What to do?

[jonewer]

OK, so my first kitless all-extract brew appears to have stopped fermenting. Completely. Dead as a dodo.

It only actually fermented from monday afternoon through to wednesday morning - by wendesday evening it was dead. But my god, what a ferment! if I had less water in the airlock it would have just been a continous stream of CO2 coming out!

Took and SG reading today as there were still no signs of life. SG is about the 1.014 - 1.016 mark depending on how still and straight I could the bloody hydrometer to rest. OG was 1.050ish

Good news is it tastes great! better than the John Smiths supermarket rubbish I have been reduced to lately, and this is totally green! Not so much as a 72 hours from pitching!

Much less bitter and less hoppy than I had planned though, but I did the hops in a small volume so perhaps utilisation was not too good.

Yeast was Ritchies Real Ale which turns out to be this: http://www.maurivinyeast.com/upload/mau ... %20514.pdf

So what do you guys think? To keg or not to keg?

I might just keg it tomorrow regardless but add a bit less priming sugar.

[Garth]

I would say it's probably done. I have had vigorous ferments last little more than 48 hours and then that's it, finshed and done.

1050 - 1014 still gives a respectable 4.7% ABV

Get it kegged with the usual amount of sugar.

[jonewer]

Thanks Garth, if it all goes pear-shaped I know who to blame

[pauljmuk]

If it's only been in 72 hours, you will do no harm by leaving it in the FV for a full 7 days (maybe more) - it wont go off, and then you will be absolutely sure.

It is probably done, but no harm done leaving it - maybe even rouse yeast and leave it for 4 days or so.

[jonewer]

Well, still nothing. Airlock hant moved a milimeter... going to keg it tomorrow.... I need the fv for my next project