Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Is it too soon to bottle?  (Read 1239 times)

Offline cfleisher

  • Cellarman
  • **
  • Posts: 98
    • Brews Reporter
Is it too soon to bottle?
« on: August 27, 2011, 11:14:25 pm »
I've got a batch of Super Saison that has been fermenting in the primary for 4 weeks. The airlock still shows some slow activity (one bubble every 20-30 seconds) but I'm afraid to leave it on the yeast much longer, lest it develop off flavors. Any thoughts? Should I bottle it, rack it to a secondary or let it ride and not worry about it?
Primary: Grapefruit IPA
Secondary: Berliner Weisse

Offline euge

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8017
  • Ego ceruisam ad bibere cervisiam
Re: Is it too soon to bottle?
« Reply #1 on: August 28, 2011, 01:16:12 am »
Bottle. Four weeks should have been enough.
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. -Richard P. Feynman

Laws are spider-webs, which catch the little flies, but cannot hold the big ones. -Anacharsis

Offline tschmidlin

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8198
  • Redmond, WA
Re: Is it too soon to bottle?
« Reply #2 on: August 28, 2011, 01:39:58 am »
Check your gravity.  Decide based on that.  Euge is probably right though.
Tom Schmidlin

Offline Malticulous

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 368
Re: Is it too soon to bottle?
« Reply #3 on: August 28, 2011, 07:55:57 am »
Air lock bubbles only mean CO2 is coming out. It dosen't necessarily mean it's still fermenting.

Offline ynotbrusum

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4882
Re: Is it too soon to bottle?
« Reply #4 on: August 29, 2011, 07:26:52 pm »
Air lock bubbles only mean CO2 is coming out. It dosen't necessarily mean it's still fermenting.

Very true.  Trust your hydrometer only.  Three days at the same gravity, but after a month, maybe you can get by with two days checking it out.
Hodge Garage Brewing: "Brew with a glad heart!"