First brew - Doubts on fermentation/maturation/cold crash stage

[rycardo]

Hello, I’m doing my first brew, is a weissbier.

The fermentation started 8 days ago.
I checked the gravity three days ago and today, and it didn’t change, is on 1012 (matching receipt FG).
I was reading several posts and in most of them is recommended to wait, at least, two weeks before bottle.
My question is, either should I bottle right now or should I wait one more week to the yeast finish the job (consuming diacetyl, ...)?

My fermenter is on 21 degrees and I’m using white labs 3068 yeast.

If you recommend me to continue fermenting, I have another doubt related with fermenting stage temperature.
First I still little bit confused about which name we should give for this fermentation stage, is the 2nd fermentation or the maturation stage?

On this forum in some posts they are saying that 2nd fermentation and maturation stage are exactly the same thing, but in some other posts they are distinguish them, saying that maturations should be done at 10ºc to Ales. I’m completely confused on this.

My doubt is, should I continue with 21 degrees or decrease the temperature to room temperature (around 10 degrees). I’m either in maturation or in 2nd fermentation stage? Or they are the same? If yes, when should I move to 10ºc temperature? In some topics they are also saying that after this 10ºc stage, we should do a cold-crash at 0ºc.

This 2nd fermentation/maturation/cold crash topic is not really clear for me. More I read, more confusion in my brain...


Hope you can help me.

 

[Obadiah Boondoggle]

Hi R

The key to knowing whether fermentation is over is changes in the FG

You checked it 3 days ago and again today, and it has remained the same - I think that you can safely bottle now

It is all very confusing because people use a different term to use the same thing and also do things in a different order

There are two basic stages

- Secondary fermentation - I would do this now, add the sugar, then bottle and leave the bottles in a warm place - this will restart the fermentation which is what creates the carbonisation i.e. fizz in the beer. This really needs about 2 weeks to happen properly

- Maturation or conditioning. This means leaving the bottles long enough for them to clear properly and for their tastes to fully develop. The stronger the beer generally means leaving longer to mature/condition

Cold crashing helps clear the beer - the particles of yeast, proteins etc (collectively known as trub) fall out of the beer - a process that is speeded up by cold crashing. So if you can do this after secondary fermentation it will help you achieve clear beer

However, cold crashing will not speed up the process of flavour development

Have you seen this

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/...de-to-brewing-your-own-beer-from-a-kit.57526/