gravity related question

[Shoit]

Hi everyone,

just started my first brew and wondered if someone could tell me the normal progression of the specific gravity over the first 7 days?

The original gravity started at 1.045 I think..

Thanks for reading,

Kev

[Prenderb]

I guess it depends on a lot of things - yeast, temperatures, well 2 things anyway! Keep an eye on it yourself, take readings every couple of days. Probably you will see it fall to about 1.010 to 1.014 or so after maybe a week?

I hope I'm not wrong! Best of luck with the brew...

[Shoit]

Thanks for that,

Currently its at 1.019 after 4 days and i'm brewing muntons IPA which says it can be bottled at 1.014 or below (Constant).

does that all sound right?

Thanks,

Kev

[stevezx7r]

It depends on the yeast you use. Some ferment quicker than others and at different temps. I would say to leave it for 10 days (it will probably be done within that time) as the yeast creates some flavours (diacetyl) which, in large quantities, taste bad. Check it on day 9 and if it's not at 1010, give it a gentle stir with a sterilised spoon to rouse the yeast. Once between 1010/1015, bottle or keg it and leave for at least 2 weeks in the warm then somewhere cooler for another week before drinking it.

BTW, fyi - From 1045 to 1019 = 3.4%abv - From 1045 to 1010 = 4.6%abv

[Shoit]

When you say give it a gentle stir - do you mean just the top of the wort or right down to the bottom. At the moment it's certainly still fermenting but slowly.

Kevin

[stevezx7r]

When you say give it a gentle stir - do you mean just the top of the wort or right down to the bottom. At the moment it's certainly still fermenting but slowly.

Kevin

If it's still fermenting leave it be. Rousing the yeast is handy if you ever get a stuck fermentation i.e you want to get to 1010 but it stops at 1018 so stirring the (bottom of the fv) will kick the yeast back into suspension and hopefully chomp on the remaining sugars.

[Shoit]

I've checked the specific gravity at its stuch at 1018 and has been there for the last 2 days. The Muntons kit advised that the specific gravity should be 1014 before transferring to the keg or the bottle.

Any ideas what I should do - is rousing the yeast the first action i should take?

Kev

[stevezx7r]

You could try rousing the yeast (make sure the spoon is sterilised )

Remember, it's only been in the fv for a few days so it's very possible the yeast is still doing it's thing, slowly, so i'd forget about it untill at least day 9 then check it and if it's at the same gravity rouse the yeast then see where it is on day 11. If it's still the same, bottle or barrel it.

Personally, the yeast i've used in the kits i've tried is fairly pants compared to the likes of safale which is very likely to get the beer to the target gravity in three days.

[Shoit]

What will happen if i keg it with a specific gravity of 1.017 as it is at present, will it ruin the beer? It's currently at 8 days, a bubble is rising from the airlock about once every 4 mins and SG has remained there for 3 days now.

Am I being too impatient? (New brewers curse!??)

Kev

[pantsmachine]

I'd keg it, sounds ready to me. personally i keg mine before 1 bubble per minute and have not went wrong yet.