Bubbles don't prove much, to be honest. If you want to be sure you are fermenting, take a gravity reading. But, many yeasts will do fine at 58, though some won't. Whether you want to be at closer to 58 or closer to 70 really depends on the recipe and yeast. Some beers I ferment closer to 60, others closer to 70. Depends what you're going for. If you post your recipe, people will be able to post suggestions.
Ironman
German Altbier
Recipe and Directions for 5 Gallons of Keg Beer
OG = 1.050 – 1.054
FG = 1.012 – 1.015
Kit Ingredients:
6.6 lbs Munich Malt Extract
0.5 lbs Crushed Munich Malt
0.5 lbs Crushed Crystal 20L Malt
6.0 oz Crushed Special B Malt
1.0 oz Tettnang Hops (60 min boil)
1 package Brewers Yeast
5.0 oz Priming Sugar
1 Grain Steeping Bag
Additional Ingredients:
1 oz Fuggle Hops (Last 5 minutes of boil)
Procedures:
1. Clean and sanitize all equipment that will be used to brew this recipe. Use of a “no-rinse” sanitizer is recommended.
2. Pour 2 gallons of water into a 4 gallon or larger pot. Place crushed grains into steeping bag and tie bag shut. Place bag with grains into water and heat to 155 – 160 F. Hold at this temperature and allow grains too steep for 30 minutes. Do not boil the grains.
3. After steeping, remove grains and allow to drip into brew water. Rinse Grains over brew pot with ½ gallon of hot water. Discard the bag of grains and bring the brew water to a boil.
4. Add the Malt Extract to the boiling water while stirring. Remain stirring until Malt Extract is completely dissolved. Add in Tettnang Hops. Boil for 60 minutes.
5. Cool the wart rapidly to 80 F. If a wart chiller is not available, cooling can be done by immersing the pot into a tub/sink/container of cold water (being carful no to allow contaminates into pot).
6. Pour the wort into primary fermenter and top to 5 gallons with cool water. Sanitize a hydrometer and measure the specific gravity at this time. Sprinkle the brewer’s yeast into the cooled wort and stir well. Secure fermenter with a lid and attach an Airlock. Set the fermenter in an area with constant temperature between 65 -75 degrees. Avoid exposure to sunlight or fluorescent light.
7. Active fermentation should begin within 24 hours. After starting fermentation will slow down within 4 to 5 days. If using a 2-stage fermentation (recommended), siphon the wort to the secondary fermenter at this time. Keep beer in fermenter until all fermenting activity has ceased, then allow 5 to 7 more days for settling and clearing. Total fermentation time should take 10 to 14 days at 70 degrees F (fermentation will take longer at lower temps).
8. Sanitize all keg equipment prior to kegging. A “no-rinse” sanitizer is recommended.
9. Siphon beer into keg and take a final specific gravity reading at this time.
10. Secure lid on the keg and set co2 pressure to 10 psi and let sit 14 days.
