Is my fermenting finished?

lofty256

Hi all. Im new to brewing and i have a batch of admirals reserve real ale on the go but i'm a bit worried /.... It has been in fermenter for 6 days now and the SG is 1.015.. It has been in airing cupboard at constand 22-24 oC.. there is no throff on the top of the brew and what seems like no activity from airlock not that i have seen any in the first place lol..Any advice from your wealth of nowlage???

Thanx in advance )

HBO_Staff

Hi Lofty256,
This is a bit unusual we must admit, the Woodfordes range does tend to ferment at least so you would notice, and would leave a tide mark on the vessel or froth, particularly as it sounds like it was warm enough for it. However the hydrometer is clearly saying it is about right, as this should be below 1020 which yours is, and they recomend it is now ready for transfering into bottles or a keg. We don't suppose you did, but if you happened to take a hydrometer reading early on, or even part way through and knew if it had changed significantly during the fermentation period, that would be a good sign. No sign of activity from an airlock is not too un-common, if there is a slight gap anywhere on the vessel, or around the airlock, then the airlock would not bubble during a steady fermentation as it would escape elsewhere, and this is not a problem as it doesn't have to be airtight at this stage. It's probably worth checking the hydrometer readings for a couple of days in a row, if it remains unchanged then bottle or keg it, add a little sugar as Woodfordes suggest, then store it as they instruct until it's fully cleared. Let us know how you get on, and let's trust the hydrometer readings and see how it turns out