BrewerBandit
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- Jul 19, 2021
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Hi guys
I've got another "is it finished" dilemma!
I'm doing a Munton's Belgian Style Ale from their Hand Crafted Range. The instructions say approx 5 days at 18-20C so it's at 1.014, then transfer to a second fermenter, raise temp to 20-24C, add half a cup full of the lees from the first fermenter and 500g light spray malt then wait until it reaches 1.006. Bottle as normal (I assume with priming sugar)
When I started the brew I smashed my trial glass so I couldn't take an OG measurement. After 7 days in the kegerator at 19C +/-1C I still hadn't replaced the trial glass so moved onto the second stage. Occasionally, my airlock doesn't seal properly (lube next time I think!) so I couldn't observe bubbles either. Surprisingly, there was very little sediment in the bottom of the first fermenter so I added everything that was there... maybe just half a cup. My cup incidentally was a small Ikea tumbler! I added the spray malt and bumped it up to 22C +/-1C. It certainly seemed active. There was (still is) 2-3inches of froth on top of the brew. I've left it another 7 days, superglued my trial glass back together (yeah, it worked!) and found it to be at 1.014.
I've found the hydrometer readings to be sketchy in the past... readings being higher a few days after a prior reading etc and assumed it could be dissolved CO2 or something lifting the hydrometer up but for my brew to be at 1.014 when I should be headed toward 1.006 is a big discrepancy.
It doesn't taste too bad and it isn't too sweet, plus there was all the activity after adding the spray malt.
Would you bottle it and move onto that Hazy IPA that I'm desperate to get going!? Maybe add some yeast. Leave it? Am I being impatient?
In case my idea of CO2 affecting readings has credibility I've left the trial glass with ale and the hydrometer for about 30hrs and the reading is closer to 1.013 now.
Thanks for any help.
I've got another "is it finished" dilemma!
I'm doing a Munton's Belgian Style Ale from their Hand Crafted Range. The instructions say approx 5 days at 18-20C so it's at 1.014, then transfer to a second fermenter, raise temp to 20-24C, add half a cup full of the lees from the first fermenter and 500g light spray malt then wait until it reaches 1.006. Bottle as normal (I assume with priming sugar)
When I started the brew I smashed my trial glass so I couldn't take an OG measurement. After 7 days in the kegerator at 19C +/-1C I still hadn't replaced the trial glass so moved onto the second stage. Occasionally, my airlock doesn't seal properly (lube next time I think!) so I couldn't observe bubbles either. Surprisingly, there was very little sediment in the bottom of the first fermenter so I added everything that was there... maybe just half a cup. My cup incidentally was a small Ikea tumbler! I added the spray malt and bumped it up to 22C +/-1C. It certainly seemed active. There was (still is) 2-3inches of froth on top of the brew. I've left it another 7 days, superglued my trial glass back together (yeah, it worked!) and found it to be at 1.014.
I've found the hydrometer readings to be sketchy in the past... readings being higher a few days after a prior reading etc and assumed it could be dissolved CO2 or something lifting the hydrometer up but for my brew to be at 1.014 when I should be headed toward 1.006 is a big discrepancy.
It doesn't taste too bad and it isn't too sweet, plus there was all the activity after adding the spray malt.
Would you bottle it and move onto that Hazy IPA that I'm desperate to get going!? Maybe add some yeast. Leave it? Am I being impatient?
In case my idea of CO2 affecting readings has credibility I've left the trial glass with ale and the hydrometer for about 30hrs and the reading is closer to 1.013 now.
Thanks for any help.
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