mr beer question

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modster

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bottled my first batch and im getting ready to make another. was wondering how i would be able to tell when the fermentation is finished. in the mr beer kit it says by taste but will this work for my next brew?
 
im waiting for mine, 2 weeks is when im going to bottle mine. it seams as though that should be enough time for it to finish.
 
I'm bottling my first Mr. Beer brew, or any brew for that matter, tomorrow and I just left it in the fermenter for two weeks. At that point I figure it should be done fermenting. With mine I was able to observe an obvious fermentation through the keg and could see it falling out a few days later. Now, when I shine a light into the side it looks nice and clear. Well, other than all that stuff collected at the bottom, but that's to be expected.
 
A hydrometer is the only sure way to tell, but as long as it's been 2 weeks or better and clearing it should be finished. The instructions say you can bottle after a week (for most recipes) but 2 weeks is much better - 3 for stouts and higher gravity recipes.
 
Two weeks is usually sufficient time for fermentation to complete, but you will NEVER know for sure without a hydrometer. When the reading on your hydrometer is the same for a span of 3 days, fermentation is complete. If you bottle before this point you can have bottle bombs :eek:! Plus, if you don't let the beer finish fermenting it just won't taste as good. I always plan for a 3 week fermentation for "normal" gravity beers, and for the "big" beers 4-6 weeks.

It's tough to wait, but it's amazing what just one extra week in the fermenter will do for the quality of your beer! Patience is a virtue, and in brewing it also seems to be the path to great beer.

:mug:
 
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