Expert: Chris Bushman - 9/18/2010

Question
Hi

I'm new to home brewing and started my 1st batch at the start of the month so has been fermenting for 2 weeks now.

I have taken 3 samples over the last week and got 3 readings at 1.014 (started at 1.046) from my 1st sample last weekend to this I noticed my ale is clearing but still slightly cloudy.

Do I need to continue with the fermentation until completely clear or am I ok to bottle.

I'm as certain as I can be that fermentation has completed but not sure if my ale should be completely clear before bottling.

I tried all the samples and the taste is great and I'm to the understanding that the taste should improve through conditioning, I'm planning on leaving my bottle ale for 2 - 3 months to mature properly (I say planning but probably wont happen).

Any advise will be gratefully received.

Regards

Mark Thompson

Answer
Generally speaking, most normal beers should stop fermenting when the gravity is reduced by about 75% (considering only the numbers to the right of the decimal).  For your 1.046 beer, one would expect it to finish at about 1.012.  Your last reading of 1.014 is in indication that your beer has probably stopped fermenting.

It's fine to bottle before it has completely cleared but understand that if there are still some fermentables in there, it could cause a bit of overcarbonation.  You might want to go slightly easy on the carbonation sugar.

Be sure to bottle condition around 20-21C so that carbonation will be adequate in about 2 weeks when you will start drinking it!

Enjoy Mark!

Chris Bushman
Colfax, California, USA