beer fermentation

i just brewed a pumpkin beer and put it in my fermenter and added the yeast. the question i have is that it bubbled a lot almost instantly and then after about 24 hrs it stopped. so i am wondering if that is ok or did something go wrong cause rome stuff i read said it can take 24 hours for the yeast to just activate when mine started right off and then that it will bubble for a day or two and mine stopped quickly.

Your beer is fine and the yeast is in there doing its job. The main thrust of fermentation may be done and now the yeast is busy fermenting the harder sugars and cleaning up after their party.

Leave it where it is for a couple more weeks. Since it is a pumpkin ale, you have a lot of particulates to clear before its ready to rack or bottle.

yeah the directions said that i should try to double ferment it by switching it to a class carboy in a week and then leave it for another week for a total of two weeks fermenting. but i dont have a glass carboy so should i switch it to the bottling bucket i have and just let sit there for a week or just leave it in the fermenter for a week. sorry for all the questions i am new at this and have only made a simple red ale so i am still trying to feel my way around doing it.

Many of us just use a primary for 3 to 6 weeks and go straight to bottle. Using a secondary is fine too but it is important to let the yeast finish its job before moving it. I routinely leave my beers in primary for a month or more. If you don't have any additions to add to your beer, you can leave it where it is until its ready to bottle.

ok so with how i am kegging the beers should i let it ferment longer then the week or two like some of the recipes say before i keg it or does that extra few weeks really make a big difference in the taste and quality cause i know when you bottle once you bottle you let it sit for a another 2-3 weeks and since with the kegging should i let it sit in the fermenter to make up the time difference? sorry about the questions i am just trying to absorb everything i can from you guys and gals so i can make better beer in the future

Yes a few extra weeks makes a huge difference in taste. Green beer right out of the fermenter at 2 or 3 weeks age is nothing like a properly aged beer at 6 or 8 weeks.

Definitely give it longer than 2 weeks. I'd encourage you to wait for 4 weeks before kegging the beer - if you keg it at 2 weeks it will be green, but it will also still be very yeasty and you'll have a lot of sediment in the keg.

If you were to use a secondary, I recommend at least 2 weeks in primary first and then a 2 week secondary. Using a secondary it's certainly not necessary in most cases, and if you don't have a proper vessel to do it in you're best off just leaving it in the original bucket for the whole 4 weeks. The extra time gives the yeast and trub more of a chance to settle out, making for clearer beer and less sediment in the keg (or bottle) - not to mention the aging time to clean up the flavors. It really makes a huge difference in the quality of the beer.