When to bottle, when to drink?

[Randy_of_Neuron]

Okay experts

I have made my first batch of beer. It is Irish stout, I used liquid yeast, and put it in the primary for 10 days, then moved it to the secondary now for 10 days. Because I am newb I forgot to take the hydrometer reading at the start. Damn it.

Anyhow It seems to have stopped everything and is sitting happily in the glass carboy. Is it safe to bottle it now?

Also how do you add the carbination sugar? Do you heat it in a ban of water then add it. Put it in the bottom of the bottling bucket dry and fill the bottling bucket? See how green I am?

Also one video on youtube says wait a week after bottling, and another DVD I have from MidWest says 3-4 weeks before putting it in the fridge and drinking it......So what is the deal?

Thanks everyone.

 

[woollybugger2]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/revvys-tips-bottler-first-time-otherwise-94812/

if you are taking SG reading now and they are stable and close to your recipe's FG then your beer is probably done.

that stout will probably benefit from bottle conditioning for at least 3 weeks if not months

ps, you need to start your next brew now! what's up with the empty primary???

 

[Nurmey]

You may want to get a hydrometer reading to find out if it's finished. The recipe should have an expected FG to guide you. After 20 days it should be ready but only a hydrometer can tell you for sure.

For priming, boil a couple cups of water with the sugar and put it into the bottling bucket and rack the beer onto it so it mixes thoroughly. Midwest's instructions are good and lots of the youtube videos are crap; listen to Midwest.

 

[SmugMug]

I too forgot to take a SG but to add to it, I can't find anything from MW that gives me an expected FG. Any suggestions? It's a honey weizen that's been sitting in the primary for 8 days. Plan on letting it sit there until I hit 14 days. Just not sure what FG I should be looking for.

 

[imprez25]

to the op: I would imagine that the stout would need to age for a while before it tastes right. Bottling and drinking at the times you are wanting to, your beer will be pretty "green" tasting. Get a light Ale kit that you can brew, bottle and drink within the time you are waiting to crack open that first stout. Then consume the Ale, and keep waiting for the stout to properly age. Oh, then brew another as soon as possible too!

My personal goal is to get 3 quick batches in before I start a stout, just so I don't feel tempted to "rush" the stout in to the drinking rotation. Got to get stocked up!

 

[mkorpal]

I too forgot to take a SG but to add to it, I can't find anything from MW that gives me an expected FG. Any suggestions? It's a honey weizen that's been sitting in the primary for 8 days. Plan on letting it sit there until I hit 14 days. Just not sure what FG I should be looking for.

Your FG is really hard to predict. It will depend on yeast used, yeast health, amount of yeast pitched, oxygenation of beer before pitching, temperatures, malt used ext. What is important is that it is stable for a few days before you bottle.

 

[SmugMug]

Your FG is really hard to predict. It will depend on yeast used, yeast health, amount of yeast pitched, oxygenation of beer before pitching, temperatures, malt used ext. What is important is that it is stable for a few days before you bottle.

I contacted MWS asking for an expected FG, hopefully I'll hear from them soon. I used Danstar Munich dry yeast pack and aerated the hell out of the wort before I pitched it by splashing and stirring vigorously. A few stains on the floor can attest. I plan on taking another sample tonight.

 

[khiddy]

You don't really need to aerate when using dry yeast.

 

[mkorpal]

I contacted MWS asking for an expected FG, hopefully I'll hear from them soon. I used Danstar Munich dry yeast pack and aerated the hell out of the wort before I pitched it by splashing and stirring vigorously. A few stains on the floor can attest. I plan on taking another sample tonight.

My point is not to worry about the exact FG, just make sure that it is stable before you bottle. I imagine that your beer was made of extract, so you will probably get it to around 1.018-1.022 ish.

 

[SmugMug]

You don't really need to aerate when using dry yeast.

Yeah, I kinda knew this, but I wanted to do it for my ease of mind. Not to mention it was REALLY fun. Wife hated it, but I had a blast sloshing it around.

I'm looking for a FG somewhere around 1.014-1.016. At least that's what I hope. But I'll still drink it no matter how it turns out. Live and learn.

 

[double_e5]

You don't really need to aerate when using dry yeast.

Huh??????????

 

[beerkrump]

You don't really need to aerate when using dry yeast.

What?

Yeast needs oxygen to grow and multiply. During this aerobic growth phase yeast synthesizes sterols and fatty acids to build cells walls. When oxygen is depleted, the anaerobic growth phase begins and yeast will convert sugar into alcohol and CO2. Palmer goes into great detail in his chapter on yeast an oxygen.

 

[SmugMug]

What?

Yeast needs oxygen to grow and multiply. During this aerobic growth phase yeast synthesizes sterols and fatty acids to build cells walls. When oxygen is depleted, the anaerobic growth phase begins and yeast will convert sugar into alcohol and CO2. Palmer goes into great detail in his chapter on yeast an oxygen.

REALLY glad I went ahead and did it then! My wife (who bakes a lot) said she didn't think it would be necessary. Then again, this is the first time she's ever witnessed HB'ing.

Whew.