First batch...stuck?

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lpstudio18

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Well my first batch, a BB kit IPA, has been one week in the primary. About 12 hours after I pitched the airlock was bubbling pretty aggressively...then the next day I noticed that despite there being a good amount of headroom (5 gal batch in a 6 gal bucket), some gunk had crept into the airlock (not enough to clog it), so at this point I assumed that my yeast was healthy and active. My temp stays between 66 and 70 without any drastic fluctuations. Here one week later, there is no activity from the airlock. I have not taken an SG reading since my OG because I wanted to mess with it as little as possible and just take an FG reading before bottling after 3 or so weeks in the primary. My question is, how do I know if fermentation is stuck? Even if I were to take gravity readings for the next few days and see no change couldn't that mean that it is just finished and not necessarily stuck? Am I just being paranoid and should let it be? Thanks for your help!

By the way, I used Nottingham dry yeast.
 
Just let it be. Everything is likely fine.

I would suggest taking a gravity reading now if you're concerned. Many of my brews get down to the FG within a week to 10 days.

I wouldn't worry about it much at all.
 
TAKE A SAMPLE AND READ THE GRAVITY :p

Seriously don't be afraid, it's beer. At this point it has alcohol in it sot he risk of infection is almost zero. Just sanitize everything and take a reading. Take readings daily for the hell of it and taste the samples so you can learn what stages beer goes through. How else will you learn about your craft??

If you take a reading every few days and get the same EXACT reading twice in a row your fermentation is done. If you're FG is higher than the expected FG by more than a point or two you might be stuck. No need to worry about that or ask for help on it until you're sure that's what happened (and i'm pretty sure that didn't happen, it's probably either done or almost done)
 
Usually after 5-7 days the ferm is winding down so a week is pretty much dead time as far as airlock is concerned. That's when I take mine out the ferm fridge and let it room temp age a few more weeks.
 
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