help let all that excess yeast settle out.

 

[cmorkat]

I have had the same thing with this kit. my BG was 1.054 and I let is sit in the primary for11 days. Had a good Krausen ring and had a SG of 1.020 for two days with no activity so I racked it to the secondary. It has only been there for two days now. Someone told me it was ok just to let is set for 5 days then bottle. But everything i have read says to let it sit for 2 weeks. guess i will just wait until it is not cloudy and bottle it.

 

[Revvy]

The rule of thumb, especially if you don't have a hydrometer is 1-2-3, a week in primary, 2 in secondary and 3 in bottles.

But that's just a rule of thumb...Some beers benefit from longer times in secondary or in bottles, even though we're impatient and we want instant gratification NOW!!!!

Patience Grasshopper