Guiness

Recipes 

so tomorrow it will be two weeks since i put my first batch in the fermenter and i don't notice very much bubbling action. is my brew ready to bottle? should i take hydrometer readings the next few days or can i skip that step if it's been long enough?

Mindflux

Recipes 

The best way to be safe is to take a hydrometer reading 3 days in a row. If there's no movement in gravity you can safely bottle it.

Chances are being two weeks through your ferment you should be good to go. But make sure your gravity is low enough first.

rewster451

Recipes 

If you did a secondary fermenter there's no reason not to let it sit until it stops bubbling almost entirely. If it's still bubbling once every 90 seconds or less, I definitely would not bottle. Letting things go on for a bit too long never hurt a beer.

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Up next: Big Brew Off competition between me and Kaptain Karma as one team, and my two roommates as another--We'll be brewing Pale Ales with specifications on malts, hops, and total yeild to see who's version is better (and to end up with ten total gallons of great beer).
Also up soon: Belgian Dubbel
Primary: Grampa's Woodshed Apple Smoked Porter
Secondary: Zombiefoot California Common, Chocolate Strong Porter
Drinking: Seamus O'Drunkagan Irish Red, Humble Pie Imperial Stout, Capricorn IPA

david_42

Recipes 

Personally, I always take readings and drink the samples. I like to monitor the process of a ferment. It's the only way to know if something is going wrong. If a ferment starts slowly and the FG is high, I'll know to increase the amount of yeast for the next batch of that ale.

Taking notes on the flavors will eventually give you enough knowledge to make adjustments during the ferment. I don't do competitions, I'm just brewing for myself; however, I want to be able to fine-tune recipes.

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Remember one unassailable statistic, as explained by the late, great George Carlin: "Just think of how stupid the average person is, and then realize half of them are even stupider!"

SuperBrew

Recipes 

You're money, just bottle that sweet brew.

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"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." Benjamin Franklin

Bottled: Cottage Coffee Stout
Bottled: SuperBrew's Redheaded Stepchild
Bottled: Gingerbread Ale
Drinking: Most anything
Thinking of: Apricot IPA