Sergeant's Stout - long fermentation

[Tonibee]

G'day peeps! I'm brewing Sergeant's Stout - an 'own brand' kit from the Home Brew shop. I started it on 26 May. It had a very lively initial fermentation and after a few days settled into a steady rhythm which is still going after 3.5 weeks. Albeit somewhat more slowly.

Now, I have't done a stout before so don't know if this is normal, or if there's a chance it's gone bad and fermenting has been overtaken by rotting. I haven't opened the bucket at all to look and I'm careful with sanitation so I think it's probably OK.

Assuming it's still good, the questions is this: with cider and ale, I typically wait 2-3 weeks after fermentation before bottling. Should I do likewise with this, or, given that it's been in the FV so long already, should I bottle as soon as it's finished? I'm a little worried that I might lose secondary fermentation in the bottle if I leave it too long.

Cheers!

 

[Tonibee]

It appears to have finished! I'll give it 10 days to settle out before bottling.

 

[BeerCat]

It could just be co2 coming out of the beer. Stout is a tricky one though as its really easy to overcarb. There will still be plenty of yeast to bottle carb.

 

[Tonibee]

It could just be co2 coming out of the beer. Stout is a tricky one though as its really easy to overcarb. There will still be plenty of yeast to bottle carb.

Good one. I hadn't thought of that. I haven't done a stout before and I was doing some reading up last night so seems now is a good time to bottle. I'm using PET bottles, so should be safe from bombs!

 

[Dutto]

Worry ye not!

Here's the extract from my Brewing Diary for an Oatmeal Stout ...

B19/17 – AG OATMEAL STOUT
Started 14thDecember 2017 (Milled grain on 13thDecember)
Batch Sparged. (Jury still out on whether better or not!)
Yeast pitched at 20 degrees.
Fermented on worktop with Heat Pad at 20 degrees.
Roused on 1stJanuary as SG at 1.024!
Still producing CO2 on 21stJanuary.
Transferred to Wilco Kegwith 50g of Brewing Sugar on 25thJanuary.
OG 1.060
FG 1.011
ABV 6.43%
Kcal per litre 577Kcal
Ran out of gas so one and a half hour delay on boil.
Fermentation took SIXweeks.Longest so far!

I made it for a mate who's not in th best of health, the Recipe is in "Dutto's Brew Day" and it took so long that I won't be doing it again for a long time. At such a big ABV (and Kcal!) some of it still remains in the Wilco PB and pulling a pint takes ages due to the time spent waiting for the head to settle.

The Good News is that it tastes just fine when it's settled! :thumb: