When to know if ready to bottle?

[nyrmc23]

I've done my first three-gallon IPA. I brewed it two weeks ago today and there's nearly no bubbling coming up through the airlock. The recipe said to ferment for one week before transferring to secondary for two weeks. I've kept it in the primary for two weeks. Do you think I'm ready to bottle?

 

[BongoYodeler]

Check the gravity readings on two consecutive days, If unchanged then bottle. That said I usually keep it in primary 3-4 weeks and then bottle. Never had an issue yet doing it this way.

 

[kh54s10]

Fermentation was probably finished between day 5 and 7. Then a couple of days to clean up off flavors created by fermentation. You also want to give it enough time to clear. You can also cold crash and/or use finings to help it clear.

2 weeks is almost always enough except for possibly very high ABV or dark beers.

But, the only way to be sure is to take gravity readings. One then at least 24 hours a second one that are the same.

A secondary is not necessary for most recipes. That is becoming an old fashioned method.

 

[RM-MN]

2 weeks is almost always enough except for possibly very high ABV or dark beers.

But, the only way to be sure is to take gravity readings. One then at least 24 hours a second one that are the same.

This exactly. Some of my beers get bottled on day 10 but only after I have verified that they have reached the expected FG and are stable there. I've had one batch that was much higher than the expected FG, a stuck fermentation. It was stable there but by swirling the yeast back into suspension it went on to complete.

 

[kh54s10]

This exactly. Some of my beers get bottled on day 10 but only after I have verified that they have reached the expected FG and are stable there. I've had one batch that was much higher than the expected FG, a stuck fermentation. It was stable there but by swirling the yeast back into suspension it went on to complete.

I should have mentioned that the gravities should be very close to the predicted final gravity by recipe or instructions. If that number is not included, further study should be done to determine what it should be.

It is possible to have stable numbers and an unfinished fermentation.

 

[ncbrewer]

I suggest taking two gravity readings 2 - 3 days apart before bottling. It's probably not necessary, but it's a safety issue. I don't feel that consecutive days allows enough time to be sure the gravity is stable. I generally take readings two days apart, using a bottling hydrometer that has hash marks every 1/2 gravity point. Using a standard hydrometer (hash marks every 2 points), I would take readings 3 days apart. JMO​

 

[Aggie10]

Agree best to measure FG 2-3 days apart.

Agree with minimum 3 weeks in primary prior to bottling.

Disagree fermentation probably finished day 5 to 7. For some this may well be so, but I ferment ales at 65 F and my fermentations are not usually finished until minimum 2 weeks. I get a slow downward FG creep over 5+ days towards end of fermentation.

 

[BongoYodeler]

Agree with minimum 3 weeks in primary prior to bottling.

Disagree fermentation probably finished day 5 to 7. For some this may well be so, but I ferment ales at 65 F and my fermentations are not usually finished until minimum 2 weeks. I get a slow downward FG creep over 5+ days towards end of fermentation.

I'm currently only setup with a Cool Brewing fermentation bag for controlling temps. While I can't easily keep temps at a constant, I can generally keep them within a couple degree range. I typically start out ferm temps between 63° and 64° and after 3 or 4 days let it go up to between 66° and 68° Unless it's a hot streak here our house never gets above 69° or 70° during summer days, cooler in the winter. At these temps a 3-4 week fermentation seems to finish all the beers I've brewed so far. I still always check for expected FG though to be safe.

 

[kh54s10]

Agree best to measure FG 2-3 days apart.

Agree with minimum 3 weeks in primary prior to bottling.

Disagree fermentation probably finished day 5 to 7. For some this may well be so, but I ferment ales at 65 F and my fermentations are not usually finished until minimum 2 weeks. I get a slow downward FG creep over 5+ days towards end of fermentation.

A minimum of 3 weeks is not necessary for all styles. Light beers will be done in about 7-10 days. I was of the same opinion when I started. That changed when I ran my pipeline dry. I did 3 in a row, bottling on day 14. They were just as good as the ones that I left for 3 weeks and longer.

I do most of my fermentations about 66 - 68 degrees and as stated above they are mostly done in 2 weeks. I don't know the progression of gravity because I never take a reading until day 12 (the earliest) and day 14. If I am within a point or 2 of predicted final gravity I keg or bottle. I have had no issues. The few times I took another reading after day 14 there was not further drop. Except for a stalled fermentation and a couple of really big beers.