So I have my first brew in the primary fermenter right now. I have no secondary fermenter so I am going straight to bottling when it is ready. My question is: Am I ready to bottle? It has been in the primary for 10 days. I took gravity reading 2 out of the last 3 days and they were the same. I have seen some posts saying to leave it for 2 weeks no matter what but if the gravity is the same and it is within the specs of the FG why wait?
Ready to Bottle?
- Thread starter tsimo33
- Start date
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Patience... it still may be fermenting, however slowly, but the primary reason to wait once the specific gravity has stabilized is to allow the yeast to do cleanup operations and the nasties to settle out. I think you would be happier with the result if you left it alone for three weeks.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Hang Glider
Beer Drinker
Why wait?
for better beer.
You can certainly do what you want...but if you're going to ask for advice on a home brew forum, you're going to get advice. It's up to you to act on that or not. Keep in mind instructions come from retailers, who want you to use up that product and buy more. And, many of those retailers have either never made beer, or made it a long time ago. This hobby progresses, and here at HBT, we share our discoveries with others.
Our advice comes from years of home brewing and making mistakes, and working on processes, and finding out what works best.
That said, I leave EVERY beer I make for 4 weeks (or longer) before I consider bottling or kegging. I am compulsive about temperature control and sanitizing. And...I am very pleased with my results.
for better beer.
You can certainly do what you want...but if you're going to ask for advice on a home brew forum, you're going to get advice. It's up to you to act on that or not. Keep in mind instructions come from retailers, who want you to use up that product and buy more. And, many of those retailers have either never made beer, or made it a long time ago. This hobby progresses, and here at HBT, we share our discoveries with others.
Our advice comes from years of home brewing and making mistakes, and working on processes, and finding out what works best.
That said, I leave EVERY beer I make for 4 weeks (or longer) before I consider bottling or kegging. I am compulsive about temperature control and sanitizing. And...I am very pleased with my results.
Understood. I just had some free time this evening with the wife and kid out of the house so it could have been easy for me to bottle tonight, but I can wait and do it in a couple of weeks as well. Thanks for the advice. I am always looking for advice and that's why I come here. Hopefully someday I will be able to give advice rather than get it.
Stauffbier
Well-Known Member
I'm fairly new, as well (started in late Sept. and made 10 batches since).. On my first batch, I couldn't wait to bottle and drink it. I followed the instructions that came with the kit, and the beer was ok. On my second batch (which was the exact same kit as the first) I followed the advice of everyone on this forum and let it sit for a month. It paid off, because batch number 2 was SO MUCH BETTER! I gave a few bottles to a guy that owns a craft beer store locally, and he gave one to a 15 year veteran brewer who was highly impressed with it. He asked how long I had been brewing (thinking I was a vet like him) and I said "about 7 weeks!" and his jaw dropped! So, long story - short, follow the advice you get on this forum, and you will make potentially award winning beer!
