End Of Fermentation

[RobinB]

Ive always beeen a bit too keen to get finished beer into barrel.. so perhaps Ive been not letting the yeast finish ?? I usually make grain beer , but have just done a Woodfords ale from a tin ... Ive had it fermenting now for about a week .. and it looks like its finished ... but I used my refractometer on it and it says 1.004 ... is it still fermenting ?? although it looks done !... should I leave it longer ?... perhaps in all my brews I have been going wrong and took them off the fermenting too early ??

 

[kelper]

Two weeks in FV is the minimum for most of us. Have you tried a hydrometer?

 

[terrym]

Ive always beeen a bit too keen to get finished beer into barrel.. so perhaps Ive been not letting the yeast finish ?? I usually make grain beer , but have just done a Woodfords ale from a tin ... Ive had it fermenting now for about a week .. and it looks like its finished ... but I used my refractometer on it and it says 1.004 ... is it still fermenting ?? although it looks done !... should I leave it longer ?... perhaps in all my brews I have been going wrong and took them off the fermenting too early ??

I think it will be unlikely that your SG has got to down 1.004, most kits like Wherry usually end up at about 1010. Nevertheless I agree with @kelper check with a hydrometer (have you corrected your refractometer reading) but in any case I would also leave it for longer, minimum 10 days if it's finished, maybe two weeks. It will do no harm whatsoever, in fact your beer will be clearer at packaging and the yeast will have cleaned up in bulk. Anyway what's the rush, a few days extra at this time is nothing really if your beer is going to be in the PB for a few weeks, especially since, in my experience, Wherry needs a few weeks to condition before it comes good?

 

[Buffers brewery]

I used to use a refractometer to measure SG until I discovered they’re OK for measuring the wort SG (still need a small correction which I did empirically) but totally wrong for beer SG without serious correction. I use mine during the brew to monitor the wort SG but when I’m done I take my starting SG and check fermentation progress with my hydrometer. I used to be eager to check progress but I’m with @terrym here and leave the FV for 2 weeks before I take the first sample.

 

[RobinB]

I think it will be unlikely that your SG has got to down 1.004, most kits like Wherry usually end up at about 1010. Nevertheless I agree with @kelper check with a hydrometer (have you corrected your refractometer reading) but in any case I would also leave it for longer, minimum 10 days if it's finished, maybe two weeks. It will do no harm whatsoever, in fact your beer will be clearer at packaging and the yeast will have cleaned up in bulk. Anyway what's the rush, a few days extra at this time is nothing really if your beer is going to be in the PB for a few weeks, especially since, in my experience, Wherry needs a few weeks to condition before it comes good?

Sorry ... meant about 1.04

 

[RobinB]

Hmmm I did have a hydrometer somewhere .. but where it is now ?? I will have to buy a new one ....I just thought the refractometer would be good... I must be finishing all my beers too early ?? Would they taste stronger/more body if left longer ...?

 

[Buffers brewery]

Hmmm I did have a hydrometer somewhere .. but where it is now ?? I will have to buy a new one ....I just thought the refractometer would be good... I must be finishing all my beers too early ?? Would they taste stronger/more body if left longer ...?

In my experience, without any correction a refractometer will read high so looks like fermentation has still got a way to go but is in fact finished. Have you tried the refractometer tool on this site? You’ll find it in the “Calculators” link.

 

[Banbeer]

Leave it for at least 10 days as @terrym says, I used to be a bit impatient a few years ago but now I leave it in the FV for 2 weeks then I cold crash it for a week and I'm really pleased with the results.

 

[terrym]

Sorry ... meant about 1.04

It will have started at about 1.040. Either its not fermented at all (only you know if it has shown signs of fermentation), or your refractometer reading is confusing you.
You really need to find out how to correct the refractometer reading, or find your hydrometer.

 

[RobinB]

I will find my hydrometer.. and it did ferment

 

[Buffers brewery]

I will find my hydrometer.. and it did ferment

Out of interest, what were your start and final SGs as measured with your refractometer?

 

[RobinB]

All sorted now thanks ... found my hydrometer.. it was about 1.01