1st Brew - Very Low FG..!?

[CdFdevil]

Hello,
I'm making my first brew with a 4.0% Mexican Cerveza in a regular FV.
It's been fermenting (as per instructions) for 6 days and for the first 4 days was releasing CO2 quite enthusiastically!

I've just taken my first gravity reading (having not taken a OG reading - I didn't realise this until now - classic newbie error! ) at it reads 0.998.
This appears to be too low, or Is this ok?

Other info:
This is the first time I have opened the FV since assembling.
I added the yeast when at 22c.
It has fermented and bubbled at 24c dropping to 22c with low bubbling.
The smell being released during fermentation was a bit yeasty, but not eggy - this seems to be normal (?)
The foam on top has cleared back over the last day or so - as I've read about.
It's a bit cloudy (again, as expected) but doesn't taste too bad either, perhaps a bit 'weak' by finished product standards.

Have I anything to worry about? Should I bottle up now or wait until I have a couple more readings (say, another two over the next 4 days)?
Or is it ruined? I just didn't expect such a low gravity reading...

Thanks!

[simco999]

Wow - that is low.

I'm suspecting your hydrometer may be out. Try it in water - it should read 1.000.

I would bottle it. No - its probably not ruined. Those Cerveza kits need at least three weeks in the bottle. Bet you don't wait that long!!

[Doctor_Paul]

I'd take a few more readings just to be sure. You could also make sure that it isn't affected by temperature by taking a reading and checking that a correction factor isn't needed, and also check the hydrometer in water to make sure it isn't out. I've never seen an FG that low before for beer but it is common with wine.

As to ruined, if it's drinkable then I'd say no!!!

[CdFdevil]

Thanks all! Interesting...

I happen to take a couple of readings in water before I used the hydrometer and it read 1.000 and 0.998. So it may be out a little. Still, this only increases the gravity of the wort to 1.000 (with adjustment).

Either way, as the Dr, says, as it's drinkable now so I'm going to plough on! I'll take a couple more readings and am thinking of adding beer finings (are they worth it?). Will do this after the next read AND if it is the same as today's.

[Hippo]

dont bother with the finings....I used to but they seem to make no difference

and check the SG over the next two days , if its the same bottle. if still dropping wait...

enjoy

[orlando]

Assuming your hydrometer is correct and you have read it correctly then I'm afraid this is a problem. Wort does not normally ferment out because unlike wine it is not pure sucrose. Wort is composed of complex sugars, mostly maltose, but will have unfermentables in there as well. This means it can only ferment right out if it has encountered a wild yeast that is capable of doing so.

I agree with the advice so far, keep going until you know for sure it is not acceptable and the advice to keg rather than bottle means you at least won't waste too much effort.

Be really interesting to know how it turns out.

[oldtom]

Don`t think anyone has mentioned it yet but most hydrometers are calibrated at 20c. If your wort is warmer than that the reading will be lower than actuall, if it`s colder it`ll be higher than it actually is. There is a chart on here somewhere that tells you the true readings for different temps.

Paul.

[CdFdevil]

Thanks Paul, that makes a fair bit of sense

Ok, I bottled on 26th Aug and after 5 days popped one open! It's not at all cloudy (cleared 3-4 days after bottling) and tastes alright, but unfortunately it's totally flat
Have I tasted too soon? DO I really need to wait 2 weeks?

I am willing to wait if so but eager to start my next one. Thinking of getting a barrel..

[oldtom]

Did you prime the bottles with sugar before putting the beer in? You need to put aprox half a teaspoon per pint of beer in the bottle and the yeast left in the beer when you bottle will use the sugar to ferment making more CO2 that will go into solution and give your beer some fiz. Also 5 days in the bottle is a bit young for the beer to absorb any gas made by the yeast. Normally 2 weeks in a warm place and a couple of weeks in a cooler place before you start drinking gives the beer chance to gass up and the taste to settle.

So then, if you did prime the bottles, Try putting them in the warm, about 18 to 21c for another week at least and then as long as you can stand in the cool before trying the next one and it should improve.

If you didn`t prime the bottles then it`s still drinkable, just flat. After a few weeks chill a bottle in the fridge and team it into a glass. It`ll still be flat to drink but it should give you a bit of a head.

Paul.

[CdFdevil]

Thanks oldtom

Yep, I did prime with half a teaspoon of sugar. However the coolest place I currently have on my property is in the warm range you mention (minimum 18c - even the shed gets warm!).
A comforting sign is that the bottle did 'pffft' on opening, so despite the drink being flat maybe something right is happening - only time will tell...

[CdFdevil]

Ok, the result: Turned out quite nice actually
Certainly NOT Mexican Cerveza-type larger but a good, drinkable, first attempt. More like a lightly carbonated golden light ale.
It's going down well

Thanks to all those who helped and I have learnt a lot in just one brew. On to my next brew now - Bitter.
Cheers.