New guy again. Fermentation end...?

This is my second batch I’ve done. Its a wheat beer that just finished its first week of fermenting in a gallon BMB. It seems done but I don’t want to rush it. Should I just wait another week? Any tips on the finer points of this process?

I typically leave beers in primary for 2-4 weeks depending on pipeline in process. The best way to tell if it’s done is to take a gravity reading 2 days apart. If the number doesn’t change between the two readings, it’s done. More time to make sure the yeast clean up is never a bad thing IMO.

:beers:
Rad

What ya do take several readings over a period of time. If. Fg stays the same. Ya ready. What i do. If a recipy says. 4 weeks before ready. For example. I. Add 10 more days. To condition my beer. Bit longer. After that. Kegging time

With a one gallon batch just drop your sanitized hydrometer in the fermenter. I do that in my 5 gallon batches as well

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Extra time in the fermentor after the fermentation is complete allows excess yeast and sediment to drop into the trub layer. The trub layer will also compact with extra time meaning more beer to go into bottles.

Even though it is hard to do the bottom line is that the answer to “should I wait longer” in home brewing is almost always yes.

It’s easier when you start to have multiple batches going so one is finishing while the others are waiting.

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Let’s start with a picture:


and then some commentary:

  • the lines on either side of the fermometer strip are 3 quart, 1 gallon, and 5 quart levels
  • if you look really closely, you may see some packing tape holding the fermometer strip in place
  • the strip was trimmed to fit between the ribs. So far, it’s working for me.
  • I have a couple of extra strips in a spare parts box
  • my NB purchased hydrometer is longer than the height of the gallon “bubbler”.
  • I typically “top off” to one gallon bathes in the bubbler (using the one gallon line).

You mentioned in an earlier post that you are planning to move to 5 gallon batches. So here are some additional thoughts:

  • ignore brewhouse efficiency for the one gallon batches that you brew.
  • get a hydrometer and start measuring OG / FG.
  • if you have extra money in your home brewing budget, consider a refractometer in addition to the hydrometer.
  • Look into rehydrating dry yeast. It will add a couple of ounces of water to your wort (which will dilute it slightly), but it also will give you a couple of ounces of wort for an additional FG measurement.

Please note that most of what I wrote here probably doesn’t apply to one gallon batches fermented in a one gallon carboy.

Thanks for the replys! I know these are such amateur questions but I appreciate.

Thanks that’s really helpful.