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Yin_Yang

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It's been 5 days since i dumped my wort into the primary, and it's still bubbling at about a bubble every 6 seconds. Since the general rule is secondary after a week, my question is, what if it's still bubbling? What if it's still going at faster than 1 bubble every 30s/1min..rack it anyway? or wait for it to totally stop?
 
I would not rack until it's slowed down a good bit: to more like 1-2 bubbles per minute or less. If it's only been 5 days, it may well have slowed down to that point in a couple more days.

RDWHAHB.
 
The 1 week rule should read "At least a week". This stuff is alive and works on its own schedule.
 
ahh gottcha..so pretty much 1 week unless the yeast has other plans? :p but it probably will slow down to that speed in the next couple of days, its been getting noticably more and more slow every day. I can't wait to see its color , and smell it...i smell some of it coming thru the airlock ,and mmmm does it smell good!
 
My first brewing question is along the same lines. My first batch has been going for 9 days and is down to about 1 bubble per 30 secs. My supply guy said there should be no activity before racking. Am I close enough, or should I just be patient?
 
You're probably close. I would let it slow to at least a minute or two. Do you have a hydrometer? That will help in determining if it's time. I generally let it progress to that timeframe and rack to secondary & take a reading while transferring. This just confirms where I'm at. If the SG is close to where the kit said it should be, you're fine. If it's too high, you know that you will most likely have to leave it in secondary for a bit longer and you may want to take some samples in a week or so just to see if it is progressing.
 
Yin Yang! I feel a comraderie with you, we both put our first batches ever in the primary on the same day, and I know you've already asked some of the questions I was going to ask. Mine is bubbling about every 8 seconds now, and I'm wondering the same thing, if it'll be done by saturday. we'll see!
 
There is absolutely no harm in leaving the beer in the primary for and extended period of time. I'm talking weeks here, not months. There is however the possibility for harm if you rack too soon. So it makes for an easy decision.

Some people don't rack to a secondary at all and just leave the beer for an extended primary. I do just that for my Hefe's, seeing as how it is desired for a Hefe to be cloudy with yeast and consumed young. Time is really not a deciding factor. It is a function of the yeast. Have they done their job or not.

Me personally, I like to leave all my beers in the primary for at least two weeks, even if there has been no action for days. If there is still action, I'll let go for another week. Then it's on to the secondary for a few weeks, or months, depending on the beer. You can rush beer, but you can't rush great beer!

John
 
Rook said:
Yin Yang! I feel a comraderie with you, we both put our first batches ever in the primary on the same day, and I know you've already asked some of the questions I was going to ask. Mine is bubbling about every 8 seconds now, and I'm wondering the same thing, if it'll be done by saturday. we'll see!

as of this morning i'm getting a bub every 13-14 secs. LOL we're brew bros.
 
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