Final gravity readings Razorback IPA and Young's American IPA, I'm a bit puzzled

[Alcoholiday]

Yeh hi all !

Young's guidance is below 1.007. been in fermentor 3 weeks tomorrow .

Last three readings approx 1.008 / 6/ 4 , still I keep hearing odd but of activity through air lock

Razorback ; also 3 weeks in fermentor as of tomorrow

Last 3 readings 1.006, 1.006, and this morning's 1.008 ! (Drew from tap at bottom tho rather than top , maybe this is why ? ) - suggested final for Razorback is 1.005

I'm guessing fermentation should be be finishing very soon ?

 

[Horners]

That Youngs AIPA is notorious for crawling on and on. Think the time I did it it was still going past 3 weeks and at the time I remember other members reporting similar.

 

[Pavalijo]

My Young’s AIPA finished at 1.0065 ish after 40 days and the Razorback at 1.006 after 32 days.

I am doing the Razorback again and yesterday it was at 1.006 after 31 days. Nearly stopped today.

I have been wondering why my brews take so long - only the Cwtch has finished inside 2 weeks for me - but that had 2 sachets of yeast (12g).

I try to ferment at around 21oC. Occasionally will get to 22 but on average maybe around 20.5.

I have been a bit slow to intervene and stir when a fermentation slows and am thinking that in future I may do this more readily.

I have always sprinkled the dry yeast rather than rehydrating it in 30oC water (which I read recently gives lower rate of dead cells).

So going forward I am going to rehydrate the yeast before pitching and be a little faster to stir. I will try to keep the temperature nearer to 22oC but that is not so easy without going for an immersion heater.

I would recommend leaving the Razorback a couple of months before drinking - other than the odd tester. It was good after a few weeks but the last bottle I kept after 6 months was just fantastic. The YAIPA was very bitter when I had my first sample a few weeks after bottling. Still a bit cloudy by then. So I am doing several brews back to back to raise my stocks so I don’t have to drink too young.

The Cwtch is crystal clear but I won’t have a single bottle for at least 3 months after bottling. However I left a glass of dregs in the fridge for a few days and that was the best beer I have brewed so far.

 

[Alcoholiday]

Horners thanks

Yeh started both off at same time , now realise I've got like 40 litres to bottle !!!!

Hope they both finish same time do I can get bottling done, thank fully I've got about 30 swing tops to make job easier !!

 

[Alcoholiday]

My Young’s AIPA finished at 1.0065 ish after 40 days and the Razorback at 1.006 after 32 days.

I am doing the Razorback again and yesterday it was at 1.006 after 31 days. Nearly stopped today.

I have been wondering why my brews take so long - only the Cwtch has finished inside 2 weeks for me - but that had 2 sachets of yeast (12g).

I try to ferment at around 21oC. Occasionally will get to 22 but on average maybe around 20.5.

I have been a bit slow to intervene and stir when a fermentation slows and am thinking that in future I may do this more readily.

I have always sprinkled the dry yeast rather than rehydrating it in 30oC water (which I read recently gives lower rate of dead cells).

So going forward I am going to rehydrate the yeast before pitching and be a little faster to stir. I will try to keep the temperature nearer to 22oC but that is not so easy without going for an immersion heater.

I would recommend leaving the Razorback a couple of months before drinking - other than the odd tester. It was good after a few weeks but the last bottle I kept after 6 months was just fantastic. The YAIPA was very bitter when I had my first sample a few weeks after bottling. Still a bit cloudy by then. So I am doing several brews back to back to raise my stocks so I don’t have to drink too young.

The Cwtch is crystal clear but I won’t have a single bottle for at least 3 months after bottling. However I left a glass of dregs in the fridge for a few days and that was the best beer I have brewed so far.

I'm going to forget about bottling now for a week!! 40 and 32 days !!! Wow I've had a Young's take 4 week before max

I'm patient and just leave bottled brews in spare room with blinds pulled

In meantime it's cans of craft , polish lager and hopefully real ale in pub very soon

This lockdowns just taking the piss now

 

[Alcoholiday]

That Youngs AIPA is notorious for crawling on and on. Think the time I did it it was still going past 3 weeks and at the time I remember other members reporting similar.

Out of Razorback and Young's American IPA, which do you prefer?

 

[Horners]

Never had the Razorback. Really like the Youngs albeit a bit punchy on the old ABV for me given the speed at which I guzzle it

 

[Alcoholiday]

Never had the Razorback. Really like the Youngs albeit a bit punchy on the old ABV for me given the speed at which I guzzle it

Join the club mate !!

 

[Pavalijo]

I can’t express preference as I haven’t had a fully conditioned Youngs - but at this early stage I preferred the Razorback.
I shared my last bottle of Razorback at 6 months of conditioning with my cousin - who likes his beer.
We started with a Presidents Sierra APA which we both liked but agreed slightly too much sweet maltiness if being picky.
After the first taste of the Razorback he said “wow, if you were served that in a pub you would be really happy”

And funnily enough I too have just ordered 24 cans of craft ale to help me resist the temptation to drink it too early!

 

[Theoriginalrich]

I have been a bit slow to intervene and stir when a fermentation slows and am thinking that in future I may do this more readily.

Excuse my naïveté but is it ok it stir to kick start beers? I’m generally bottling after about two weeks. The FG is close but not what I would expect. Finally do you just stir the beer or get the wort as well?
This could enhance my brews no end.

 

[Graz]

Blimey, I'd rarely leave anything in the fermenter for more than 3 weeks and certainly not to eke out one more gravity point. Most of the time I'll leave it for 2 weeks at 20°C, check it and it will be within a point or two or at or below the predicted FG. Most of the time I suspect it reached that point several days prior but it's good to leave a bit of time to let the yeast clean up.

Depending as to when I think I'll keg it then it may sit for another day of so before I add the hops, leave 2-3 days and then cold crash 1-2 days before kegging. If somehow it wakes up after that to consume the final bit of sugar then it's free CO2 for the Corny. The few that I've bottled typically with about 1/2 tsp sugar are normally at the level of carbonation I'd like so no concerns there either.

I've also made both of the kits mentioned and don't remember any issue with getting close to FG. In fact I seem to remember the first time I made AIPA is was a bit taken aback having not seen a beer go that low for FG before.

 

[Simoncbr600steelie]

Yeh hi all !

Young's guidance is below 1.007. been in fermentor 3 weeks tomorrow .

Last three readings approx 1.008 / 6/ 4 , still I keep hearing odd but of activity through air lock

Razorback ; also 3 weeks in fermentor as of tomorrow

Last 3 readings 1.006, 1.006, and this morning's 1.008 ! (Drew from tap at bottom tho rather than top , maybe this is why ? ) - suggested final for Razorback is 1.005

I'm guessing fermentation should be be finishing very soon ?

I made the Youngs American ipa and it was still letting air slowly through the airlock after a month, in the end I just bottled it in swing top bottles, I highly recommend this kit the conditioned beer is lovely after about a month, I’ve given a few to work mates and they all love it, one said it reminded him of Leffe so although it’s not IPA I’m still happy and will definitely be doing it again.

 

[Pavalijo]

Excuse my naïveté but is it ok it stir to kick start beers? I’m generally bottling after about two weeks. The FG is close but not what I would expect. Finally do you just stir the beer or get the wort as well?
This could enhance my brews no end.

You want to disturb as little as possible but I have had to stir a few, stuck several points above anticipated FG.
I sterilise the paddle, open the lid gently to leave as much CO2 sitting above the wort as I can and very gently stir so as not to oxygenate at the surface. I waft the paddle just above the trub so that the surface layer is brought back into suspension. This has usually worked but on the one occasion it didn’t I went into the trub and really mixed it up (sh¥t or bust). It worked and the beer was drinkable ( only had one batch out of 10 or so now that wasn’t) but not the best.
I have bottled beer that is a couple of points above advertised FG but would be worried about getting bottle bombs if several points above.

 

[moto748]

Wow, 3 or 4 weeks fermentation!

I started a spreadsheet of my recent brews the other day. Amongst other things, I'm listing OG and FG, and number of days fermenting (the total of a 2-vessel process). They run

DIPV =Day In Primary Vessel
DISV = Days in Secondary Vessel

Am I bottling too early? I don't think so, I wait under air-lock action has ground to a halt, and hydrometer readings are unchanged for a couple of days.

None of this is using kits, though. maybe they ferment for longer; I don't know. And I'm sure ambient temp has a lot to do with it. I realise some of you guys are fermenting at cool temperatures.

 

[Pavalijo]

[QUOTE="moto748, post:
None of this is using kits, though. maybe they ferment for longer; I don't know. And I'm sure ambient temp has a lot to do with it. I realise some of you guys are fermenting at cool temperatures.
[/QUOTE]

I run at around 21oC - What temperature are you fermenting at?
I’ve also wondered whether the kits are a bit short of yeast. The fastest kit I did had 2 packs of yeast.
I aerate the wort very thoroughly, use Ashbeck bottled water and Harris Pure Brew, so I can’t think what I’m doing wrong but my Razorback finished this week after 5 weeks!

 

[moto748]

I didn't mean to suggest you were doing anything wrong! I would have thought, as long as you 'get there in the end', it wouldn't really matter. As for temperature, all I can say is, 'room temperature'. So about 21 deg in the daytime and about 18.5 at night. But as I say, I do BIAB, not kits, and I imagine that is the biggest factor. I usually use a sachet of dry yeast per brew. In fact, with the small-batch 10 and 11 litre brews I've been doing lately, only half a sachet. Considering how yeast multiplies, that seems plenty to me.

 

[Pavalijo]

No it wasn’t taken that way - it’s me wondering what I’m doing wrong!
One more kit to do (Festival Golden Stagg) then I’m going to try Clibit’s simple AG method and hopefully move forward from there.
I use a Chronical fermenter so very little wort in contact with the trub, but I had the same issue with the plastic bucket.
At least it does eventually get there and mostly tastes good!

 

[moto748]

That's all that matters at the end of the day!

 

[Dazzelknight]

I bottled my Razorback last night. SG1045 FG1005, it only took 10 days which I wasn’t expecting after reading a few threads on here stating it was a slow burner. It did go off like a rocket tho for first 3 days. Had if Fermenting at a constant 21’C Ashbeck water and pure brew added. Dry hoped after 6th day with a slight stir. It had hit 1010 when I added the hops. I did pitch my yeast (dry) on the surface of the foam without stirring, that was only thing I did that wasn’t instructed, sheet said to stir yeast in. But can’t see that making a huge difference,,, strange. Like stated above, if it gets there eventually its all good.... Leave it in the hands of the brew gods

 

[Alcoholiday]

I'm going to bottle the Razorback and AIPA this evening

Minor bit of activity through airlock but I can't see it causing any bother in the bottle whilst conditioning

Started 3 weeks as yesterday