has fermentation stopped/what i will do now

[happyhoppytaff]

my hydrometer is reading 1.010. it has been stable for around 30 hours.

i expected it to read 1.00-the 'bottle beer' line. has my yeast given up, is the alcohol content lower than the 4.5 it said on the tin?

i will check again tomorrow but i expect it has fermented as much as it will. i will bottle tomorrow evening if there is still no change.

so,

if, as i suspect, the yeast is weak, should i put less finishing sugar in the bottle? i dont want it to be sweet.

thanks for your help. this is my first brew and i dont know exactly what i am doing

 

[Jammybstard]

1.00-the 'bottle beer' line??

what exactly did you expect it to read? 1.010 is a normal finishing gravity (depending on the beer) what kit is it?

 

[happyhoppytaff]

:?
i expected it to read 1.00. there is a line on my hydrometer 1.00 bottle. i thought this meant that is when the beer is ready to bottle.

so 1.010, (the '10' a few marks below the 1.00, correct?) 1.010 is ok?

if so :party:

im ready to bottle :thumb:

its a youngs kit

is one tea spoon of sugar ok then?

 

[broadfordbrewer]

I think I would go with 1.010. WHat was your orginal gravity reading? If you have this you can work out the abv. An OG of 1.040 and FG of 1.010 will give you around 4.0%. An OG of 1.044 and an FG of 1.010 will give you 4.5%.

Check the instructions for your hydrometer as it may be calibrated differently? and if so does it have a conversion chart with it? "1.00 the 'bottle beer' line" sounds a little strange to me otherwise.

Maybe buy a new hydrometer for next time as your current one sounds confusing :wha:

Don't try and affect your abv by adjusting the sugar quantity at the priming/bottling stage, I would go with 1/2 tsp for each 500ml bottle. There is a frequently asked questions page and a 'how to' for priming (see top of the page). Not sure the yeast was 'weak' as you have reached a good finishing gravity.... if the yeast was ineffective then the fermentation would have got stuck a while back 1.020 or so. Hope this helps. Any more questions, just ask :thumb:

 

[Jammybstard]

your hydrometer should read 1.000 for water at room temerature 15-20'C; Check it does before you go any further. that bottle thing does sound odd; did it come with the kit?

 

[happyhoppytaff]

oops, i didnt take an OG. i will take an OG for my next brew which i will put on immediately after i have bottled this brew.

very excited now. my sample today wasnt as sweet as my first test a few days ago and the same as it was yesterday-as far as i could tell. it is quite bitter but not sour at all.

:party:

ok, 1/2 tea spoon. good job i mentioned that or i might have spoiled my brew, and caused bottles to go pop. i will check the bottling sticky thread

thanks, bishop

 

[happyhoppytaff]

your hydrometer should read 1.000 for water at room temerature 15-20'C; Check it does before you go any further. that bottle thing does sound odd; did it come with the kit?

no, i bought the hydrometer just the other day. i did check it and yes, now you mention it, 1.00 was the tap water reading. i should know enough about beer to know its not the same density as water.

:party: i might bottle it tonight

 

[Jammybstard]

Sounds like a winner!

 

[happyhoppytaff]

thanks jammy.

this is so cool. what could be better on a wet and windy night than bottling my bwootiful ale :

 

[Jammybstard]

thanks jammy.

what could be better................

Well about half way through you'll be wishing you had a keg!

 

[Mark1964]

Just bottle it. 10.10 is normal some beers differ some at 1.000 but its ok :

 

[Muddy Funker]

thanks jammy.

this is so cool. what could be better on a wet and windy night than bottling my bwootiful ale :

Damn right!

I kegged 40 pints of Old Speckled Hen this morning :-)

 

[happyhoppytaff]

thanks everyone. ive bottled my first brew

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=11576

:party: i'm one happyhoppytaff