I'm brewing American Amber Ale (extract with specialty grains) and 3 weeks into fermentation, there's still pressure in the airlock and occasional bubbles. A few days ago it was a bubble every 2 minutes, now it's slower, though I haven't timed it yet. Current gravity is 1.018 (OG was 1.051). Would it be safe to bottle the beer and just aim for lower carbonation?
According to homebrewanswers.com, suitable carbonation range for this style is 2.3-2.8 vols. If the brew is at 1.018 and I aim for lower carbonation (2.3 vols) I should add (according to BeerSmith) 112g (0.33lb) of sugar. That's in comparison to the 150g (0.33lb) required for higher carbonation (2.8 vols). Is this approach safe enough if, say, final gravity (excluding the sugar) would continue to drop in the bottle to 1.010?
I know I could just wait until fermentation is for sure over, but 3 weeks in I'm beginning to worry about off flavors. I can transfer to secondary, but prefer to avoid it. If there's a way to calculate the amount of "safe" sugar this would be my preferred approach.
Thanks!
P.S.
This is the first and last time I use BRY-97 yeast. Way too slow for my liking.
According to homebrewanswers.com, suitable carbonation range for this style is 2.3-2.8 vols. If the brew is at 1.018 and I aim for lower carbonation (2.3 vols) I should add (according to BeerSmith) 112g (0.33lb) of sugar. That's in comparison to the 150g (0.33lb) required for higher carbonation (2.8 vols). Is this approach safe enough if, say, final gravity (excluding the sugar) would continue to drop in the bottle to 1.010?
I know I could just wait until fermentation is for sure over, but 3 weeks in I'm beginning to worry about off flavors. I can transfer to secondary, but prefer to avoid it. If there's a way to calculate the amount of "safe" sugar this would be my preferred approach.
Thanks!
P.S.
This is the first and last time I use BRY-97 yeast. Way too slow for my liking.