Is this batch ready to bottle?

[InterCooL]

Sorry to ask dumb repetitive questions, but I'm a little unsure about this batch of beer I've made.

It was the first time I've used grains (maxi biab), I got my temps a little off, but I the recipe I followed used a lot of dried malt extract to help with the fermentables.

My OG was 1050
I've sampled it twice now, once at 7 days (1016), and today at 11 days (1016). Considering it was a pale ale with US05, I thought it would get closer to 1010. I'm guessing maybe my bad mashing maybe the cause.

So is it safe to bottle at such high gravity for a simple pale ale? 4 days of the same reading to me gives me the impression it is done. But I'd love any tips from anyone

Thank you so much guys
David

 

[tomdavis]

I'd bottle it.

Were the temperatures for your mash on the high side (68c +) by any chance?

Also, did you aerate?

 

[InterCooL]

Yes they were on the high side. And aeration was by 2x pours from the kettle to the fermenter

 

[tomdavis]

Righto.

I would say that by mashing high you have likely just created more unfermentables than you wanted to, but I am sure there are many brewers on this forum who will tell you they have been in this same position, myself included!

You are definitely high for a pale ale, but based on your mistakes in the mash, you are kind of in the ball park of a finished ferment, and if as you say, you have had no activity for a good number of days based on your readings, then you should be good to bottle.

However, if you want to be completely happy, if you have temperature control, maybe raise it up to about 22c and wait to see if there is any further activity after 24-48 hrs.

If you are still nervous, then when you do bottle, just make sure you stick them into a plastic storage box with a lid while they carb up, so that if they do become bottle bombs, at least you only have to clean out the box and not your whole cupboard (take my word on this).

 

[Yob]

Fast ferment test

 

[mudd]

Fast ferment test

So wordy an all Yob

 

[Yob]

I am a master of eloquence

 

[InterCooL]

Thanks for the info. I've grabbed half a bottle full to do a fast ferment test, as per buttersd70's instructions here:
http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/36236-stalled-ferment-at-1030/#entry510602

I hope stirring the wort in the fermenter to resuspend the yeast wouldn't introduce too much oxygen into it? I only thought of that as I was giving it a swirl.

 

[Yob]

If it was gentle stir, you'll be fine. Raise the temp a few degree if you have the ability to as well as it often helps

 

[InterCooL]

Righto I've put it up 3 degrees too