No O.G. reading. is fermentation complete?

[amcclai7]

I was doing an extract brew and took a sample off the top of the carboy to test. Well, evidently It was not mixed well b/c the reading was 15 points low!
This did not occur to me at the time. I freaked out and did not add the full amount of water required for the recipe. I was shooting for 1.060 but it could be as high as 1.072 or so. There was a very vigorous fermentation that has stopped now (at least visibly) but I would like to know if it fermented out fully.

Is there any kind of test you can do to figure this out other than tasting? like some type of strip that tests for fermentable sugars? I am of course not opposed to the taste test, I would just like to be a bit more accurate if possible.

Thanks!

 

[sfgoat]

Just let it have about 3 weeks to be sure and you should be fine. There's no other test I can think of without paying a bunch of unnecessary money to a lab. I could try to give yo a good estimate of your og if you post you recipe with final volume and such. But honestly I never even took readings until I started ag so its not that big of a deal if you give it enough time.

 

[blakelyc]

Take a three gravity readings a day or two apart. If the FG isn't changing, then it is done fermenting.

Visible signs of fermentation aren't a reliable indicator of activity, and a taste test won't give you any info about remaining fermentation (especially if you don't know what to expect of the final product).

 

[JuanMoore]

I was doing an extract brew and took a sample off the top of the carboy to test. Well, evidently It was not mixed well b/c the reading was 15 points low!
This did not occur to me at the time. I freaked out and did not add the full amount of water required for the recipe. I was shooting for 1.060 but it could be as high as 1.072 or so. There was a very vigorous fermentation that has stopped now (at least visibly) but I would like to know if it fermented out fully.

Is there any kind of test you can do to figure this out other than tasting? like some type of strip that tests for fermentable sugars? I am of course not opposed to the taste test, I would just like to be a bit more accurate if possible.

Thanks!

If you know the amount of extract and volume, it's very easy to calculate the OG. If you know this and the yeast strain used, a rough estimate of the FG can be determined. If you take a SG reading, and it's close to the estimated FG, and stays stable for at least 3 days, then it's safe to assume it's done fermenting. That said, it might be wise to let it sit for a while longer before bottling/kegging, especially for a higher gravity beer. For something in the 1.070 range I'd let it sit for at least 3-4 weeks personally.

What was the recipe, and what volume did you start with?

 

[amcclai7]

What was the recipe, and what volume did you start with?

1 lb Vienna and 1 lb Munich steeped at 154 for 1 hr
7lbs DME

3 gallon boil

3 Gallons top off water for a pre ferment volume of 5.5 gal

I tested after only two gallons were added, freaked out and didn't add the last gallon.

That means I've got 4.5 gallons of roughly 1.071 sitting in the carboy right now. However, I just don't know how accurate that is. I don't know how much was boiled off so I'm a little unsure of the volume and I don't know what kind of effecency I got out of my specialty grains. That could make +- 7 points or so. I guess I'll follow everybody's advice and let it sit for 3 weeks before bottling. Regardless, the F.G. should be around 1.019

 

[amcclai7]

Another thing that worries me is that I used dry yeast without making a starter. For the 1.060 i was planning that's ok, but for 1.070+, idk. It is Safale 05 which is supposed to be a workhorse so I might be ok. We'll see.

Also, its an IPA with 3 oz of late addition Falconer's flight hops. I realize the lessened volume will bump the ibu a bit, but I'm fine with that!

 

[Mikethepoolguy]

In reading your posts I don't see anything wrong with what you have done so far. You may just end up with a bigger beer than the recipe calls for.

 

[flars]

Another thing that worries me is that I used dry yeast without making a starter. For the 1.060 i was planning that's ok, but for 1.070+, idk. It is Safale 05 which is supposed to be a workhorse so I might be ok. We'll see.

Also, its an IPA with 3 oz of late addition Falconer's flight hops. I realize the lessened volume will bump the ibu a bit, but I'm fine with that!

The one package of yeast is probably just fine. Never make a starter with dry yeast. You will diminish viabilty by up to half making a starter. Rehydrating the yeast according to the manufacturers instructions will give you the most the yeast has to offer.