Another Can I Bottle Now Thread..

[merls3]

G'day fellas
First time brewer, but have been reading and salivating at threads here for a little while.
I did my first brew a couple weeks ago: A tin of Coopers Traditional Draught, 1.5kgs light wheat malt, 300g Dex and a bit of cascade hops strained in at the end, all in 23L. That great spreadsheet floating around gave me an estimated OG of 1052 and FG of 1013 (from memory). Actual readings were OG 1051-2 and on the 6th and 7th days a FG of 1012. I wanted to check it on the next day but I knocked the end of the hydro tube while measuring and smashed my hydrometer :unsure:
I had to go away unexpectadly this week just gone and knowing that temps in Melbourne were going to get pretty hot, I cleared out my fridge and stuck the fermenter in there for the week.
So do you think my fermentation would have finished and I am safe to bottle given the FG was spot on the expected value? I know the yeast would be asleep and dropped out of the beer now, but is there anyway rouse them if they still have some fermenting to do?
beers
Dan

 

[Pennywise]

I think 1012 sound pretty good with those ingredients you used. Ideally you should be getting another hydrometer and testing over a couple of days, but honestly I'd hazzard a guess that it's done, assuming there's no infection that could keep it fermenting.

 

[merls3]

I think 1012 sound pretty good with those ingredients you used. Ideally you should be getting another hydrometer and testing over a couple of days, but honestly I'd hazzard a guess that it's done, assuming there's no infection that could keep it fermenting.

I'm going to grab another hydrometer at some stage this week and will test when I get it back up to room temp. Will the 'cold conditioning' affect the gravity? Obviously no more sugars will be being converted while its cold, and the temp is considered at the time of measuring; but assuming I measure at the same temperature as my previous readings can I expect the gravity to be the same?
Pretty sure there's no infection, doesn't taste anything like some mates AG brews <_< , but nothing to indicate an infection.

 

[Pennywise]

If you've got it in the fridge it won't keep fermenting, the yeast would have floctuated and gone to sleep, so your correct there. It wont affect the actual gravity, but the temp diff will give you a different reading on the hydrometer, just bring the sample up to room temp and then take the reading. Some hydrometers are calibrated to 15c, some 20c, I think though in Aus, most of them are 20c. When you buy it just ask them (hopefully they know their product). Id say if you take a reading at the same temp as before it'll be the same, 1012 sounds pretty spot on to me, I think she's done.

Oh, welcome to the forums by the way :icon_cheers:

 

[boingk]

Welcome aboard mate, and yeah 1.012 sounds pretty good to me as well with those ingredients.

All cold conditioning will do is vastly improve the quality of the final beer, so you may well be pretty impressed with this brew!

Cheers - boingk

 

[merls3]

cheers guys.
Took a reading yesterday when it got back up to 20C and it was still 1012, so technically 3 consecutive readings. Washed and sanitized my bottles, primed each one (think i'll be looking at bulk priming soon). Went to fill them and realised my bottles are 700ml, and i'd primed for 750ml...doh!
Hoping it won't make too much of a difference as I'd aimed for a medium carbonation, might just be like drinking a coke.

And now we wait....

 

[levin_ae92]

Im pretty sure that 50ml difference wont make that much difference to the carbonation level, only an extra 7% sugar, so presumably an extra 7% CO2?

 

[harry72]

Regarding priming, does it make any difference if you prime the bottles first or if you add the priming sugar after you have put the brew in the bottle?

Cheers,
Hazwald

 

[levin_ae92]

No, it still dissolves the same, diffusion takes care of spreading it around to where the yeast can get it.

Im slack and use the coopers carbonation drops, i have it set up so i just plop them in as i grab the bottle off the tree to my right. the fermenter is in front of me and my bench capper is off to the left, as are the boxes i store it in.

 

[Pennywise]

I'd add it first to avoid any faoming up.