1.25 gallon

[wollffy]

I read over the instruction/recipe for this brew again
This morning. The American home brewers Black beards IPA.
They say ferment for 1-3 days. It is day 6 and I just took a gravity
And taste. OG was 1.062 today 1.032. Tastes hoppy like I would expect a three hops beer
To taste. It is real dark but nice and clear. Honestly tastes like a black IPA that
I could go buy right now. Should I give it more time fermenting?

[philm00x]

Yep, give it more time. Even average 75% attenuation would make your FG 1.015, so you're almost there, but not quite. Try taking a gravity reading after another week. If it doesn't ferment any lower then you're probably set to bottle/keg.

[wollffy]

Ok. Thanks Phil

[Brewbirds]

+1 What Phil says. The idea is that you take a sample a few days later and if the reading is the same the yeast has finished or the fermentation is stuck.
Since you are starting out with your (1 gallon? ) kit and if you want to brew a few of those You may want to consider getting a refractometer so you can take a smaller sample size.

Using a hydrometer with very good sanitation practices you could return your sample to the fermenter but there is going to be an infection risk. A refractometer requires a few drops per test but you will need to pick a gravity calculator/tool to get your reading; this is something that is available online like priming calculators are.

Keep us posted.

[wollffy]

Thanks BrewBirds. I considered a refractometer.
Maybe later. I just drank my sample
I'm gonna keep it going another 6 days and check it
Again.

[haerbob3]

just remember that refractometer is not accurate when alcohol is present You must make a correction to obtain the actual value there are many good ones out on the web

[BrownstotheBone]

just remember that refractometer is not accurate when alcohol is present You must make a correction to obtain the actual value there are many good ones out on the web

What kind of a correction Bob? Can you elaborate a little? I was thinking about getting one eventually and would like to know what I'm doing with it. Is it a correction after you get your FG? Or something else?

[haerbob3]

more has a spreadsheet that you can use. http://morebeer.com/products/brewing-re ... scale.html It will give you all your corrected values. I use one. When I get the 2 matching readins it is done son. Do make a note of your OG you will need it

[FedoraDave]

I read over the instruction/recipe for this brew again
This morning. The American home brewers Black beards IPA.
They say ferment for 1-3 days. It is day 6 and I just took a gravity
And taste. OG was 1.062 today 1.032. Tastes hoppy like I would expect a three hops beer
To taste. It is real dark but nice and clear. Honestly tastes like a black IPA that
I could go buy right now. Should I give it more time fermenting?

Regardless of the size of the batch, 1-3 days doesn't seem enough time for fermentation to be complete. Six days is probably not even enough. This is a problem with kits marketed toward beginning brewers. They seem to play into the (quite natural) notion that a beginner is going to be over-eager and impatient to drink his beer. So they don't allow for complete fermentation and/or adequate conditioning. And the beer is often sub-par or otherwise problematic.

Here's the Awful Truth:

There's no way to hurry the process. The yeast are going to take whatever time it takes converting the sugars to alcohol. And after bottling, it's going to take whatever time it takes to carbonate and then ditto for the flavors to blend and mellow in the conditioning phase. For the homebrewer, patience isn't a virtue; it's a requirement.

Around here, the general consensus is the 3-2-2 method (also sometimes referred to as the 3-4 method). Three weeks in the fermenter, then four weeks in the bottle before chilling and drinking (that's 2 weeks to allow for proper carbonation, and 2 weeks for decent conditioning, hence 3-2-2 equalling 3-4). Even when the FG number is reached, the yeast are still active and cleaning things up, so three weeks fermenting is a good time frame. Yes, the yeast would still clean things up in the bottle if you went ahead and bottled, but I've noticed much less bottle trub and cleaner beer overall giving it 3 weeks before bottling. Brewer's choice, of course.

Some styles also require less conditioning. IPAs, wheat beers, and low-gravity beers might be just fine after only 3 weeks in the bottle, but extended conditioning (I'm talking four months) can usually benefit most beers.

There's a lot of leeway, as you've probably already picked up, and you'll eventually settle into your own timetable and habits, and as long as you're making good beer, you're still doing it right. The 3-2-2 method is just a basic framework to give you a starting point to work with.

[mtsoxfan]

Once again, good solid advise from the Hat...
What I would add, is that once bottled, throw a bottle in to chill after the 4 weeks carb/conditioning. After a few days, crack it open, and pour gently, one continuous pour as to not get any trub that has settled on the bottom. Drink and enjoy, making note of the flavor. Compare that to the last beer. This will help you see the transition your beer has made over time. When you make more complex, higher gravity or maltier beers, you will see a greater transition, helping reinforce the need for patience, letting the beer have the proper time to develop.

[Wings_Fan_In_KC]

Sometimes we even say it's OK for nOObs try a beer at 2 or 3 weeks just so they can see what not to do as they continue along their homebrew journey.

At that point the beer is still young (or green) and isn't anywhere near where it should be conditioning-wise.

[mtsoxfan]

Agreed Wings, I highly recommend that too.... I just saw the 1.25 gal batch and thought, How many experimental beers can there be? But, you gotta start somewhere...

[wollffy]

Good thing the first sample was great! I have no problem being patient.

[wollffy]

And again thank you guys for the lessons. I love this site.
I took another reading today. It only lowered 2 points. So I think I will cold
Crash and bottle. Is 24 hrs. Enough time for the cc?

[Brewbirds]

And again thank you guys for the lessons. I love this site.
I took another reading today. It only lowered 2 points. So I think I will cold
Crash and bottle. Is 24 hrs. Enough time for the cc?

Most of us who cold crash go 2-3 days to let the trub firm up and get as much out of suspension as possible.