Airlock stopped bubbling after one week

So on my very first batch of brew my airlock has stopped bubbling three days after putting it is the secondary. Do I bottle? Wait? or toss...

I made this batch a week ago today. I took a hydrometer test and if I did the math right I am at 5.4% ABV.

What was your original gravity and final gravity? How long was it in primary before transferring to secondary?

Use your hydrometer to measure the Final Gravity. If it is where it is supposed to be then you are done.

Completely ignore the airlock as it has one job and one job only, and that's to keep air out of your beer. It doesn't tell you when the beer is done.

Read some of the "how do I know my beer is done" posts on here. There are lots of em'.

Good luck!

This is normal, airlock means nothing, to test if the brew is done fermenting check gravity after a couple of weeks of fermentation, then 2 days later, if it hasn't moved and is below 1.020 then you can proceed if you wish. OR, you can then leave it another week or two so that the yeast can clean it up further.

Why would you toss it?

Totally normal. You can take a hydro reading if you want to check gravity. Personally, I just give it 1-2 weeks in the fermentor and a few weeks in another carboy (a/k/a "secondary" fermentor) to condition, then bottle.

Let that bad boy clear then bottle.

starting Gravity was at 1.055 now it reads 1.019. It was in the primary for 4 days.

I dont know why I said toss it...I would never do that Even if it was bad I would still drink or try something else with it. I am sure there is a way to recycle a bad batch. Like I said I am new at this. I have been reading about it for about 3 years now and finally decided to grow a set and do it.

Sadly I have to wait a week before I can buy more kits. I cant wait to have another brew day. I am going to start with all malt and slowly within a year move to partial/all grain. My family is just glad I found a constructive hobby that they know I will stick with. At first they thought I was an an alcoholic because I was always talking about beer. Now they know I am just obsessed.

(note: I am following the directions of the manual I got from my LHBS)

Fracturedman said:

It was in the primary for 4 days.

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4 days is a short primary. I generally don't even think about my beer for 7 days, and normally leave it in the primary at least 14.

From everything I've read, the secondary "fermenter" is a misnomer. It should be used *after* primary fermentation is complete. Its purpose is to get the beer off the yeast cake so it can clear and/or condition in the secondary.

That said, I've been having excellent results getting beers to clear without a secondary - just using a longer primary - but I'm kegging so YMMV.

-Joe

+1 on the longer primary. I still secondary, mainly because I can be sloppy with my autosiphon so the extra step helps me get clear beer, but I also primary for 3+ weeks so it has a chance to finish fermenting, clean up by products and start clearing before I rack.

Also, don't wait too long to try partial mash brewing. It's really amazingly easy. It's maybe .01% harder than extract brewing IMHO. You'll be happy you gave it a shot.

Once you can do an extract brew without burning yourself (very much), dumping the whole batch on the floor or falling asleep during the boil and redecorating your kitchen... go for the PM.

nostalgia said:

4 days is a short primary. I generally don't even think about my beer for 7 days, and normally leave it in the primary at least 14.

From everything I've read, the secondary "fermenter" is a misnomer. It should be used *after* primary fermentation is complete. Its purpose is to get the beer off the yeast cake so it can clear and/or condition in the secondary.

That said, I've been having excellent results getting beers to clear without a secondary - just using a longer primary - but I'm kegging so YMMV.

-Joe

Click to expand...

That is what I thought. But I was just doing what the manual said that came with my kit. I am thinking I wont be following them ever again.

The directions that come with many kits aren't always the best methods to use. Most people on this forum leave their beers in the primary for at least a week and some, including myself, three.

1.019 is a little high for most ale yeast so I would leave it for another week or so in secondary and see if your gravity has changed any. If not bottle it. If so wait some more until your getting consistent readings. As long as your sanitation is good you don't have anything to fear from the secondary.