End of fermentation?

[ben2904]

I have 2 beers in fermenters right now.
One is Blonde ale (AG) and one is pale ale (extract only).
The blonde ale had 1.052 OG and the pale ale 1.070 (why it is so high? because of the extract?)
Anyway, I was planning to ferment the blonde for 2 weeks and the pale for 1 week (I want a recipe for a very simple and easy and fast beer, not for me).
Both beers had a very nice activity in the airlock, the blonde stopped already and the pale is still a bit bubbling (today its 11 days for the blonde and pale is 5 days).

The question is the fermentation has ended? I mean by the time to bottle can I be sure that the fermentation has ended without taking gravity readings?
Because taking gravity for few days in both beers will make a mess for me and I lose beer too...
So after 2 weeks for one and 1 week for the other - can I be sure it finished without the readings?

and I also thought at the middle of the 13th day and the 6th day do a cold crush for both...just for like 10 hours I guess....is it ok?


I hope you've got me...
Happy brewing!

 

[rtbrews]

I understand not wanting to take the gravity as I do not like to go to this extra hassle myself drawing beer from carboys but rushing a beer and also not taking the gravity is not a recipe for success.

There are many factors that could influence the time it will take your pale to finish so you should disregard anyone that tells you a specific timeframe for any beer, but 5-6 days is generally right around when fermentation finishes, usually another day or two more. Cold crashing is a good idea but only after you are sure fermentation is done. If you cold crash early, there are a number of issues that could arise but under attenuation and diacetyl are two big concerns I would have with this process.

Basically if you absolutely must rush a beer to be ready, use the blonde and give your pale a few more days and then also add another day for a diacetyl rest just to be sure it is done. Better safe than sorry. For cold crashing time, you will probably hear a lot of opinions and 10-12 hours could work but 2-3 days would be much more effective. You could also use finings to make this even more effective.

 

[kh54s10]

To be a little more blunt. There is no way to be sure your fermentation is finished without taking gravity readings.

I have had simple recipes that did not seem to be finished at 10 days. (I have never fermented for less than 14 days.)

If you are aiming to bottle one at absolute minimum timing I would do the gravity reading rather than risk bottle bombs.

 

[RM-MN]

I made a pale ale and at the end of 2 weeks, having not seen any bubbles from the airlock anymore, I opened the fermenter, checked that the gravity was at the expected FG and added my dry hops. 2 days later the bubbling started again, too fast to be just outgassing. After a week of that I checked the gravity again and it had now gone down from 1.016 to 1.004 and its still bubbling away. Would I have been safe to bottle a 2 weeks? Not a chance. I can't even bottle now because there is still fermentation activity.

 

[iowabrew]

i've kegged after 9 days no problem, but that was also a 1.044 bitter, and it was to FG judging by 2 hydro readings 3 days apart. I think you are looking at bottle bombs bottling a 6-7 day 1.070 beer this early.

Taking samples isn't for everyone, and i don't even take some most days, but i also ferment for 2-3 weeks and have my process, yeast pitch, and ferm temps where they should be. Risk of bottle bombs, i'd just sacrifice the cup of beer to a simple gravity ready...

 

[ben2904]

One thing is that I dont have any place to cold crash, only in the home refrigerator for the night and all morning so I cant cold crash for couple of days.

Second thing is that the pale ale is a beer t
hat I try to make for people who asks for a beer from me (beer like tuborg red, something like simple lager).

But the major problem if I decide to go for taking samples is that I dont know what the FG should be for any of the beers.....

You really got my attention with the better safe than bottle bombs which I must avoid.
And the blonde? what about it? 13 days for primary and like half a day cold crashing is ok? mabye I just shoul start with it and the next day go for the pale.

So how I know about the FG?

 

[iowabrew]

Every yeast strain lists it's attenuation range, so start with that for getting a ballpark FG number. Also biggest things is take 2 gravity readings 3 days apart, general consensous(sp?) is that if they are the same reading it's safe to bottle.

 

[NewWestBrewer]

Every yeast strain lists it's attenuation range, so start with that for getting a ballpark FG number. Also biggest things is take 2 gravity readings 3 days apart, general consensous(sp?) is that if they are the same reading it's safe to bottle.

+1 ^

I had a beer whose OG was 1.072 and bubbled for about 8 days. I assumed it was done but took a reading at 10 days...was 1.024, not even close to what is was supposed to.

I know it sucks losing beer to reading but it is the only way. I would say for both of your beers an FG of around 1.012-1.016 would be considered finished. MAKE SURE you take a second reading 2-3 days later. If it si the same then you are ready to bottle.

 

[ben2904]

Every yeast strain lists it's attenuation range, so start with that for getting a ballpark FG number. Also biggest things is take 2 gravity readings 3 days apart, general consensous(sp?) is that if they are the same reading it's safe to bottle.

I've searched in google how to know attenuation but I couldnt find anything useful...
It says to calculate it using the OG and FG but I HAVE NO FG!!

So can you guide me on this part?
And the attenuation is different and changes with each yeast strain or mabye with each brew/batch/style of beer (same yeast strain for this example)

 

[TexanRudeboy]

I've searched in google how to know attenuation but I couldnt find anything useful... It says to calculate it using the OG and FG but I HAVE NO FG!! So can you guide me on this part? And the attenuation is different and changes with each yeast strain or mabye with each brew/batch/style of beer (same yeast strain for this example)

How did you measure your OG?

 

[iowabrew]

what yeast strain did you use? Just take a gravity reading and see where it is

 

[ben2904]

Well I took now a sample from the blonde (the pale I gonna leave it a few more days, over a week of fermentation).

The yeast is S-05 and OG was 1.053/1.054 (like the recipe called for, couldn't tell which one it was).
Now the reading says 1.016/1.017 after 11 days of fermentation.
I dont know the ferm temp because I ice bath for now.

Is it ok? according to the attenuation calc in the web, for about 75% I need 1.013 FG.....But over 11 days in fermenter and still didnt finish? I was doing the second week for extra days for flavour and all that stuff

BTW: in the readings there are many practicles of yeast floating, should I wait until it settles or its ok like this?

 

[iowabrew]

i'd wait two more days then take another reading, if it's still at 1.016 bottle it up. Sometimes these things take time...

 

[ben2904]

i'd wait two more days then take another reading, if it's still at 1.016 bottle it up. Sometimes these things take time...

so yousay ignore estimated fg and attenuatuin and just take readings all the time?

 

[fartinmartin]

You are going to drink the beer anyway ! To take a reading sample about 100mls, then drink it. where is the loss ? You get a knowledge, a feeling of what you a creating !
Build your dreams of what you are going to get with fact !

Take a sample its all part of the game !

 

[rklinck]

so yousay ignore estimated fg and attenuatuin and just take readings all the time?

Yes, ignore the estimated FG and attenuation. If you are bottling, you need two readings that are the same a couple of days apart. That is it. For those of us who keg, it is not as big a deal because we are not going to get a bottle bomb.

 

[rklinck]

Every yeast strain lists it's attenuation range, so start with that for getting a ballpark FG number.

I personally do not pay any attention to the "attenuation range" for any given yeast. The attenuation will be affected by so many factors other than the yeast. The mash temp is an obvious example. Another is if you include any simple sugars in the recipe (pretty much any yeast will attenuate those 100%).

 

[rklinck]

I have 2 beers in fermenters right now.
One is Blonde ale (AG) and one is pale ale (extract only).
The blonde ale had 1.052 OG and the pale ale 1.070 (why it is so high? because of the extract?)

I am guessing it is because you did a partial boil and did not mix the boiled wort and water enough to mix it at the time you took the reading. There are loads of posts about this.

 

[ben2904]

ok guys, after i took a sample from the blonde which is 11days old and stopped bubbling it started again!!! what???
and its bubbling good like once in 5-10 seconds

 

[adixon3]

The way I understand attenuation is let say your Pale ale started out at 1.070 and you used WLP001 yeast that has a maximum attenuation of 80% 10% of your OG 1.070 is .007 so the lowest reading you should get is 1.014 because 80 x .007 = .056 OG 1.070 - .056 = 1.014

WLP001
Attenuation:
73-80%

ex.. OG 1.070
10% 1.063
20% 1.056
30% 1.049
40% 1.042
50% 1.035
60% 1.028
70% 1.021
80% 1.014

 

[619Brewer]

The way I understand attenuation is let say your Pale ale started out at 1.070 and you used WLP001 yeast that has a maximum attenuation of 80% 10% of your OG 1.070 is .007 so the lowest reading you should get is 1.014 because 80 x .007 = .056 OG 1.070 - .056 = 1.014

WLP001
Attenuation:
73-80%

ex.. OG 1.070
10% 1.063
20% 1.056
30% 1.049
40% 1.042
50% 1.035
60% 1.028
70% 1.021
80% 1.014

A couple errors worth pointing out so as to avoid some confusion. He means to say 8 x .007 NOT 80 x .007. Otherwise the math ends up wrong.

 

[TexanRudeboy]

A couple errors worth pointing out so as to avoid some confusion. He means to say 8 x .007 NOT 80 x .007. Otherwise the math ends up wrong.

You guys have a really odd way of doing simple math.

80% of 70 is 56

So 80% apparent attenuation of a 1.070 OG yields 1.014 FG.

 

[ben2904]

You guys have a really odd way of doing simple math.

80% of 70 is 56

So 80% apparent attenuation of a 1.070 OG yields 1.014 FG.

Ok but I used s-04 dry yeast...
And what about my blonde? It stopped bubbling and then started again

 

[RM-MN]

Ok but I used s-04 dry yeast...
And what about my blonde? It stopped bubbling and then started again

Your yeast probably took a holiday. It happened with my pale ale too and I used Nottingham.

 

[rklinck]

Ok but I used s-04 dry yeast... And what about my blonde? It stopped bubbling and then started again

Bubbling means nothing. You can only tell it is fermenting by taking gravity readings. Period.

 

[ben2904]

Bubbling means nothing. You can only tell it is fermenting by taking gravity readings. Period.

yea but it bubbled at the start for a week (means no leaks of the co2)
and then stopped (means it end fermenting (mabye))
and then started again (means something weird)

 

[rklinck]

yea but it bubbled at the start for a week (means no leaks of the co2) and then stopped (means it end fermenting (mabye)) and then started again (means something weird)

Could mean that the fermenter was bumped. Or that the barometric pressure changed (causing gas to want to escape from higher pressure fermenter towards lower pressure atmosphere).

But it does not mean that it is or is not fermenting.