Primary fermentation - pale ale

[Griffter99]

Hi
My pale ale has been in the first barrel for 13 days and the hydrometer has been constant on approx 1012 for 5 days. The homebrew kit says to put into keg when below 1014 but the hydrometer instructions say not to keg until 1006 but its not dropping any further.

What do I do?

 

[Adaman05]

Sounds like its done if it has been constant. 1.012 is just fine!

 

[MindenMan]

Is this an extract batch? You are good to go here, rack into your bottling bucket and prime. When the hydrometer doesn't move for 3 or more days, you know it safe to bottle. Does the beer taste sweet or did your hop schedule fix that?
Your recipe would help here.

 

[waldzinator]

Hi
My pale ale has been in the first barrel for 13 days and the hydrometer has been constant on approx 1012 for 5 days. The homebrew kit says to put into keg when below 1014 but the hydrometer instructions say not to keg until 1006 but its not dropping any further.

What do I do?

You're not going to get many beers that will get down to 1.006, mainly because most yeast strains won't get you there. At 06, you are talking about a very dry-finishing beer. 1.012 seems very appropriate for pale ale. Out of curiousity, in what context do the hydrometer instructions tell you not to keg until you hit 1.006? Like I said, that's not a terminal gravity you will reach very often.

 

[Griffter99]

Thanks for all the advice - I'm using a pre mixed kit from St Peters. The hydrometer came with a little instruction manual but I'll disregard that now!

Again thank you all

 

[woozy]

I wonder if the hydrometer instructions were for wine? Although that seems weird for the opposite reason (1.006 is high for wine). Either way the instructions seem strangely and inappropriately specific.