[bigern26]

I started my first ever homebrew 11 days ago. Irish Red Ale extract kit. On sunday I seen that there was no activity so yesterday and the day before I too samples and did a gravity test. Both days are the same.
I plan on doing another sample tonight to see what that says but the water in the air lock has not moved.
I tested both samples with 2 different hydrometers and I get different readings from each. (both read 1.000 with regular water). The new plastic one reads 1.006 and the old glass one reads 1.010. Either way they both read different OGs and I get the same ABV readings.

Question is, Wait to bottle, put in secondary, or just bottle now?
I have been doing a lot of reading and it seems unnecessary to put in a secondary just to risk oxidation and infection. Tasting the samples it is bitter with a tangy after taste. I hope that goes away a little bit.
Just looking for some advise on when I should bottle.

[crakers540]

I have 2 hydrometers, and they can read 2 to 4 points apart. What was your original gravity? Only 11 days in the fermenter seems short to me.  I would leave it alone for another week or so, then rack over to another container, add priming sugar and bottle.

[Bob357]

No need for secondary. It helps to let the beer drop clear before bottling. Sometimes an extra week or so will help this happen. Before bottling, just be sure the gravity read the same with samples take 3 days apart using the same hydrometer. I generally do a 21 day primary for almost everything I brew.

Make sure the sample is free of foam and that the hydrometer isn't sticking to the side of the sample container. If they read 1.000 in distilled water, they should be pretty accurate.

[Joe Sr.]

21 days would be just fine.  You can certainly go sooner if you want, but be sure the gravity is stable.

The tangy flavor could be yeast and could be extract.  LME or DME?  What yeast?  Some throw tangy/tart flavors.  I get tart from Nottingham.  Not everyone does.

[theoman]

I'm with the just wait crew. Patience is an often overlooked ingredient.

On a side note, congratulations! My first homebrew was an Irish red extract kit more than 22 years ago.

[630skirmish]

I am doing a red ale and two weeks in primary and 2 in secondary is what's recommended. You can go longer in primary too.


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[bigern26]

The Kit had LME and the yeast used was Wyeast 1272.

Readings on each hydrometer have been the same for each one. The OG was 1.038 at 70 degrees with the plastic and the glass reading was 1.040 at 70 degrees.

Calculating them out they come to the same ABV.