KappaSigMike

Recipes 

Hello,

I was told my beer would have to ferment for 2 weeks. I have not been home too much because of travel, but I have been having my friends check on it.

The beer is kept in a colder, dark basement, however it is in San Jose california, and temperature outside regularly reaches 80 degrees. I am not sure what the temperature is in the basement, but I do know it is significantly cooler.

My Housemate just checked on my beer and he said the airlock stopped moving and the bubbles are gone. As I am not there to take a gravity reading or take the temperature, I am not sure what went wrong - If anything.

So, help a fellow new brewer out... Is it dead? Should I just wait 2 weeks like it says? What should I do?

evrose

Recipes 

Nothing's wrong. It's not dead. Don't do anything.

gcdowd

Recipes 

It is not uncommon for airlock activity to cease after a few days. It is important also to remember that airlock activity is not necessarily an indicator of fermentation. Either way, gravity readings are the only true way to tell. No worries leaving it in the fermenter for a while though, it won't spoil

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KappaSigMike

Recipes 

Thank you! Why is it doing this? Is it too cold? Too hot? It was bubbling and breathing vigorously at first, and now it's not. Is this normal?

aryoung1980

Recipes 

Its fine. Just let it sit until you're home and then take your gravity. If the active fermentation is over then the yeast is in "clean up" mode and making your beer taste that much better.

KappaSigMike

Recipes 

It is a Golden Ale with Cascade Hops, Nottingham Ale (11g) dry yeast. What should my gravity readings be?

And holy crap, I love these forums already!!

kh54s10

Recipes 

The active portion of the fermentation has probably finished. When you are able take gravity readings 2 days apart, if they are the same and near predicted levels you can package. There is no need to rush this. Longer primary is often better than packaging as soon as you can.

evrose

Recipes 

At first there is a lot of sugar for the yeast to eat and poop out waste CO2. As the days go by, the supply of sugar is reduced. After a few days, it's not uncommon for airlock bubbling to reduce or cease. Airlock activity is not indicative of anything. A tiny bit of CO2 could be leaking out from the rim also... It's normal for vigorous bubbling to slow down after a few days.

The only real way to be sure that fermentation is complete is to take consecutive gravity readings. Once the gravity isn't changing, the fermentation is done... of course, it can benefit by sitting in the primary a bit longer.

What your seeing is totally normal.

evrose

Recipes 

Did you take an original gravity reading before pitching the yeast?

There's no way to tell exactly what it should be without the entire recipe, including amounts of malt used.

bleme

Recipes 

If you pitched the correct amount of yeast, and you have a good seal on your fermentor, the bubbles usually stop after 2-5 days. That doesn't mean that your beer won't benefit from 2 or 3 more weeks in there.