How Late is Too Late to Check Final Gravity?

[HockeyBoy29]

I forgot to take a FG reading on my SMaSH Pale Ale (OG 1.059), but the fermentation seemed to rip right along. I have it kegged and on tap and it tastes a little sweeter and thicker than I've made this before, but this is the first time I used S-04.

Can I just draw a beaker full from the tap, let it go flat and warm, and get a reliable reading? I just assumed it was done based on the appearance and time, and got distracted and never got my FG.

100% NW Pale Ale Malt
4 oz Cascade, 1 oz each at: 60, 15, 5, flameout/whirlpool
SafAle S-04

Thanks for your advice!

 

[Andrew Hodgson]

Don't see why you can't check it now.

 

[Gnomebrewer]

After you've drunk it all it's too late to check.

Before that, you can check it.

 

[OG-wan Kenobi]

Get a sample decarbonate it let it come to room temp and your good to check it

 

[HockeyBoy29]

Thanks, gang! I'll give it a go.

Maybe a better question is how late is too late to do anything about it to fix it

 

[Gnomebrewer]

If it wasn't finished, you might get the yeasties started again by warming the keg and shaking. The problem with S04 is that it's a good flocculator, so you probably didn't get much yeast into the keg (there's always some though). Personally, I'd warm the keg and add some priming sugar (about 100g), which is guaranteed to restart a ferment, then spund to desired pressure for at least three weeks.

EDIT: To give a bit of an analogy, think of it like this......
You have a plate of steak and vegies. You've eaten the steak and potatoes, but have a few brussell sprouts left. You'd have reluctantly eaten them, but were taken away from the table for a while. When you come back to the table, you might pick at them a bit more, but probably won't finish them. But, add another big, juicy steak alongside the sprouts and heat them up, and you'll eat every last bit of those disgusting green blobs.

 

[HockeyBoy29]

Thanks for the advice. I've been thinking about getting a spunding valve anyway and doing some natural carbonation, so maybe this is the catalyst for that.

First thing I need to do, though, is get a sample and check.

The previous version I made of this was fermented with California Ale Yeast V, WLP0051. I loved that beer, and I miss it.

I have another version of the same in the fermentor with US-05. I'm trying to get familiar with how each of these yeasts handles the exact same grain bill and hop schedule.

 

[RM-MN]

Thanks for the advice. I've been thinking about getting a spunding valve anyway and doing some natural carbonation, so maybe this is the catalyst for that.

First thing I need to do, though, is get a sample and check.

The previous version I made of this was fermented with California Ale Yeast V, WLP0051. I loved that beer, and I miss it.

I have another version of the same in the fermentor with US-05. I'm trying to get familiar with how each of these yeasts handles the exact same grain bill and hop schedule.

Since each ferment is slightly different you need to retry each yeast at least 10 times to get an average. Sorry to say, you'll have a lot of beer to drink.

 

[HockeyBoy29]

Since each ferment is slightly different you need to retry each yeast at least 10 times to get an average. Sorry to say, you'll have a lot of beer to drink.

Well, somebody’s gotta do it! [emoji16]

 

[HockeyBoy29]

Well FG is 1.010, which is close enough to my target. The beer still tastes a bit on the sweet side, but I've upped the CO2 psi to add a few more volumes in hopes of the carbonic acid balancing it out with a little more bitterness.

So my spunding valve experiment will have to wait until next time

Thanks for the advice!