Indian pale ale, help please!

[Adebutler]

Ive been brewing my first ever beer,
Followed all the instructions i got with the ingredients,
Checked my hydrometer reading on thursday (the day the instructions said it would be ready) and the reading was 1020,

Instructions say that if its a little high to leave a few more days then continue to keg even if its a little high,

Checked it tonight (tonight is 12th day when kit said 8 day primary fermentation) and it still reads 1020 :S

What do i do guys? Its an english kit, by bulldog brewery, im well and truely stumped on what to do

Thanks

 

[Jarov]

Leave it, and do another hydrometer reading in 2 days. If it's still 1.020, which I doubt it will be, then go ahead and bottle. 8 days is not enough time for most fermentations, and may lead to bottle bombs. The shortest amount of time I would leave a beer in a fermentor is probably 2 weeks, but for higher gravity beers I'd leave it for 3-4 weeks. When your hydrometer has the same reading for 2-3 days, then your beer is finished fermenting.

 

[sptaylor70]

You might also consider raising the temperature a little and see whether that changes things. Maybe 5-10 degF.

 

[GrogNerd]

if it is an extract batch, I would say you are under the influence of THE 1.020 CURSE!

 

[dozer5454]

Agreed on the extract curse. Raising the temp could jump start it. I have also GENTLY stirred the yeast back into suspension to help things drop a few points.

 

[Yooper]

If it's at 1.020, and it's an extract beer, it's not unexpected. That happened to me a lot.

You can bottle it. Don't agitate/stir/etc. You'll just stir up the stuff in the bottom and risk oxidation.

It sounds ok for an English India pale ale. (It's India pale ale, not Indian pale ale).

 

[46andbrew]

I've been brewing extract for 7 months now since i started brewing and the only time I had an fg over 1020 was on a chocolate stout with 8 oz of lactose. I did a Pliny the elder clone and it got down to 1008. Most of my extract brews are around 1016 to 1010 so it's hard for me to believe its an extract thing.

 

[Yooper]

I've been brewing extract for 7 months now since i started brewing and the only time I had an fg over 1020 was on a chocolate stout with 8 oz of lactose. I did a Pliny the elder clone and it got down to 1008. Most of my extract brews are around 1016 to 1010 so it's hard for me to believe its an extract thing.

Well, it is.

Some extracts are 50-65% fermentable, so it really depends on the extract used.

 

[46andbrew]

I guess I have had good luck so far then I'm no pro for sure only into it for 7 months but my LHBS has fresh extract so they say. Like I said I've done about 15 batches and my brew buddy about 40 all extract and only a limited few over 1020 mostly stouts most around 1014 1012 just bottled a apa today it hit 1010. I usually do a starter or use yeast fuel for lower og beers not sure if that helps but I think it does