Fg - 1.018?

[mwd]

I should not be overly concerned if I was you my Kits and Bits never get much below 1.018 and have never got bottle bombs or sweet tasting beer so far. If it has fallen clear after the stirring I would consider bottling. Seeing as you are using PET you should be O.K. just do a hardness check every week it will be really obvious if the bottles bulge if you are getting overcarbonation.

 

[roller997]

If you wanted to add yeast, it would be best to get a bit more DME, boil it up, cool it down and use a sanatized bottle to start a fermentation with hydrated yeast. Once it gets going, pour that into the fermenter and hope it finishes any fermentables off.
If you just pitch yeast into an almost finished fermentation, I suspect it isn't going to be too happy to start.

Otherwise +1 to the above since you are using plastic anyhow.

Cheers

Roller

 

[manticle]

While I'd recommend trying every trick in the book when a beer finishes much above 1015 (exceptions include massively high gravity beers, beers with loads of unfermentables like maltodextrin, lactose, even lots of roasted grain), your recipe and my experience don't make 1018 sound too crazy.

Fast ferment test as suggested by Yob in the first reply is always the best way to work it out.

 

[bum]

I'd be bottling but consider priming as low as you think you can tolerate. I recall a brew that had a similar story to yours and I ended up bottling at 1018 after trying every trick in the book. After a month or so in the bottle they were definitely overcarbed. If you don't think your batch will hang around that long just bottle as per usual and hook in.

 

[user 25599]

I ended up bottling.

I'm using iBrewMaster on the iPad to assist with record keeping etc. I rechecked everything I put in and it recalculated the FG as 1015. I took a reading just prior to bottling last night which was 1016.

I now have 28 plastic bottles full of beer on their 2 week wait. Tasted delicious when I was bottling (albeit flat) so we shall see.

I'm hoping to make up another batch of the same beer at some point in the next fortnight without making the mistakes I made this time (hopefully!) to see how it compares.

Thanks all very much for your help . I'll keep you posted on how it is when I taste it.

 

[user 25599]

I'll keep you posted on how it is when I taste it.

I've knocked off a few bottles of this now. The first couple tasted like carbonation drops. The later ones don't have that taste.

They're a little flat and I can't get a lot of head on them, though the longer I leave them the better this gets. I do suspect I didn't rinse very well when I cleaned the bottles.

It's very drinkable though, and I've got another batch that's been bubbling away in the fermenter for the past 9 days, so I'm keen to see how they compare!

 

[syl]

I've knocked off a few bottles of this now. The first couple tasted like carbonation drops. The later ones don't have that taste.

They're a little flat and I can't get a lot of head on them, though the longer I leave them the better this gets. I do suspect I didn't rinse very well when I cleaned the bottles.

It's very drinkable though, and I've got another batch that's been bubbling away in the fermenter for the past 9 days, so I'm keen to see how they compare!

Generally they need 3 weeks in bottles to get there, sometimes longer if the yeast is stressed.

Once you've got these two done, you should add some specialty grains and do a little boil of hops with flavours you like!!

 

[user 25599]

Generally they need 3 weeks in bottles to get there, sometimes longer if the yeast is stressed.

Once you've got these two done, you should add some specialty grains and do a little boil of hops with flavours you like!!

Just cracked one that has been sitting in the fridge for the last week. It has a gorgeous head and perfect bubbles. Didn't get a pic of it though, will post one soon .

 

[hoppy2B]

I've had bottles carb in 3 days down here in Adelaide in September. I'm surprised its taking so long for my brews to carb up at this time of year. I mustn't have been paying too much notice of carb times in past years. :blink:
Nice to hear you're enjoying your new found hobby thomasando.

 

[syl]

I hate bottling. I am a freaking lazy brewer! Dropping a batch down tomorrow and will post some pics.

Glad you're enjoying it mate, kits are great to get in to it!

 

[JakeSm]

just skimmed through but having a winemaker as a mentor has taught me that if a ferment has stalled than the yeast have aften runout of nutrients, therefore the yeast will try and find them in old dead yeast cells, (this is called cysteen, dont quote me on the spelling) this is often described as sulphery or a rotten eggy smell....to get your yeast happy and working again all it takes is a good stir and some diamonium phosphate (which is nutrient salts) do not add these salts at the start or at the end of the brew as you need these to be completly eaten by the yeast or else you could have a bad bacterial reaction in your bottles. you only need to add 1/2 teaspoon for 25L due to the **** that this will create healthy working yeast when the old ones multiply....i hope this helps next time...