Newbie - All-grain dry Irish stout help

Hi all,
My first post so here goes.
I've brewed a few kits and recently tried my first All-grain recipe. I tried a recipe by author David Line for his Dry Irish Stout. Everything went reasonably we'll with the odd timing issue, but nothing disasterous. The wort was well aerated into the primary FV and I pitched a prepared yeast at 71F. The OG was 1052.

My question really is for opinions on what happened next.

The fermentation got going about 8 hours later and by the following morning was gurgling away like mad. I changed the airlock for a 1 inch tube fed into a bucket of sanitizer. The whole thing chugged away nicely for the next day or so. On day three things slowed down. And I fitted a clean airlock.
The gravity was 1012 (this was the expected FG as the recipe). Day four the gravity was the same so, I transferred the beer to a 2nd FV. The next three days the FG remained at 1012.
Assuming this had finished I decided to bottle the stout at this stage. It did taste really nice.

Question is, have I really bottled this too soon or is it that once the FG is achieved and stable, that the beer will condition in the bottle?

I would not be to worried, I bottle at ten days once in a while with no problems and as long as the yeast are truly done your fine . here's the thing though, yeast can be moody and if they on day 5 or 6 decided to go on vacation  and then start fermenting again you could have bottle bombs. most of my brews go down to 1.010 but just the other day I got one to go down to 1.005. it was at 1.010 on day 9 ,on day 11  @ 1.005. I though it was done on day 9. glad I did not bottle then.
one trick I use is to raise the fermenter temp at the end of fermentation for a day or so. then cool it down 15 20 degrees . this will clear the yeast up nicely and give them that last chance to eat some sugar. ps I'm using ale type yeast. not lager
pps all yeast strains are different, what works well on one may not work the same on the next. got to love them yeast.         

At three days in a row at 1.012, I think you are pretty much done with the fermentation.  I usually bring the temperature up on my stout at the end, to 70 or 72 to ensure that it is complete and to let the yeast clean up any byproducts created in the early stages of fermentation.  My standard fermentation temperature is in the mid 60's (64F - 66F). 

No worries.  After 3 days, it was done.  The main reason for waiting longer is to allow the yeast and other fine particulates to settle to the bottom of the vessel.  A stout isn't exactly see through, so the only thing you are ever likely to see is some extra sediment in the bottom of your bottles.  Next time, give it another week after its done, and you won't even have that to deal with. 

Thanks guys. Sounds like the consensus is no harm done but leave it longer next time?

For info, the fermentation was held at 71F all the way through and I used a mangrove Jack British Ale yeast.

I kept in bottled in the warm for 4 days around 76F (uncontrolled ie the airing cupboard) and now it's been out in garage at around 57F for another 4 days.

I'm hoping to force myself to wait till Sunday afternoon to sample a bottle. If it's any good I'll post the recipe if your interested?

Cheers

Marco

Marco Baronius said:

Thanks guys. Sounds like the consensus is no harm done but leave it longer next time?

For info, the fermentation was held at 71F all the way through and I used a mangrove Jack British Ale yeast.

I kept in bottled in the warm for 4 days around 76F (uncontrolled ie the airing cupboard) and now it's been out in garage at around 57F for another 4 days.

I'm hoping to force myself to wait till Sunday afternoon to sample a bottle. If it's any good I'll post the recipe if your interested?

Cheers

Marco

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Yep.  The beer is fine.  Wait longer next time.

I encourage people to taste there beer at all stages of the process.  Its pretty cool to see how it changes over time: from LME/DME/Grain to wort, to sweet beer, to fermented semi-flat green beer, to partially carbonated beer, to ready to serve the masses.  There's no harm in cracking a bottle at 8 days and having a taste.  What's the worst that happens?  You have one less beer later.  That just means you get to brew again sooner, right? 

Just to add on to Tom's good advice:  Sampling a bottle (judiciously) along the way helps to develop the understanding of how the beer flavors and aromas age, blend and mature.  Good tasting notes can help remind you for future brews of how much time is needed and what to expect from the flavors/aromas you are imparting.

I kept in bottled in the warm for 4 days around 76F (uncontrolled ie the airing cupboard) and now it's been out in garage at around 57F for another 4 days.

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When I bottle the stuff I wait a minimum of two weeks at room temperature before sampling. 

57F is good temp to store it once it is ready, but it might take a bit longer than two weeks to fully condition.  The only way to know for sure is to open one.  If it isn't ready and you have an aversion to flat beer, you can always add some tasteless American lager to the glass to give it some fizz.