Stopping Fermentation

[zabond]

G"day all Ihave a brew going[kit & bits]starting sg1056 been fermenting for 9 days @18*, sg at present 1022 which is about 5%alc which is what I would like :chug: ,is it possable to drop temp to 4* for a day-rack into secondary-add finnings wait 2 days then keg,will this have any adverse effect cause if I let it ferment down any further the alco will be too high est about 6% fg 016 [its a dark irish ale]
Russ

 

[Effect]

are you going to filter it?

But if you are going to chill it down to 4 degrees, add some finings to drop most of the yeast out...keg and keep below any fermenting temperature - IMO it should be fine...

But I would want to be getting rid of most of the yeast and keep it low in temp (i.e. not allowing any yeast to actually be there to ferment more - and if there are any the stay behind, lets make the environment for them unappealing to ferment)

 

[marlow_coates]

If you keep it cold in the secondary, it will ensoure no more yeast activity and the beer will stop fermenting. So yes, if it tastes good now and you don't want anymore alcohol in it then that is the way to go.

I would recomend leaving finnings 3 days, but thats just my rule of thumb.

 

[newguy]

As long as you don't bottle any, there's nothing wrong with what you want to do. If you bottle it, though, look out.

 

[buttersd70]

Why not just rack and maintain fermentation temps for 48 hrs, to see if it starts to drop again?

 

[dr K]

1056 to 1022 means a possibly sweet beer but if it is dark the roast may help you out.
1056 to 1022 is about 4.5% but an apparent attenuation of only 60%. You did not mention the yeast but an AA of 70% is a fair average so you are corect in calculating a terminal gravity around 1016 but this is still only 5.3% ABV.
OTOH a decent ale yeast , correctly pitched will after 9 days be, or should be well and truly finished. Therefore its a fair bet its done anyway.
Just do it.

K

 

[goomboogo]

Why not just rack and maintain fermentation temps for 48 hrs, to see if it starts to drop again?

I don't think ZABOND is saying that the ferment has stalled and wants to see if he can restart it. I think he wants to deliberately stop it at 1022 so that the alc% doesn't get any higher. I'm with the others, stopping it is only an option if you're kegging. If it's going into bottles don't stop it. Without knowing the ingredients it's hard to say what it will finish at but I would be inclined to let it go until it reaches terminal gravity and accept the beer I ended up with. If the alc% was a concern it would be a case of drinking less.

 

[buttersd70]

Ah, misread the OP. duh.

 

[peas_and_corn]

I've considered stopping ferment at a certain point, and it will work if you drop it down to your serving temp. I'm personally too lazy to do it, but I think it'll work.

 

[goomboogo]

I take on board what dr K says about the likelihood that it may indeed be finished. If not finished, quite close. In saying this, factors other than ingredients may have slowed things up a bit. Yeast strain, yeast health and the accuracy of the 18c you quoted are things that may slow the ferment.

 

[Kenny the plumber]

I used 1056 in a beer the other week and it dropped to 1006. 1022 is pretty sweet? Don't know if this helps? :chug:

 

[afromaiko]

I used 1056 in a beer the other week and it dropped to 1006. 1022 is pretty sweet? Don't know if this helps? :chug:

This is becoming like Chinese whispers now.. :blink:

 

[zabond]

Thanks all for the replys-mix was Coopers dark-1kg dlme-500grm dark malt extract-250 crystal[steeped 35min/70*-250grm goldensyrup-safale s-04 pitched @ 26* will wait a bit longer to try for fg1018 and it is going straight into keg.
goomboogo 18* as accurate as a fridgemate controler is, "drinking less"is not an option
Russ