finished fermenting or not?

[benna]

Hi there,

Just wondering, I've got a brew on, it's been at 1016 since yesterday, but it's still bubbling a bit, e.g. gives a good second's worth blast of bubbles (i.e. not just one) every 1.5 minutes or so, but the s.g.'s not moving. Am I being impatient?! according to beer engine it should go down to 1012, and I'm using s04 yeast which is normally pretty attenuative no? It's been fermenting since last tuesday as well so I would have expected it to be finishing soon! What do people reckon? give it till tomorrow and rack it? or are the bubbles still too frequent?

Cheers!
Ben

[DaveyT]

Hello Ben
Leave it another week, mate. I learnt from this very forum when I did the same thing and got fidgety. It's doing it's thing and bubbles like you're describing should be left to enjoy themselves. I haven't been doing this long, but I've found that the first week is just as you say; never quite on the mark. By the end of the second week the OG has crept down to where it should be.
I might be corrected on this, but I think the beer's better off sitting around for a bit longer, too.
Hope this helps.

DaveyT

[benna]

ah cheers mate, yeah that was what I was sort of thinking really, I can just get a bit impatient, it's sitting there in the corner of the room and I just want to get it into the barrell and drunk! but yes it is patience that I need!

[Kev888]

yep, theres a lot of this around this time of year when things get cooler and slower too. I've a temperature controlled place for my fermenter but I rarely take the beer out of it before two weeks is up anyway, as I like to let it settle for a bit afterwards.

Cheers
Kev

[benna]

well it is at a constant 21 degrees so its not a temp thing. I learnt from that last year with no heater, a high f.g. and so very fizzy/sweet beer! I really should have just put this brew on about a month ago then there'd be no impatience!