Done in a week? already hit expected FG.

[jjeremy]

Usually I expect beers to take 1 week in primary and 1-2 weeks in secondary before bottling (not financially up to kegging yet).

This beer is (seriously, no lying) a Russian Imperial Stout which started at 1.082 adjusted for temperature (78f) checked right after brewing. A bit low maybe? I now have reached 1.021 which is exactly my expected FG per brewtarget.

I tried about 20oz because I had about that much beyond what fit in my secondary. I am not inclined to doubt the readings :cross:.

Do I:
1. Thank the beer gods with a proper sacrifice, and then bottle today?
2. buy a new hydrometer?
3. leave it in secondary for a week just because I'm used to doing that?

 

[aquenne]

I would give it at minimum another week in primary. I dont do secondary, if it were me, I wouldnt even be checking it for 3 weeks. That will be a fairly big beer, even if it fermented out nicely, it wont hit its peak in terms of flavour for a few months.

 

[BigFloyd]

You'd have been better off leaving it in the primary for another two weeks and bumping the temp 4-5 degrees so as to give the yeast a better chance to clean up their normal by-products.

Since it sounds like you're already in the secondary (not needed at all unless adding something), give it at least another week or two there. Big stouts benefit from extra time in the fermenter and in the bottles.

 

[jjeremy]

Yes, but I plan on 2-3 weeks bottle conditioning minimum, and hoarding as many as I can bring myself to not drink for much longer.

 

[jjeremy]

I needed my primary for my smoked porter, just finished mash stage. I don't have an extra primary yet though maybe I should. I guess the real question is: how do you know when a beer is ready for the bottle conditioning phase.

 

[unionrdr]

When it's at a stable FG within range of the recipe. & it's cleaned up & settled out clear or slightly misty. Then prime & bottle. You could even let it age in secondary (bulk aging) as many do with big stouts & such.