is fermentation finished?

[kev147]

hi all,
1st kit (coopers cerveza) has been fermenting 5 dayds and original sg was 1.038 and current sg is 1.008, giving a final alcohol prediction of 4.5% according to instructions.
sg is staedy over a 24 hour period and i had a little taste of it from the trial jar i used to test sg. it is a golden cloudy concoction and at the moment doesn't taste of anything very distinctive altho' hints of a lager are there,
is this normal?
is fermentation done?
if so, do i put it in a cool place (temp?) and for how long b4 bottling?

thanks,
kev147 (rookie)

[Jim]

Kev, from the gravity reading, it looks like it's finished. Another clue is that the reading hasn't changed in 24 hrs.

If it hasn't cleared very well yet, there's no reason why you shouldn't leave it a few more days to settle, provided it's well protected from airborne infections (i.e. in a brewbin with a tight-fitting lid).

[kev147]

thanks 4 info,
when u say leave it a few more days, at what temp,?
current temp is 23 deg.
kev147

[Orfy]

23 is fine. If you have the option to drop the temp by maybe 5c then that is what I'd do but 23 is fine.