Time to bottle?

[ThaBrewFather06]

I've got a red ale that I brewed 12 days ago I was wanting to bottle at 14 days. Is that enough time to allow fermentation?i don't want bottle bombs or a bad taste from not letting the yeast clean up. What do you guys think?

 

[cg2112]

Let it go longer, there's no harm. I typically wait at least three weeks. Are you measuring gravity?

 

[ThaBrewFather06]

This is my first brew and I didn't realize I needed to take my OG when I got done brewing. I can test to see if it stays the same 3 days in a row. Should I just drop my hydrometer in my fermenter after I sterilize it?

 

[stevehardt]

This is my first brew and I didn't realize I needed to take my OG when I got done brewing. I can test to see if it stays the same 3 days in a row. Should I just drop my hydrometer in my fermenter after I sterilize it?

Did your hydrometer come with a tube? Usually you use a sterilized turkey baster or wine thief to draw a sample out of the fermenter into the sampling tube, then drop the hydrometer into the sample tube

 

[flars]

Use the plastic tube the hydrometer came in for your sample holder for a specific gravity reading. Drink your sample for a tasting. Putting it back in the fermentor will risk infection.

 

[unionrdr]

If your hydrometer came in a plastic tube,use that for testing. I do & it works fine & uses less beer than the larger tubes.

 

[ThaBrewFather06]

Thanks for the help.

 

[jethro55]

+1 on hydrometer readings. They should be close to predicted by recipe if followed.
And take notes! A log book will pay off.

 

[grem135]

you don't need to take readings 3 days in a row. take a reading then another 2 days later. Unless you really want to drink the extra sample.

 

[ThaBrewFather06]

I went ahead and took my gravity reading it was 1.018. Since I didn't take an OG I'm not sure what my ABV but at least I have something to go by . Is that what a finished FG should be?

 

[tackett]

Your not going to know until you take another gravity reading in a couple days. If its identical then fermentation is probably finished.

 

[jethro55]

I went ahead and took my gravity reading it was 1.018. Since I didn't take an OG I'm not sure what my ABV but at least I have something to go by . Is that what a finished FG should be?

Each recipe has an expected FG. If you are close to it, say within .005, then your are in good shape. If you are not, then your volumes, temperatures, and yeast are suspects for the difference. And it just might not be fully fermented. It depends on the recipe expectations.

1.018 is a marginal FG reading for many recipes, and it is on target for some. The OG is a number that comes very accurately from the recipe.

 

[ThaBrewFather06]

I got my recipe from my LHBS and there was know gravity on it so I'm kind of on my own

 

[jethro55]

I got my recipe from my LHBS and there was know gravity on it so I'm kind of on my own

Post up the ingredients and we'll tell you what it is. And the yeast spec.

 

[ThaBrewFather06]

That's it lemme know plz

 

[jethro55]

As near as I can tell, you have an OG of close to 1.048. This adds a few points for the crystal and the 2-row base malt. The 2-row base malt might be holding it up since it needs crushed and soaked for an hour or so at 155 degrees to convert to sugar.

So with Safale-05, which has an apparent attenuation of 75%, the FG will be close to 1.012. You are close at 1.018. You might wait another week to be sure.

 

[ThaBrewFather06]

If this brew ends up at <5% ABV I'm gonna be pissed lol I could have bought miller light for a lot cheaper and had the same ABV when I'm drinking it.

 

[ladodger34]

If this brew ends up at <5% ABV I'm gonna be pissed lol I could have bought miller light for a lot cheaper and had the same ABV when I'm drinking it.

It will probably taste better than Miller Lite, though!

 

[lebucheron]

It will probably taste better than Miller Lite, though!

A LOT better. Plus... you know... you made it yourself?

 

[darrenbrews]

If this brew ends up at <5% ABV I'm gonna be pissed lol I could have bought miller light for a lot cheaper and had the same ABV when I'm drinking it.

With a beer like this ABV shouldn't really matter all that much. I just brewed a red ale, had it in the primary for three weeks and bottled for two weeks. Sampled a cold bottle on Sunday and it was totally fantastic, much better than Miller Lite could ever taste, and even better than the red ale I drink and the local microbrewery. Even the wife liked it, and she hates most beers.

I'm letting it bottle for another week, it should be even more crisp than it is now.

 

[ThaBrewFather06]

Lots of good point above. It definitely tastes better than miller

 

[ThaBrewFather06]

My gravity was the same today as Sunday so I'm bottling tomorrow !!!!!

 

[Hackwood]

If this brew ends up at <5% ABV I'm gonna be pissed lol I could have bought miller light for a lot cheaper and had the same ABV when I'm drinking it.

Not meaning to be negative, but with a comment like this all I could think is that with this thinking you MIGHT not be into HB for long. HB isn't about drinking BMC to get a buzz or drunk. It's about enjoying the fun of brewing and making your own GOOD brews. Brews that you won't find just any where.

GL

 

[lgilmore]

Next batch make sure to account for all your missed or forgots from this batch.

The other thing to consider is just letting each batch sit for about a month before bottling. 99.9% of the time you're good on your numbers and you're not sampling and risking infections so much. This is sort of the wrong hobby to hurry through.

If you read this forum long enough you'll find most problems are basically from moving from a to b too fast. Just something to consider next time around. cheers.

 

[ThaBrewFather06]

Next batch make sure to account for all your missed or forgots from this batch.

The other thing to consider is just letting each batch sit for about a month before bottling. 99.9% of the time you're good on your numbers and you're not sampling and risking infections so much. This is sort of the wrong hobby to hurry through.

If you read this forum long enough you'll find most problems are basically from moving from a to b too fast. Just something to consider next time around. cheers.

This is exactly what i meant when I was talking about the ABV. I didn't get the process down and that is frustrating since the recipe I made should have been around 6%. I LOVE brewing and since I started this batch I have bought a second primary so I can have 2 batches fermenting at once. I love the fact that I can have people over and offer them a beer I made from nothing. I like high gravity beers and I think they have a certain flare about them that's all I meant about mine not being high ABV.