beer tottaly stopped bubbling

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dsteele1234

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my beer is in the fermenter and the airlock has totally stopped bubbling... its been a little over 72 since it first started bubbling...i checked the gravity and its right where it should be what should i do...also there is a greenish layer on top...is this normal
 
Yes it's normal. Fermentation can finish fast. If the "green" layer seems like a layer of boogers then you're on the right track. I let my ales sit for 10-12 days regardless. I've racked after 72 hours as well. RDWHAHB!
 
Step away from the beer!

It's fine. The airlock is in no way a good indicator of the fermentation progress, and you'll see lots of weird or gross looking stuff on or in your beer at this point. Close the lid and let it sit for another week. Then take a gravity reading. Then wait another day or two and take one more just to be sure it isn't changing. At this point you have the option of letting it sit for yet another week (for best results) or transferring to bottles if you're so inclined.
 
To be safe just send me the beer for proper testing and I'll tell you if did it right. ;)
 
dsteele1234 said:
thanks for responding so quick...im so anxious to get it bottled
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Don't worry, we've all been there. I remember my first few batches. I had everything outlined on a calendar before I even actually brewed the beer! It's so exciting and there's so much anticipation it's hard to control it.

But rest assured, if you can be a little patient, your efforts will be rewarded. If you want wait 7 days, make it 10. If you can make it 10 days, make it 14. Do whatever you have to to give that beer the time it needs to finish properly and you will be rewarded when it is finally time to drink the fruits of your labor.

Rather than obsess over the beer you just brewed, get going on another one. It will not only take your mind off of the beer you have fermenting, but it will get your pipeline going, which you'll surely be thankful for once you taste how great your beer is. :mug:
 
yeah i think im going to do a hefeweizen next...what do you guys think...is that ok for my second batch?
 
i like the thought totem haha...as soon as its done you will be the first to know how good it is my friend
 
Hefeweizens are great for beginners because they are a bit forgiving to newbie mistakes. For one, they tolerate, and may even prefer higher fermentation temps. Second, they are often best enjoyed young, so the impatient brewer who wants to tap into their bottles after just two weeks may feel the beer tastes perfect.

So, I'd say go for it. A hefe is probably a great second brew given it's summer and you're still a new brewer :mug:
 
then hefe it is...this site is sweet thanks for all the help...i will definitely post pics when my red ale in done
 
marubozo said:
Hefeweizens are great for beginners because they are a bit forgiving to newbie mistakes. For one, they tolerate, and may even prefer higher fermentation temps. Second, they are often best enjoyed young, so the impatient brewer who wants to tap into their bottles after just two weeks may feel the beer tastes perfect.

So, I'd say go for it. A hefe is probably a great second brew given it's summer and you're still a new brewer :mug:
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+1 Just watch out for boilovers and if your fermenting bucket or carboy doesn't have much headspace, you may want to use a blowoff tube during the first few days...
 
Paaaaaatience. Your beer will not get worse with time, only better and more clear. I just kegged a batch of Ed Wort's that I brewed on Memorial Day.
 
Hoppus_Poppatopolis said:
Paaaaaatience. Your beer will not get worse with time, only better and more clear. I just kegged a batch of Ed Wort's that I brewed on Memorial Day.
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Yup, I'm a minimum 8 weeks from brew day til openning my first bottle. I month primary, 4 weeks minimum bottle conditioning/carbonation, though depending on the gravity, that part could go as high as 6 months bottle time before drinking.

Brew another batch. That will get your mind off this one.:)

wrote this awhlile back,

Revvy said:
I think a lot of new brewers stress this out too much.

I mean, I sort of understand, you want to drink your beers, now.

But honestly, the difference between good beer, and great beer, is simply a few more weeks.

When you brew a lot, and start to build a pipeline, you are used to waiting, because you have batches at different stages, fermenting, secondarying, lagering, bottle conditioning and drinking.

And you can't drink everything at once anyway.

For example right now I have a red and an ipa that I am drinking currently. I have a chocolate mole porter that is sort of coming into it's own, that I am entering in a contest the first week of Feb.

I have a few bottles of my year old Belgian Strong Dark, that is still aging, and I pull one out every now and then.

I Have a vienna lager in a secondary lagering for at least another two weeks, if not more.

I am going to probably bottle my Belgian wit this weekend, or I may give it another week to clear, but more than likely I will bottle sooner rather than later since it's coming up on a month in Primary, and I'm on a wit kick right now (in fact I've been buying wits lately rather than drink my red and ipa.)

I also have a 2.5 gallon barelywine that I partigyle brewed on New Years eve which more than likely will get racked to a secondary for a few months, and then bottle conditioned for a few more.

The second runnings, which is sort of a dark amber ale, I will more than likely bottle soon, I'm not sure. I really haven't looked at it and the barelywine since I brewed it.

And I am thinking about brewing something this weekend, maybe another lager.....

As you can see I have beers at all stages or fermentation, so if something needs a few extra weeks to carb, or condition, I'm not going to sweat it. I'm about quality beer anyway. If nothings not to my liking/readiness, then I go buy some.

I've only ever made one mild, most of my beers are 1.060 or higher, so they're going to take longer.

I'm not out to win any races, I'm out to make tasty beer.

Hell I once found a bottle in the back of my fridge that had been there 3 months. It was pretty amazing; crystal clear and the cake in the bottom was so tight that you could upend the bottle over the glass and not one drop of yeast fell in the glass.
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That's a little out dated, but my current pipeline is all that and about 3-4 other batches at various stages, and most of the above are all in bottles at various stages of bottle conditioning/drinking.

I think I have between 6 and 8 types of beers I can drink now, though some batches are down to 1 or 2 bottles left that I am hoarding.

And that's with 4 weeks in primary.
 
the only problem with starting a pipeline is that it will catch up to me and i will not have enough equipment and the bottles will get expensive if i have to buy 5 or 6 cases...any ideas...right now i just have a fermenter and a bottling bucket
 
dsteele1234 said:
the only problem with starting a pipeline is that it will catch up to me and i will not have enough equipment and the bottles will get expensive if i have to buy 5 or 6 cases...any ideas...right now i just have a fermenter and a bottling bucket
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Buckets are cheap. I'd buy two more of those to start. As for bottles, check craigslist, look in the classifieds here, etc. A lot of people give away most of their bottles once they move on to kegging. If you can pick up a case or two of bottles for free and then continue to drink some commercial beer and save the bottles you'll have quite a collection in no time :mug:
 
dsteele1234 said:
the only problem with starting a pipeline is that it will catch up to me and i will not have enough equipment and the bottles will get expensive if i have to buy 5 or 6 cases...any ideas...right now i just have a fermenter and a bottling bucket
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You buy EMPTY bottles?!?!

If I purchase any bottles, they come with great beer in them. Any microbrew you can find, with few exceptions will be in capaable bottles, all you need to do is soak them in starsan and the labels will slip off.

Even some macro beers come in crown rather than twist off bottles. One of my favorite is Bud American Ale bottles, they have a unique shape, the beer is not as nasty as their other products and it's cheaper than most micros.

But there are plenty of options for homebrewers that don't cost anything.

It seems at first that accumulating bottles is difficult but if you mention around to people that you brew and need crown bottles they will start showing up. There's also craigslist, and freecycle.org, hooking up with other homebrewers, recycling centers. Asking at beerstores that have a good selection of beer for their returnables. Some stores will let you have their empties for the price of the deposit. And some bars will give you all you can haul out if you ask.

Also if you want to bottle in champagne bottles, go to a hall that does weddings, heck even a moose or vfw hall, you might just have to dumpster dive at worst, or just pick cases of empty asti bottles by the back door.

It seems daunting but you'll get plenty really fast.
 
Revvy said:
You buy EMPTY bottles?!?!

If I purchase any bottles, they come with great beer in them. Any microbrew you can find, with few exceptions will be in capaable bottles, all you need to do is soak them in starsan and the labels will slip off.

Even some macro beers come in crown rather than twist off bottles. One of my favorite is Bud American Ale bottles, they have a unique shape, the beer is not as nasty as their other products and it's cheaper than most micros.

But there are plenty of options for homebrewers that don't cost anything.

It seems at first that accumulating bottles is difficult but if you mention around to people that you brew and need crown bottles they will start showing up. There's also craigslist, and freecycle.org, hooking up with other homebrewers, recycling centers. Asking at beerstores that have a good selection of beer for their returnables. Some stores will let you have their empties for the price of the deposit. And some bars will give you all you can haul out if you ask.

Also if you want to bottle in champagne bottles, go to a hall that does weddings, heck even a moose or vfw hall, you might just have to dumpster dive at worst, or just pick cases of empty asti bottles by the back door.

It seems daunting but you'll get plenty really fast.
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I'm with Revvy on this. I can't start my first brew yet (I'm just getting started, got the wife to give me the okay, but need to wait until we move into the new place with a bigger basement, AUGH!), but have started collecting bottles already.

Been picking up the Grolsch 450's with swing-caps.
 
yeah ive been asking around but no one i kno drinks good beer...its all bmc drinkers...im going to call a few places and see if i can start collecting some
 
dsteele1234 said:
yeah ive been asking around but no one i kno drinks good beer...its all bmc drinkers...im going to call a few places and see if i can start collecting some
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When you start meeting other brewers and beer geeks, which you will now that you started brewing, you will have more access to bottles. Another option is to look for homebrewing contests in your area, and hang out there, maybe even volunteer to help out. There's usually a ton of bottles left over after judging to be had.
 
dsteele1234 said:
yeah i live in new orleans so there is bound to be some empty bottles somewhere
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Here's your answer;

abita1.JPG


NEW PRY-OFF CROWN KEEPS ABITA BEER FRESHER
Technology keeps oxygen out and protects flavor

(Abita Springs, LA) The Abita Brewing Company has introduced new technology designed to keep Abita Beer fresher by blocking oxygen intrusion into the bottles. The process introduces innovative barrier crown technology to all Abita brews. The new pry-off crown offers an increased barrier to oxygen due to its density and the special properties of the crown liner. Oxygen is the enemy of beer and causes it to lose a significant amount of the flavor compounds that are essential to taste.

“We always search for ways to bring the freshest tasting Abita Beer to the consumer,” said David Blossman, President of Abita Beer. “This new cap technology makes a significant improvement on oxygen intrusion and convinced us to let go of the old twist-off cap,” continued Blossman. “Our motto is quality before quantity and these new caps will help us to continue bringing the highest quality Abita beer to our customers.”

Minute amounts of oxygen can pass through the lining of an ordinary crown over time, affecting the flavor of the beer. The new pry-off oxygen barrier crown will ensure that discerning Abita Beer drinkers will taste the full range of flavor in every bottle.
Click to expand...
 

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