Is my beer ready to keg?

[mitchcl640]

I just made my first oatmeal stout. It has been fermenting exactly one week today. My airlock stopped bubbling a few days ago and I tried a sample and it tastes just like I like it. The hydrometer says its done but the recipe calls for 2 week fermentation. Can I go ahead and keg or do I wait one more week?

 

[rjsnau]

It may still be a bit green but it sounds like fermentation is done. That is the great part about kegging, no bottle bombs so there is no worry if it does have a bit more fermenting to do. Leaving it another week may improve the taste of the beer but there is no reason you could not keg now if you want.

 

[Teromous]

I don't do 1 week grain to glass for a number of reasons. If you're doing a higher ABV beer, it needs time to mellow out anyway...let the flavors meld. On top of that, you probably still have lots of suspended yeast and other solids. It might not matter to you now, but once that keg gets cold...all of that stuff will drop out of suspension and you'll have all of that crud piping through your taps when you draw off the first couple of pours. It'll probably do that for the first week. You might not notice it in a dark beer, but it does change the flavor when the cruddies are kicked up. Also (and I don't know what kind of yeast you use) but diacetyl is notorious in green beers. The yeast needs time to absorb all of this after they are done fermenting.

 

[DubBrew]

I agree with Teromous. The diacetyl will most likely be a problem in a porter. I would leave it for at least a few more days preferably the two Weeks to let the yeast clean up.