To bottle or not to bottle...?

[MattJ]

Evening all,
New member and brewer here looking for some emergency advice on whether to bottle ahead of going on holiday in 2 days time! I'm on my second ever brew which is a Wilko Chocmeister stout kit that went on two weeks ago. After my first kit took ages to complete, I thought I would run this one at slightly higher temperature than recommended (22.5 degC) to ensure it would be finished in time for my holiday. However, it is still bubbling through the airlock about once per minute 2 weeks later! (why on earth do the kits say they will be finished after 4 - 6 days!?)

I plan to open it up tomorrow and check the specific gravity. If it's looking reasonable and giving me around 4% alcohol then I plan to bottle and store them in the garage incase of any exploders. If its not then I plan to give it a stir and leave it til I get back in another 2 weeks (giving a total of 4 weeks in the fermentation vessel). I will take it off the heater and wrap it in a blanket to help keep a constant temperature whilst I'm away as I don't fancy leaving the heater on and unattended.

Does that sound like a reasonable plan? Any issues with leaving 4 weeks in the fermenter? Any feedback or suggestions gratefully received! Thanks a lot, Matt

 

[labrewski]

One thing I have learned is never trust instructions they rarely turn out as they should it's only done when it has stopped bubbling and u get steady reads for 3 days

 

[labrewski]

I've had brews that finished in 2 days using kveik to some that took 3 weeks using mangrove Jack's yeast think it was west coast no problem to leave it only will improve your beer

 

[jof]

If you have an airlock on the FV, then it should be OK to leave as no O2 will get in.

If you had it in an open fermenting bucket (like I use) - then I would bottle it.
I would think it would need to be quite a strong brew to still be fermenting after 2 weeks in summer

 

[soupdragon]

A gravity check is your safest bet but if you need to leave it while you're away I wouldn't stir it, asking for trouble that. The last thing you want to do is stir things around and risk oxidising your beer. If you just clip the lid back on after you've checked it there should still be some Co2 sitting on top of your beer. Plus if it's not quite finished it'll produce a bit more. Co2 is your friend while you're away

Cheers. Tom

 

[foxy]

Your yeast should be finished and cleaning up that is probably hydrogen sulphide being produced by the yeast cleaning up the diacetyl, not CO2. If your gravity is acceptable cold crash until you come back, or bottle.

 

[MattJ]

Thanks for the responses everyone!

@labrewski I thought I'd learnt my lesson already on not to trust the instructions but still they caught me out! I will have to leave extra time for any future brews.

@jof Yep I have an airlock fitted so will hopefully be OK if left. The kit says 4% alcohol from memory. I swapped out half the sugar for spraymalt which I saw recommended online but I'd also read that spraymalt isn't 100% fermentable so I added just a little extra sugar. So I'm still expecting (hoping) for around 4%. I thought it was perhaps weak yeast provided with the two kits I've had causing the extended fermentation times.

@soupdragon Good point about the stirring, hadn't considered that. My idea there was that maybe I had a stuck fermentation and stirring it may get it going again which I'd read online. However it sounds like I don't have a stuck fermentation and so stirring will only risk oxidising the beer as you say.

@foxy Just read up on what you suggested, this is all pretty new to me! Hopefully you're right that the fermentation has actually finished and a gravity reading tomorrow will confirm that I'm at around 4% already. If so I'm inclined to go with the bottling option. I've just read about suck-back of the airlock water when cold crashing which concerns me and I don't currently have any other means of sealing the FV. I only have tap water in there currently (no steriliser) along with a dead fly which crawled in there at some point haha so would need to sort that out. Also for my info in future, does cold crashing remove the yeast and prevent secondary fermentation in the bottle?

 

[foxy]

If you are worried about suck back take off the fermenter lid, spray some sanitiser around the rim cover and fasten with cling film. If you have the fermenter with the rubber O ring just use that to hold the cling film otherwise tie it in place.

 

[Sandimas]

If you are going to bottle, suggest using less priming sugar than normal, just in case.

 

[terrym]

If its only bubbling at once per minute its likely done. But the best indicator by far is the SG reading. If its a kit and somewhere around 1.010 or less its probably done. The normal advice to new brewers is to check the SG on consecutive days when you think its finished and if they are the same and about where you expect it to be you can bottle. Finally there are times when you have to take the lid off as part of brew management, this is one of them to take a sample or dunk your hydrometer if you don't have tap on your FV.

 

[terrym]

Also for my info in future, does cold crashing remove the yeast and prevent secondary fermentation in the bottle?

No. There is normally enough yeast left in suspension to carb up unless you leave it for weeks rather than a couple of days. It just takes longer that's all.
And at one bubble per minute its probably done. Your best check is your hydrometer. Normal advice to new brewers is to check on consecutive days if you thinks its done and if the SG is the same and where you think it should be, which for a kit is about 1.010 or thereabouts, you can then go ahead and bottle. Finally there are times when some form of intervention is necessary. Checking the SG at the end of fermentation is one of them if you suspect its done.

 

[pms67]

I used to worry about this stuff, now I don’t even use an airlock but simply crack the lid, my last brew I waited 4 days after the Krausen had disappeared, took a reading that was low enough to satisfy me and cold crashed for two days before bottling, I promise myself I will take two readings at the end next time but it’s not the end of the world
Good luck with your brew

 

[MattJ]

Hi everyone,
Thanks a lot for the replies and great advice. I've left it too late to take readings on consecutive days but took one earlier and it was spot on giving me an alcohol content of 4.1% so I have just finished bottling which I think went pretty well. I have used only 1 carbonation drop per bottle anyway when the recommended dose is 2 but I prefer a stout not too fizzy and this gives me some slack if there was a bit of sugar left in the brew. I will give the cold crashing a try next time to help with clearing the beer.

Thanks again everyone! Matt

 

[labrewski]

Try using normal sugar from the cupboard next time u bottle half teaspoon does me for ipa styles maybe less for stouts u can experiment and save another fiver towards next ingredients