So this is my first beer brew, I’ve had lots of help so far so thank you all for your advice. I had a few tell me to wait 3 weeks to bottle. However it has stopped fermenting 3 days in, now it’s 6 days and no activity for a while. What signs to look for when bottling? I know the extra time allows yeasts to figure things out and clean up after themselves, so I don’t wanna rush it. I just don’t want to bottle too late and have an issue (if one could be had). I mean maybe it’s normal to finish activity 3 days in, and 3 weeks is normal wait. Or maybe I made a mistake and didn’t get get enough sugars out of my mash, and it finished too soon because all the sugars got eaten up? Will continuing to wait kill off all the yeasts and low chance of carbonation when bottling? I just don’t know all these answers... haha! I mean could I technically leave it for months? Is there any negative aspects to leaving it too long? Anyway, let me know.
When to bottle?
- Thread starter Shawnstve
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Technically you can bottle once it's done fermenting. If you've checked with a hydrometer usually about 2 to 3 days apart and get the same your good to go. I leave my beer in the fermenter for 3 weeks , but that's just me . Play it safe when bottling because you dont want bottle bombs.
What was your OG and predicted FG? Have you hit your FG?
What was your OG and predicted FG? Have you hit your FG?
A guy I used to chat with said he had left a beer in the fermenter for 6 months and that wasn't too long yet. If you bottle early you get more trub in the bottle. Giving it more time lets that settle out in the fermenter. I mostly prefer 3 weeks or more. The least amount of time I have given a beer is 7 days. That's why I know about the trub in the bottle.
I'm also a 3 week in the fermenter guy. Occasionally only 2. Ale fermentations are generally done much quicker than that, but the yeast does need some time to clean up and the extra time gives the beer a chance to settle and clear a bit.
Once you get a few brews under your belt, it becomes easier to figure out wait times and such. Having other beers already brewed in the pipeline also helps me from being impatient.
Once you get a few brews under your belt, it becomes easier to figure out wait times and such. Having other beers already brewed in the pipeline also helps me from being impatient.
Wanted to add that the wait from today to a 3 week date isn't nearly enough time to worry about having issues with carbonation. If you let it sit in a cold basement for 3 months or something, then maybe you'd need to add a pinch of fresh yeast to get carbonation going. But definitely not an issue on this time table.
Ok great, all I needed to know right there thank you so much everyone for your help. Yeah I don’t worry about being impatient, I’ve got craft brews to sip on till it’s ready. I don’t drink a lot of beer actually. Used to, but not as much any more. I’m 2-3 per week now, sometimes less. I enjoy a good scotch neat most of the time. I will do the 3 week wait. I don’t have a hydrometer or anything that can test gravity so I really don’t know what was starting or what I will end up with. I figured I’d brew a few beers before buying anything like that. When I am looking for something to measure this, what device you guys recommend? I don’t mind having to use math to calculate the refractometer, but just don’t know which option is really best, and the best brands. Lol! Also I’ve seen some on amazon for $17, and then I see some for $130 on home brew sites. Just hard to figure out what’s a more economical solution. Rather have accuracy and wait to save up for a better one. But don’t want to pay that much if there are good quality decent ones also. Anyway... thanks guys for all your help.
I use both a hydrometer and refractometer depending on my brew volume. I'm assuming the refractometer I have is a cheap one off amazon ( I bought it second hand from a brewer off of the forum), but it has matched my hydro readings from day one. I think my first one was just a basic run of the mill hydro from Northern Brewer. I picked up another one second hand, and I think gained one off of amazon at some point. You really will want a hydrometer (and test jar), though. In fact, you'll want a second one for when the first one gets broken. And it will, unfortunately.
Man ok so that sounds expensive, 2 hydrometers and a refractometer? Lol! Which is more important right now? Like I can get these other things later, I want just a single inexpensive option to measure my gravity so I can find out my alcohol content of the booze. Haha! At one point I’m sure I’ll have both options. Heck I saw a digital one for like $300 that looked amazing! But yeah maybe some day, not till I can afford a grainfather though. Haah!
Get a hydrometer. You cant go wrong with it .
You don't need a hydrometer for OG if you're doing extract batches. You can calculate the OG from the extract, specialty grains, and total volume. A narrow range bottling hydrometer is ideal for FG. Mine has hash marks every 0.0005 gravity points and can easily be read to the nearest 0.00025. That's ideal for checking for stable gravity before bottling. For kegging, it's not much of an issue.
Stormcrow
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I started a thread on here called "waste minimizing hydrometer strategy" and got some helpful responses if you want to check it out. As far as brands go, I like the hydrometer I got from northern brewer just fine. If I get another one, I'll try to get one that reads specific gravity only instead of a triple scale. I think it would be easier to read, and SG is all I care about anyway.
Ha, I just like having a back up. I impulse bought the refractometer because I was having a bunch of used items shipped to me anyway, and it wasn't going to add any weight to the shipping. It was a good buy, but hydrometer is more standard and reliable, IMO.
I've honestly never looked at brands. I think the basic hydrometer with a test jar probably runs around 17-20 bucks on amazon the last I had checked. As far as losing too much, I add that into my brew volume. My 1 gallon batches, I blow out to 1.25Gallon and take into the consideration the OG sample loss. I always toss that one. But I consistently get 8 12oz bottles out of my batches. I usually have a small amount in a ninth and either add that + my FG hydro sample to a glass to drink flat while cleaning up, or I combine them in a bottle (usually end up around 3/4s full) and make a batch of beer bread with it so it doesn't goto a completely waste.
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