Did fermentation stop?

Hi everyone,
I am relatively new to brewing, so your patience is requested...

I am (attempting to) make a Xmas beer, so I have started now.
It is a Munton's Malt extract kit--Santa's Winter Warmer.

OG was 1.057 and according to the box, the FG should be 1.014 after 4-6 days. It has been 5 days since starting primary fermentation and the gravity is 1.018. Normally, I would say leave it and wait it out, but there has been no bubbling the past 2 days. It was quite active the first two days. I am wondering if the yeast has died and if I should re-pitch more yeast, or should I just wait a few more days and take another reading. If it is the same, should I then re-pitch? I used the yeast that came with the kit, so who knows how old it is?

Any and all help is appreciated.
Thanks,
Joel

Bubbling doesn't matter. Time line on kits is borderline BS. Let it sit for 3 weeks and don't even think of touching it. At 3 weeks take a reading, wait two days, take another. If it's stable and within a few points of your FG bottle it. If you see no bubbling after 72 hours be worried, but that just let's you know it is fermenting. You could have a leak in your lid or something as well. Be patient with it, you could raise the temp a couple degrees and see if those last few points will come off.

A lot of extract brews poop out at around the 1.020 mark. You can search "1.020" on this forum and find lots of stories about it. It has to do with the way malt extract is manufactured, that the worts made with it aren't always as fermentable as they "should" be.

It's just the nature of the beast. In short, it's nothing you did.

The yeast aren't dead, they're just sleeping because they've eaten all they're going to eat. Re-pitching more yeast won't do anything and is just a waste of good yeast.

The good news: 5-6 days is plenty of time for fermentation to complete, so the beer is most likely done fermenting. Keep watching the gravity, and if it doesn't drop in the next few days, it is done (but you should still leave it in the fermenter for a couple more weeks to let the yeast clean up).

4 gravity points difference between target FG and actual FG is not a big deal and not going to be noticed by most palates, especially in a holiday winter warmer. I think you've successfully made beer. RDWHAHB.

Ok thanks for the advice! I noticed last night it started bubbling again after I swirled it for 30 seconds. When I came home the bubbling has stopped. Should I swirl it again or just leave it?
Thanks again!

Just leave it, if you stir it too much you could end up oxidizing it. Again, no bubbling means nothing. In fact, you probably just released some dissolved CO2 after swirling it to get the bubbling you had. Let it be for another 2 weeks or so, it'll get there.

unionrdr said:

Gemtly swirling isn't the same as stirring,as you would when mixing wort & top off water. It won't oxygenate like vigorous stirring will. Just don't make a habit of it.

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Good point, I misspoke, err mistyped. But I would think if once didn't do it, it won't happen.