The froth on top of my vat of “Early Autumn Mild” is subsiding so it is time to start making daily measurements. When the gravity of the solution stops falling, the yeast has done its work and the brew is ready for bottling. It started at 1.036 at 29°C (which is equivalent to 1038 at 20°C); today’s reading has dropped to 1.014 at 23°C.

The previous time I did a mild kit, it started at 1.041 and dropped to 1.012. However, that was using brewing sugar and dark spray malt. This time, using only light spray malt as the fermentable addition I don’t know where it will end up. Even 1.014 would be an acceptable finishing point, since I am not after knock ’em dead strength; a light, tasty brew that can be quaffed without too much potency would be fine. The important factor will be when I observe that the gravity has stopped falling, which is the sign that the yeast has done its work and the results now need to be bottled before other microbes get in and spoil the results.