Secondary Fermentation

[mortong]

Hi all, another newbie question for you.

I just transfered my batch over to the secondary fermenter, tested with the hydrometer (after the transfer), and found that the gravity is ~1.03. The recipe's goal is 1.02.

I'm just curious how much could it ferment out in the secondary? Bubbling was completely stopped for two/three days when I transferred, but the yeast showed signs of activity when I opened it up.

I probably should have left it in the primary a few days longer, but that's life. ;)

I'm not really too worried about it - the beer tasted really good when I tested it, so it might just turn out to be a good, but weak beer. I'm just curious how much change I can expect.

Thanks,
Geoff

[jsmurphy]

Why a weak beer? What was the OG?

Sounds like it's done to me.

[YamahaXS]

Originally posted by jsmurphy
Why a weak beer? What was the OG?

Sounds like it's done to me.

Note he lstated 1.03 not 1.003.

I would agree that the beer is pretty much done with fermentation if the FG was 1.003.

1.03 is too high though and needs more time. Transferring may rouse the yeast back into activity.

[mortong]

The OG was roughly 1.055, so it's dropped about 25 points.

But it's still about 10 points higher than the expected FG.

Based on the a chart I have, this leaves the alcohol content right now at between 3 and 3.5% alcohol (Utah beer).

I'll just leave it in the secondary for another two weeks and hope for the best. Is the remaining yeast after transfer enough to continue the fermentation to completion, or should I add more?

Geoff

[jsmurphy]

Originally posted by YamahaXS
Note he lstated 1.03 not 1.003.

Ah. You're right.

[wortchillergoal]

What style of beer are we talking about? That could be a factor in this.

[mortong]

Should have said that to begin with...

It's an Alaskan Amber clone:

1# 45L English Crystal Malt
1oz. English Chocolate Malt
7# Alexander's Pale Malt Extract
1.4# Alexander's Pale Kicker

1 3/4 oz Cascade Hops (full hour)
1 oz Saaz (added at 57 minutes)

1 packet Windsor Ale Yeast

(ingredients for those who are interested)

It tastes a lot like Alaskan Amber, even so early.

Geoff

[wortchillergoal]

Originally posted by mortong
Should have said that to begin with...

It's an Alaskan Amber clone:


I think you should have seen a bigger drop. If you have not racked to your secondary yet, rouse the yeast and let it sit for another day or two.

[wortchillergoal]

Originally posted by wortchillergoal
I think you should have seen a bigger drop. If you have not racked to your secondary yet, rouse the yeast and let it sit for another day or two.

I am sorry, I forgot that you already racked. I would still try rousing the yeast some more.

[Professor Frink]

I'm assuming the recipe is for a 5 gallon batch???

I love Alaskan Amber, and have sent multiple emails to them begging them to expand distribution to Minneapolis, to no avail. I'm gonna have to give this a try. Where'de the recipe come from, out of curiousity???

[mortong]

Yeah, the recipe is for a 5 gallon batch.

I got the recipe from a guy at my local HB shop.

He told me that when Alaskan made the move from regional distribution to larger-scale, they toned down their recipe slightly to make it more appealing to the (budweiser loving) masses.

To appease the real fans of their brew, they sent the original recipe to a lot of the HB shops in towns where Alaskan was sold before the change.

I can't wait to taste it when it's done. =)

Geoff

[mortong]

Hmm, nice. I just checked out Alaskan Brewing's webpage. They have a simple list of ingredients (no ammounts) for all their beers, and specs:

"Ingredients:
Water, malt, hops and yeast with no adjuncts, no preservatives and no pasteurization. Our glacier-fed water originates in the 1,500 square-mile Juneau Ice Field. The malt is a rich blend of premium two-row Pale and Crystal malts. Cascade hops from the Yakima Valley and imported Czechoslovakian Saaz hops impart bittering flavors and aromas."

"Specifications:
Original Gravity: 1.054, ABW 4.0%, ABV 5.0%, Bitterness: 18 IBU, Color 22 SRM "

http://www.alaskanbeer.com/

Geoff