Stuck and need help

[joshstanley27]

I'm brewing a imperial porter and my OG was 1.090 and I check it today which is day 13 on my primary fermentation and it's not really active right now. It had a very robust first few days, it was super active. But I will do my readings again Tom. Today's readings were 1.019 which puts it's around 9.3% ABV which is exactly what it predicted I would be. My question is should I let it stay in the primary for another week or to go ahead and rack it over to the secondary.

 

[Flipadelphia]

Why do you need to rack to a secondary fermenter?

 

[kh54s10]

If you take another reading and it is the same you could do a secondary or bottle. Longer won't hurt. You could also leave it in primary for a few more days to 3-4 weeks then bottle without doing a secondary. It seems this process is getting quite popular unless you are doing a secondary to free up a fermenter or to add something.

I haven't done a secondary for 1 1/2 years now. That one was a very big beer that sat in primary for a month and secondary for another.

 

[joshstanley27]

I have just seen a lot of people saying that it was going for high gravity beers to sit longer. 2-3 weeks primary 2-3 months secondary and 2-3 months bottling. I have seen a few people using this method. And I want this to turn out as well as it tasted. It was very good just like a very flat imperial porter should taste. Excuse me it's a imperial honey porter lol can't forget the honey

 

[joshstanley27]

Why do you need to rack to a secondary fermenter?


Just been reading that it's best to bc of the hi gravity

 

[flars]

I would leave your imperial in the primary for three to four weeks. I always lean to four weeks for imperials. During this time the yeast will be able to clean up any off flavors of fermentation that are still present. The sediment and yeast will drop and form a compact cake maximizing the volume to the bottle. There isn't much to gain from using a secondary if you can rack to the bottling bucket without drawing up sediment.
Plan more aging time in the bottle for this one. Could taste your first one after six weeks.

 

[joshstanley27]

I would leave your imperial in the primary for three to four weeks. I always lean to four weeks for imperials. During this time the yeast will be able to clean up any off flavors of fermentation that are still present. The sediment and yeast will drop and form a compact cake maximizing the volume to the bottle. There isn't much to gain from using a secondary if you can rack to the bottling bucket without drawing up sediment.

Plan more aging time in the bottle for this one. Could taste your first one after six weeks.

Now another question. Should it been as in active as it is. I'm seeing a bubble maybe every 3 min in the airlock. I brewed it march 27th

 

[flars]

Now another question. Should it been as in active as it is. I'm seeing a bubble maybe every 3 min in the airlock. I brewed it march 27th

Airlock bubble every three minutes for your OG and the amount of time passed is normal. Check your gravity in another week. You have a good fermentation going.

 

[joshstanley27]

Airlock bubble every three minutes for your OG and the amount of time passed is normal. Check your gravity in another week. You have a good fermentation going.

Ok cool. That's good to hear. This is my first homebrew so I'm not familiar with the process thru and thru yet so wait another week then check it again. What if it's the same 1.019. Should I wait the whole four weeks. Bc next week will put it at 3 weeks primary

 

[flars]

Ok cool. That's good to hear. This is my first homebrew so I'm not familiar with the process thru and thru yet so wait another week then check it again. What if it's the same 1.019. Should I wait the whole four weeks. Bc next week will put it at 3 weeks primary

At the end of three weeks decide with your hydrometer sample.

Is the SG exactly the same with temperature correction for the calibration of your hydrometer. If it is fermentation is complete.

Is there a lot of CO2 in the sample. I give the beer more time if there is. CO2 off gassing after fermentation is complete will hold small particles in suspension which end up in the bottle. (Can also float hydrometer higher unless you let the sample go flat.) Not as important with a porter, but may add some bitterness if the yeast is poured into the glass containing sediment. I often pour the yeast as part of the beers flavor.

Does the sample taste really, really good or in the back of your mind are you thinking it could be a little better. If you think it could be a little better, wait another week.

Go to bottling if you are impatient. Give the next one more time for a taste comparison after full bottle conditioning.

 

[joshstanley27]

At the end of three weeks decide with your hydrometer sample.



Is the SG exactly the same with temperature correction for the calibration of your hydrometer. If it is fermentation is complete.



Is there a lot of CO2 in the sample. I give the beer more time if there is. CO2 off gassing after fermentation is complete will hold small particles in suspension which end up in the bottle. (Can also float hydrometer higher unless you let the sample go flat.) Not as important with a porter, but may add some bitterness if the yeast is poured into the glass containing sediment. I often pour the yeast as part of the beers flavor.



Does the sample taste really, really good or in the back of your mind are you thinking it could be a little better. If you think it could be a little better, wait another week.



Go to bottling if you are impatient. Give the next one more time for a taste comparison after full bottle conditioning.

I'm defiantly not impatient with it. I won't to wait as long as I need to to get to full potential of this beer. And it taste like a imperial I've had out of a bottle but really flat. If it would be better to let it sit I will let it. I don't have to start another batch until this is near finished. After it is bottled then I will start another brew. But this is my main priority I want it to be great. Lol