My first batches - Some questions

JBooze · 03-03-2009, 05:44 AM

I started my first batch of beer on Friday night. I am starting the easy way with a pre-hopped extract kit from Muntons. I did it according to the instructions, but used dried malt extract instead of dextrose. The airlock was bubbling within 12 hours and by 24 hours it was raging. After 2 days though, it has pretty much stopped bubbling. I am not constantly watching it, but I haven't seen a bubble in a few hours. I figured it would be active longer than two days?!

I also started two batches of hard cider on Saturday. I did a gallon of apple juice with dextrose and Montrachet wine yeast and a gallon with dextrose and Saphron ale yeast. Both of these gallons were bubbling good at 12 hours and getting a bubble every three seconds at 24 hours. It's been two days, and they are still bubbling good, about every 4 seconds. So far so good on the cider, but I'm wondering what's up with the beer.

It's between 67-72 F where I'm keeping them.

Got Trub? · 03-03-2009, 05:54 AM

Your beer is probably done. A lower gravity beer with a good pitch of yeast can ferment quickly - especially at warmer temperatures. Fermentation generates heat so your fermentor was likely 4-5 degrees warmer then your ambient temp.

GT

rsmith179 · 03-03-2009, 05:55 AM

I wouldn't worry about that at all. It is quite common for the bubbling to stop after a good 2-3 days of fermentation. I would just keep it in there for about 2-3 weeks total if you aren't using a secondary, 1 if you're using the secondary. I just got done with a cream ale that had a hard but quite fermentation. Just check the gravity to make sure that you're on target with your FG. Good luck!

JBooze · 03-03-2009, 06:10 AM

Should it be kept under 70 degrees? I live in FL, so it's hard to keep it under that. It's freezing out at the moment though, and i was trying to keep them warm.

I'm going to bottle from the fermenter, but I'll probably leave it in there for two weeks. I don't want to open it until I'm going to bottle, so I'll check the FG at that time. I did remember to take an OG on all three batches!

rsmith179 · 03-03-2009, 06:17 AM

The temperature really depends on the style of beer you're going for. Higher temps produce more esters and "fruity" byproducts. Fusel alcohols are also produced at a higher rate in higher temps. Personally, I try to ferment all of my beers between 65-70F. However, for my Belgian Saison, I actually pushed temps into the mid-80's.