[email]grundlethrop@gmail.com[/email] wrote:[color=blue]
> Just covering my bases in case any of you saw this over at the
> rec.crafts.brewing group -- don't skin me.
>
> Hello folks, I couldn't find an answer after searching for a while so I
> thought I'd just post directly to the group. Hopefully one of you pros
> can help.
>
>
> I just racked my first batch of beer after six days in the primary
> fermenter (the airlock had slowed down to about a bubble every 30 secs
> or so) and was still coming up with a specific gravity of 1.024 at 73
> degrees. Now, I know this is way too high to prime and bottle (which
> was my original plan) but I'm concerned that the brew won't be safe to
> bottle in the next 2-3 days. The only reason I say this is because the
> original specific gravity and temp at the time I pitched my yeast
> (White Labs English ale) was 1.122 and 72 degrees. I know that's
> wickedly high but I used 6.5 lbs of malt (half syrup and half DME --
> it's what I had on hand).
>
>
> Any thoughts on what's going on here and why the specific gravity
> readings are so high? Do you think there's a chance that I will have
> to add more yeast to jump start the fermentation again?
>[/color]
6.5lbs of malt isn't really that much. Most of the recipies, that I
have done, have at least that much and start out at about 1.050 SG. I'm
willing to bet that you read the hydrometer wrong or it's calibrated
incorrectly. I believe that it would be hard to get that high of a
reading in a 5 gal batch with that amt of malt. You did take your
reading after you had the whole 5 gal batch mixed together, before you
added the yeast, right? A safe rule of thumb is: 1 week in the primary
and then 1 week in the secondary and everything should be fine. (This
is for most normal, average gravity, ales) I have 2 hydrometers, both
calibrated for 60F. One has a chart on how to compensate for temp. 70F
add 1, 77F add 2, 84F add 3, 95F add 5. For example, if you took a
reading at 84F and you measurement was 1.100, add 3 and the adjusted
reading would be 1.103. I generally don't worry about the exact
reading. I try to get the measurements between 65F and 70F before I
pitch and take a final reading when I am getting ready to bottle just to
get a close idea on the ABV. If you like, take 3 readings, about a
day apart, if the gravity doesn't change then it's done brewing, if it
changes, keep trying until you get 3 readings in a row that don't
change. Make sure you are at the same temp each time. I think, if you
wait a few more days you should be fine.
Good luck,
Welcome to the hobbie,
Cheers,

--
Michael Herrenbruck
DragonTail Ale
Drunken Bee Mead