I have been using Northern Brewer for some time going from extract to all grain and utilizing everything to help along the new to intermediate brewer…When I first started using Northern Brewer recipes I noticed that not only did the instruction sheet include and estimated O.G. but also listed a target F.G. The last three all grain recipes I did had an estimated O.G. but no target F.G.
It would be nice if Northern would put those back onto the recipe sheets to let a guy know when he is close…
The estimated FG could have been removed because of a few bottling accidents. A new brewer checks the SG daily and when it hits the FG number commences to bottle.
FG was more likely taken out because there are too many variables in brewing which will affect the fermentation process and the final SG. All grain brewing has even more variables than extract brewing that will affect FG.
I mostly use my old notes for estimating what the FG may be close to.
When all the variables lead to a final gravity that is lower than the advertised final gravity, and a brewer bottles when he hits that advertised final gravity, the beer will still be fermenting - and producing CO2 from the remaining sugar in the original beer as well as from the carbonating sugar. The CO2 pressure can exceed what the bottles can contain and the bottles burst explosively.
The beer makes a sticky mess. And, if you are in the area of the explosion, the flying glass can injure you.
Yes, I did. It took two sutures to close the cut in the back of my arm.
So, if you can’t trust an advertised final gravity, what can you do? Take a tentative final gravity reading, wait two or three days and take another tentative final gravity reading. If the two readings are the same, that is (almost certainly) the real final gravity reading.
Occasionally brewers experience a stuck fermentation. Usually in that case the reading will be noticeably above the anticipated/advertised final gravity. Search the forum for actions you can take to restart fermentation, but don’t bottle until you’ve solved the problem - fermentation can restart.
Another (better) alternative is to do a Fast Ferment test. I leave my first gravity test sitting out at room temperature to complete fermentation. When the gravity stops dropping, I consider that reading to be my final gravity. A more rigorous approach is to add LOTS of yeast to the sample and wait until the gravity stops dropping. I use the simpler method because I use kegs which can tolerate higher pressures than bottles.
Bottle bombs are dangerous, I don’t want to sound like I’m downplaying them…
But I had a batch I bottled prematurely, and every freakin one was a foamer. I’d have to open 3 bottles at a time in the sink just to get one glass of beer. Just as the top came off, foam started flowing… wait to settle; 4-5 ounces of overcarbed beer remaining.
You can always run the ingredients through an online recipe calculator. That should provide an OG and expected FG. Simply put, the FG of any normal gravity beer, not a high alcohol or with a lot of specialty grain, should come out in the area of 1.010 or a little higher.
Best practice is to read it for a few days to see if it remains the same. If you think it is too high just post the recipe, procedures and the readings here and there will be lots of help.
I understand all of what is being said in references to bottle bombs (had some of those before) and the rechecking. My reason for asking it to be included again was so when you are brewing the recipe you have an idea when it gets close to what the person who put the recipe together came up with. It’s extremely useful when brewing a big beer or one that’s a little higher in the alcohol content.
Especially to a newer Brewer I have been brewing since 2009 and I have general ideas where a style or type of beer should end up but it is nice to know what area to be in
Its really a good idea to check FG with a hydrometer over the course of a couple of weeks when doing a big brew. No-one needs to get hurt, enjoying such a vast hobby! Sneezles61
