Dead Ringer update: I don't know what to do

Take a reading in a day or two and see what it is..

Your higher than expected OG will obviously result in a higher FG as well. Assuming extract, and you didn't make a starter, and used a less attentuative yeast strain.. I'd say you are probably done, or close to do.

Allow it to warm to 70, and take a reading, don't both counting bubbles, doesnt mean a damn thing.

Check it again mid week, and if it's close or the same, then dry hop it. Should be able to move it this weekend out of the fermenter.

 

Your apparent attenuation stands at 72% ... right in the middle of WLP051's range (70 - 75%).
If the gravity hasn't moved on the 21st ... it's ready to package.

Why are you waiting so long to dry-hop?

PS
Unless you're beset by OCB ... bubble counts are meaningless.

 

Your high gravity reading is likely partly due to the shortage of the amount of wort, but it doesn't look like that is the only cause, assuming your 4.5 gallon estimate is accurate. You can still add water to get to the 5 gallon mark now or when you get ready to bottle. Just be sure to mix it well without creating any splashing before you take another gravity reading or you could get a false low reading if you get much of the new water into your sample.

I think you're at a point of taking a couple readings a few days apart to see if you're done.

 

Continuing fermentation is indicated by a continuing decrease in the wort's (specific) gravity. Fermentation is considered complete (or stalled) when the wort's gravity stops falling for ~72 hours (three days).

It's not common to see a few bubbles surface when you're in the process of transferring from fermentor to bottling bucket b/c 1) some small ... yet insignificant ... measure of yo' yeast have yet to go dormant or 2) changes in temperature are causing CO2 to out-gas.

 

During peak fermentation some C02 will remain in solution. As the beer sits, it will gradually vent, especially if the beer increases in temperature. Many a hapless noob has wasted days and weeks of his life counting bubbles as his beer de-gassed. If the gravity isn't changing it's done fermenting.

 

Like metioned, during fermentation, co2 is trapped into beer at lower temps. Warm it up, or move it around, and it'll cause even more to come out of solution.

One reason why it's helpful to use a carbonation calculator and know your temps, because it assumes there's still some co2 in solution as well.

 

The take-home lesson here is that the fermentation schedule for any beer is set by the yeast, not the brewer. RDWHAHB.

 

you really don't want your beer to reach equilibrium before bottling or kegging.

equilibrium means 21% oxygen and 0.04% CO2 in your beer.
don't let your fermented beer hang around for too long after fermentation is complete without talking care of it. might bottle or keg, might transfer to a secondary with little headspace, but equilibrium is oxidized beer.
Cheers.

 

Far be it from me to correct @HerbMeowing, but I'm going to. (I think.)

He probably meant to say that it's "not uncommon to see a few bubbles..."