My beer is too sweet

[alecjcook]

Hi, my first batch of beer is ready and it is far too sweet. For one, I think the hops wern't boiled long enough so I do not have enough bitterness, for another I think there is a lot of dextrins in it (possibly, can I check?) and thirdly I think there are a lot of fermentable sugars that haven't fermented... When brewing I waited until the air in the airlock was level, I assumed this was the end of the ferment, I then bottled it. I did not use any priming sugar, when I opened the bottle 2 weeks later there was still some head on the beer, leading me to think the head had come from fermentable sugar. Any idea why this fermentable sugar was not turned into alcohol while the beer was in the fermenter? Many thanks, Alec

 

[h_doody]

Never use airlock activity as an indicator. Always check the gravity with a hydrometer and if it stays the same for three days then you know fermentation is done.

 

[Hopping_Mad]

Ditto the above with hydrometer readings.

Some fermentations can get 'stuck' (i.e. finish before using most of the fermentables). Options here are stirring the yeast back into suspension without splashing with a sterilised spoon. Raising the temperature slightly has helped me in the past (but not higher than recommended for the kit!). Pitching more yeast is a last resort.

You gotta go by the gravity though!!! It's the only way!!!!!!!

The sweetness sometimes goes with conditioning. I had a Wherry that was sweet for two months before it mellowed. Patience is nearly always the key with these things!