What The

[r_star61]

Pretty new to brewing and I have my first non kit brew fermenting. It is a sweet stout modified from a recipe I found here. The starting gravity was 1.070 and after obvious fermentation for only 3 days nothing. Gravity is now 1.024. I am going to add vanilla beans and cocoa nibs in the secondary. I guess the question is when? I have not checked the gravity yet and it has been suggested I wait another week. Any thoughts out there?

 

[chickypad]

Pretty new to brewing and I have my first non kit brew fermenting. It is a sweet stout modified from a recipe I found here. The starting gravity was 1.070 and after obvious fermentation for only 3 days nothing. Gravity is now 1.024. I am going to add vanilla beans and cocoa nibs in the secondary. I guess the question is when? I have not checked the gravity yet and it has been suggested I wait another week. Any thoughts out there?

I don't understand, you say the gravity is 1.024 but you haven't checked a gravity yet?? At any rate, leave it alone for another week or two then check the gravity. I would wait to rack at least until stable over 2 readings. No harm in giving it a little extra time even.

 

[SteveLikesBeer]

Yes, wait a bit so the yeast can clean up some of their byproducts. Also, be careful with the vanilla and nibs. While it sounds tasty remember that a little can go a long way. You can always add more and wait longer in secondary but you can't remove flavor once its made it in.

 

[gbx]

Pretty new to brewing and I have my first non kit brew fermenting. It is a sweet stout modified from a recipe I found here. The starting gravity was 1.070 and after obvious fermentation for only 3 days nothing. Gravity is now 1.024. I am going to add vanilla beans and cocoa nibs in the secondary. I guess the question is when? I have not checked the gravity yet and it has been suggested I wait another week. Any thoughts out there?

1.024 sounds like a reasonable gravity for 1.070 sweet stout depending on how much lactose you added and the yeast strain. Details?

 

[RM-MN]

You don't want to move your beer to secondary until all fermentation has stopped. Under ideal conditions that will probably be 10 to 12 days but we don't have any indications that you performed an ideal ferment so let it have longer to be sure. I'd suggest about 15 to 20 days from when you pitched the yeast before you check the gravity again. Then check it again in 2 or 3 days and if it isn't still changing, go ahead with racking onto the beans and nibs.

 

[r_star61]

Checked the gravity again this morning. Gravity is just a hair under 1.020. The yeast I was a WLP004. I also added 12 oz of lactose.

 

[twistr25]

Active fermentation, where you see things going crazy, only lasts a couple of days. And something you may see posted on here quite often, the rest of fermentation happens slowly and uneventfully until it reaches FG. As RM-MN said, check it at the two-ish week mark, then wait a couple of days and check again.

 

[r_star61]

I was planning on waiting til Thursday 1/16, and checking gravity again. Then again Sunday. If the reading stays constant the racking to the secondary with the vanilla beans and cocoa nibs.