How long does fermentation last?

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cokronk

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My beer has been in the fermenter for 6 days and the airlock is still showing that it's bubbling. The kit says that it should be ready for bottling in a week after brewing.

I realize that fermentation is finished when it's finished and I'm going to let it finish, but how long should a fermentation go for?

The beer is a california Common.
 
Depends on lot of variables. Days to weeks...... I have a week and a half old wheat that still has two inches of foam and a big bubble every two seconds. She will stay there until no signs of life even if that is weeks. Then I'll check the gravity and let it sit some more if it's not were i want it. I have learned that "it is what it is" and "good things come to those who wait".
 
your going to want to give it 3 weeks primary 3 weeks bottle conditoned. Trust me Im now drinking my 2nd brew plain old white wheat and extract ale, 2 1/2 months in and the lacing is all the way to the bottem of the glass and will never quit.Do yourself a favor and test your beer after 6 weeks.And save alot of them still bottle conditioning and in the mean time brew more beers.Wow man its amazing how homebrew can taste. Dont assume its not so good until you give it at least 6 weeks.
 
Just remember that just because the airlock stopped bubbling doesn't mean it's done fermenting. I'm still a newbie at this also, but from reading on here you should take2 hydrometer readings over a 3 day period. If the readings don't change then you should be done.

My beer I just brewed, the airlock had activity for 8 days.
 
My beer has been in the fermenter for 6 days and the airlock is still showing that it's bubbling. The kit says that it should be ready for bottling in a week after brewing.

I realize that fermentation is finished when it's finished and I'm going to let it finish, but how long should a fermentation go for?

The beer is a california Common.

The kit instructions are wrong and will lead you to beer that can become over-carbonated or even to bottle bombs.

Yeast don't follow instruction sheets very well since they can't read. They just do their thing at the rate they choose. That rate is dependent on temperature of the wort at pitching, temperature of the wort while fermenting, the starting gravity of the wort, the variety of yeast, the phase of the moon and the kind of music you play. In other words, you can't predict how long fermentation will really last. When your wort quits bubbling, the yeast haven't died, they have just begun to settle down and get the real work done. Bottling too early will not let them finish the job of cleanup and your beer flavor will suffer. The beer will also take longer to mature and won't get the best flavor if you bottle too soon. Give the beer 2 to 4 weeks in the fermenter and then use your hydrometer to determine if the yeast is done. Take a reading and then 3 days later take a second reading. If they are the same you can bottle, but don't rush it anyway.
 
my second brew bubbled for 10-12 days. fermentation was done around the 8th day. There was just a lot of Co2 trapped in the bottom of my bucket.
 
I usually let it go in primary for 3.5 or 4 weeks and measure the gravity at 3 weeks (this is also when I dryhop when I'm doing that).

2 weeks is the absolute bare minimum I would it ferment for with a gravity reading at the end to confirm I've hit my FG (or very close to it).
 
You may be a kegging guy but do you really like drinking green, unfinished beer? Beer is so much better if drank 6+ weeks from brewing. If you like drinking crap beer, keg it and drink it as soon as you like.
 
I use the Black-Jack method..

21 days primary
21 days secondary ( because I like it, not that it needs it)
21 days prime and condition.

Works for me, YMMV

Tim
 
You may be a kegging guy but do you really like drinking green, unfinished beer? Beer is so much better if drank 6+ weeks from brewing. If you like drinking crap beer, keg it and drink it as soon as you like.

I understand that waiting is better and wasn't planning on keggin until about week 4, so that way it could have another week or two after than to carbonate properly, I was just wondering how long fermentation generally last?

I assume it's different for lagers? But even so, the kit I purchased came with a lagering yeast.

I plan on starting my second batch before I keg my first so that by the time I'm sad because I'm out of my first batch, I'll be about ready to crack open my second and keg my third.
 
Short answer is

it last till done....not trying to be an ass, but really that is the best answer.
and don't listen to the airlock, take a gravity reading. Same reading 3 days in a row, your finished.

Tim
 

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