3 weeks of fermenting and still not ready??

[codym]

I just prepared everything for bottling, pulled out my lemongrass beer which was brewed just under 3 weeks ago. (Assumed it would be ready) Noticed that the airlock was bubbling once/every 30secs still. This concerned me so I checked the gravity and it was 1.015. My sheet says it should be 1.013. Am I close enough to go ahead in bottle it or is this beer still not ready to bottle? Thanks for any suggestions!

 

[NewWestBrewer]

I just prepared everything for bottling, pulled out my lemongrass beer which was brewed just under 3 weeks ago. (Assumed it would be ready) Noticed that the airlock was bubbling once/every 30secs still. This concerned me so I checked the gravity and it was 1.015. My sheet says it should be 1.013. Am I close enough to go ahead in bottle it or is this beer still not ready to bottle? Thanks for any suggestions!

Check it again in 3 days to see if it reads the same and then you are good to go for bottling

 

[RainyDay]

Moving the carboy can cause the airlock bubbles. Constant gravity over a few days is the best way to tell, but after a couple weeks (in an average brew at an average temp) it's done fermenting as much as it's gonna.


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[Yaason]

What temp is it fermenting at? A little warmer will speed up the finish.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Lots of things can cause bubbles. Footsteps nearby, micro-temperature changes, etc. Or moving it too. As mentioned above, check it again in a couple days and if it hasn't changed, you're good to go.

Being high by 2 points is fine. The target FG is always going to be an estimate, at least until you've brewed the exact same beer the exact same way a couple of times and know where it'll finish. But unless you know the result on your equipment with your process already, there's always going to be a little variation.

 

[unionrdr]

I've had beers take a few days past the three week mark to finish. Then another 3-7 days to settle out clear or slightly misty. Sometimes though, they do finish a little higher than normal. I agree with waiting 3 days & check it again just to be sure, at least.

 

[codym]

Thanks for the help. Going to bottle it today, the FG ended up dropping a couple of points since 3 days ago, but its at the predicted FG of the recipe now.