My first brew - Fermentation doubts

[rycardo]

Hello, I’m doing my first brew, is a weissbier.
The fermentation started 8 days ago.
I checked the gravity three days ago and today, and it didn’t change, is on 1012 (matching receipt FG).
I was reading several posts and in most of them is recommended to wait, at least, two weeks before bottle.
My question is, either should I bottle right now or should I wait one more week to the yeast finish the job (consuming diacetyl, ...)?
Waiting one more week, I couldn’t have enough yeast to make a good priming. My FG was already reached three days ago...
My fermenter is on 21 degrees and I’m using white labs 3068 yeast.
Which are your recommendations and thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

 

[day_trippr]

I'd let it go a couple/few more days just because bottling 8 days after pitching just seems too soon on general principle.
As for the yeast, even if you cold-crash the beer there will still be plenty of yeast for bottle conditioning, so you can dismiss that concern, and let the beer mature a bit longer

Cheers!

 

[zacster]

You'll be fine, just be patient. Wait a few more days and then bottle per instructions. Your gravity is fine too.

 

[Sammy86]

Patience is a virtue in the home brewing world! As stated above, waiting a few more days isn't going to hurt anything! Good luck!

 

[rycardo]

Thanks for your replies.
Ok, I will keep it in the fermenter for one more week.
However I still have a doubt about this fermenting stage temperature.
First I still little bit confused about which name we should give for this fermentation stage, is the 2nd fermentation or the maturation stage?

On this forum in some posts they are saying that 2nd fermentation and maturation stage are exactly the same thing, but in some other post they are distinguish them, saying that maturations should be done at 10ºc to Ales. I’m completely confused on this.

My doubt is, should I continue with 21 degrees or decrease the temperature to room temperature (around 10 degrees). I’m either in maturation or in 2nd fermentation stage? Or they are the same? If yes, when should I move to 10ºc temperature? In some topics they are also saying that after this 10ºc stage, we should do a cold-crash at 0ºc.

This 2nd fermentation/maturation/cold crash topic is not really clear for me. More I read, more confusion in my brain...

Hope you can help me.

 

[RM-MN]

The fermentation started 8 days ago.
I checked the gravity three days ago and today, and it didn’t change, is on 1012 (matching receipt FG).

Fermentation is done but you have a lot of trub still in suspension. If you bottle now you can expect 1/4" (about 6mm) of trub in each bottle. Giving the beer more time in the fermenter will allow a lot more to settle out there and be left behind instead of going into the bottle.

Waiting one more week, I couldn’t have enough yeast to make a good priming. My FG was already reached three days ago...

I've left beer in the fermenter for up to 9 weeks and still had plenty of yeast for carbonation.

 

[rycardo]

Fermentation is done but you have a lot of trub still in suspension. If you bottle now you can expect 1/4" (about 6mm) of trub in each bottle. Giving the beer more time in the fermenter will allow a lot more to settle out there and be left behind instead of going into the bottle.



I've left beer in the fermenter for up to 9 weeks and still had plenty of yeast for carbonation.

9 weeks at 21 degrees? Or you decrease the temperature to maturation temperature (10 degrees)?

 

[RM-MN]

One week at about 17C, then up to about 22 for the rest. Once the fermentation is complete the temperature (within reason, not really hot) doesn't matter much.

 

[Birrofilo]

First I still little bit confused about which name we should give for this fermentation stage, is the 2nd fermentation or the maturation stage?

There is a non-uniform terminology in the homebrewing world.
For some people, like myself, a fermentation is "new" only if you add new fermentables.
You ferment the beer in the fermenter, and that's the first fermentation.
You bottle and you add sugar, and that's the second or secondary fermentation, the one which happens in the bottle.
That will last for one or two weeks.

Then you have the maturation stage, which is a period of some weeks, or some months, which your beer need to give the best flavour.

Some people rack the beer from the fermenter to another fermenter where they let the beer to ferment for a few days. Sometimes, after racking to a second fermenter, people describe the fermentation as the "secondary fermentation" even though no new fermentable was added.

Also, a fermentation normally has a first phase which we can call the "tumultuous fermentation", the first couple days, when the beer can actually overflow from your fermenter, and a second phase, which is more slow and tranquil. Some people refer to this second phase as "secondary fermentation".

 

[couchsending]

It all depends on the yeast.

3068 is very powdery. It’s a Weissbier so the appearance of yeast in the beer isn’t necessarily a bad thing but since this is such a low floccing yeast, unless you can cold crash under pressure then I would just let it sit for a while at room temps or lower ambient temps to let some of the yeast drop out. People often think it’s the yeast that makes weissbier cloudy but the more yeast you leave in the beer the more likely the beer will clear o

If you pitched enough yeast there’s really no reason to keep it at elevated temps much longer than 2 or so days after gravity is stable. this yeast isn’t known for producing much diacetyl, doubt there’s much to clean up. Low ABV weissbiers can be made rather quickly.

There is no set rule to how this should be done. It varies by beer, by yeast, and a million other variables. Write down exactly what you did this time. If you’re not happy with the outcome, next time try something different.

Taste and smell the beer along the way if you can do so without introducing too much o2. Really it’s the best way to learn. Write everything down.

 

[rycardo]

It all depends on the yeast.

3068 is very powdery. It’s a Weissbier so the appearance of yeast in the beer isn’t necessarily a bad thing but since this is such a low floccing yeast, unless you can cold crash under pressure then I would just let it sit for a while at room temps or lower ambient temps to let some of the yeast drop out. People often think it’s the yeast that makes weissbier cloudy but the more yeast you leave in the beer the more likely the beer will clear o

If you pitched enough yeast there’s really no reason to keep it at elevated temps much longer than 2 or so days after gravity is stable. this yeast isn’t known for producing much diacetyl, doubt there’s much to clean up. Low ABV weissbiers can be made rather quickly.

There is no set rule to how this should be done. It varies by beer, by yeast, and a million other variables. Write down exactly what you did this time. If you’re not happy with the outcome, next time try something different.

Taste and smell the beer along the way if you can do so without introducing too much o2. Really it’s the best way to learn. Write everything down.

I’m planning to keep it on 21c degrees till thurday, then reduce to room temperature (around 13c degrees) on thursday and bottle it on next sunday. What do you think?

 

[RM-MN]

I’m planning to keep it on 21c degrees till thurday, then reduce to room temperature (around 13c degrees) on thursday and bottle it on next sunday. What do you think?

I think you would be better served to just maintain the temp at 21C until at least a week after bottling. The yeast will want that higher temp to carbonate the beer and if you chill the beer and then don't warm it again it will take a long time to carbonate.

 

[rycardo]

I think you would be better served to just maintain the temp at 21C until at least a week after bottling. The yeast will want that higher temp to carbonate the beer and if you chill the beer and then don't warm it again it will take a long time to carbonate.

Keep few more days at 21 on fermenter and then bottle?
So, after bottle I should put my bottles in a warmer place, my celler is at 13 degrees.

 

[RM-MN]

Keep few more days at 21 on fermenter and then bottle?
So, after bottle I should put my bottles in a warmer place, my celler is at 13 degrees.

Yes, unless you have an abundance of patience waiting for the beer to carbonate. Beer yeast really prefer much higher temps than we give them but then they give us esters and fusel alcohol that we don't like. If you have room for storage at 21-22C you could just put the bottled beer there and leave it.

 

[couchsending]

I’m planning to keep it on 21c degrees till thurday, then reduce to room temperature (around 13c degrees) on thursday and bottle it on next sunday. What do you think?

you can, there’s no need to. It’s been at terminal for a few days now right? With Hefe yeasts there isn’t really much to clean up. Dropping it to room temp will help drop at least some yeast a bit faster. There will probably be enough Co2 left in suspension to create positive pressure so you don’t suck any o2 in while cooling. Much colder than room temp and you won’t be able to maintain positive head pressure.

It’s a very powdery strain. You want to at least drop some of it out of suspension.

If you can find a slightly warmer area to condition the bottles they might carb faster but that yeast should work at 13c no prob.