Had my first brew day last Friday (Irish Red Ale) using the 1 gallon starter kit and it looks like fermentation is pretty much done now. Bubbling is very infrequent, there is sediment on the bottom and foam on top has dissipated.
Checking my recipe instructions, having fermentation go less than two weeks is normal, I get that. But, regarding bottling, the instructions are less clear. They say this is done after two weeks, and do not really say anything about doing it earlier if fermentation is quicker.
So I am not sure whether I should wait another week to bottle or not. Do you always wait a solid two weeks before bottling as a rule, or is two weeks just a ballpark and you bottle after fermentation is done?
If I wait another week, I’m kind of wondering about whether there will be enough yeast still alive for the in-bottle fermentation (carbonation) step.
There’s still a lot going on, despite the lack of visible or airlock activity. And don’t worry about having enough yeast for bottle conditioning and carbonation. Plenty of yeast will remain in suspension for a very long time…
I typically check gravity after two weeks then let it set for another week or two. I’ll take another reading before i bottle which is usually around 4 weeks. This time helps the beer clear better and also helps some of the flavors evolve.
Don’t rush it! That’s pretty much the number one thing.
Eventually, buy a hydrometer so you can test the gravity to see when it’s really done, airlock bubbles don’t really tell you when it’s truly done. I typically don’t even bother messing with it until after two weeks.
Great answers, thanks everyone. I am relieved. I did not know about a hydrometer yet at this point in my career! I’ll just wait another week this time. I look forward to accumulating more knowledge and equipment
For the basic brew,s I,ve always gone 1 weeks… One in primary, one in secondary and bottled with no trouble. Just relax , have a homebrew ( or a commercial brew if your first isn’t ready ) and always remember to learn and have fun…Tank Cheers :cheers:
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This isn’t going to be a popular reply. With that said…
If I was brewing 1gal batches I wouldn’t take a hydro reading. It wastes beer and when your only getting 8-9 beers per batch each beer is at a premium.
I would wait 4 weeks and bottle. Unless you had some serious fermentation issues it will be done and ready for bottling.
Get a hydrometer. They are not that expensive, really easy to use, and will save the guesswork as when to bottle / keg. If you followed the directions, you should have a basic starting point for the Original Gravity (OG) according to the kit you used. If it’s only been a week, you could order one now (along with another beer kit ) and have it delivered while the yeast is working it’s magic. Take a reading when you get it. Wait another few days and take another reading. If the reading has not changed, you can bottle. Like others said don’t rush it.
[quote=“Loopie Beer”]This isn’t going to be a popular reply. With that said…
If I was brewing 1gal batches I wouldn’t take a hydro reading. It wastes beer and when your only getting 8-9 beers per batch each beer is at a premium.
I would wait 4 weeks and bottle. Unless you had some serious fermentation issues it will be done and ready for bottling.[/quote]
Agreed. If you wait long enough, the only reason for the hydrometer reading is to allow you to calculate alcohol and tune in the process (if you are interested in going to those lengths).
I really like making 1-gallon sour batches by pulling off some finished beer before bottling and adding bottle dregs from a commercial sour. For this, I can’t live without my refractometer! When I steal a taste, it’s simple to add a couple drops to the prism to get a gravity estimate. I know the corrected value is not 100% accurate, but I mostly use it to make sure gravity is not changing over time, and for that I don’t need a final reading accurate within 0.002.
I rarely do continual testing on gravity. Instead I am just patient and give it 1-2 weeks beyond the recommendations. The results are great, never had a problem regarding fermentation incomplete. The trick is having enough batches going at any given time that my impatience doesn’t get to me.
) and have it delivered while the yeast is working it’s magic. Take a reading when you get it. Wait another few days and take another reading. If the reading has not changed, you can bottle. Like others said don’t rush it.