Fermentation stopped after 2 days?

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Deathblooms8788

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I brewed a batch of extract beer on friday, within hours the airlock was bubbling like crazy and now 2 days later i dont see anymore bubbles...is that bad? do i have leak? could it really be done? what can i do? thanks
 
What should/can you do??? How about RDWHAHB??

Give it a couple more weeks, then bottle/keg it up and carbonate it... There are so many threads about this, it's not even funny. Look at the "Similar Threads" listing at the bottom of the page.
 
I brewed a batch of extract beer on friday, within hours the airlock was bubbling like crazy and now 2 days later i dont see anymore bubbles...is that bad?

Not necessarily.

do i have leak?

Maybe.

could it really be done?

Yes.

what can i do?

Not much. You can check the gravity with a hydrometer if you really want to know if its done, but that doesn't do much other than satisfy your curiosity.

If it *IS* done fermenting, its possible you had a warm ferment or a big pitch of yeast that allowed them to chew through the sugars quickly. If you fermented warm, you may want to consider keeping the temp down a bit next time around.


you're welcome.

;)
 
Not necessarily.



Maybe.



Yes.



Not much. You can check the gravity with a hydrometer if you really want to know if its done, but that doesn't do much other than satisfy your curiosity.

If it *IS* done fermenting, its possible you had a warm ferment or a big pitch of yeast that allowed them to chew through the sugars quickly. If you fermented warm, you may want to consider keeping the temp down a bit next time around.



you're welcome.

;)


Thanks a lot for ur tips. I checked the gravity and before fermentation i had 1.052 and the gravity now is 1.014 giving me just about 5% abv. Now my question is, if it's done then when should I start bottling? right away or give it a couple of days?
 
Give it 2 weeks before bottling. Some might say 1 week. Some might say 3. Whatever you choose, I wouldn't bottle yet.
 
I try to wait three weeks before bothering it at all, no matter what the airlock bubbles do.
 
I won't bottle/keg ANYTHING that's less than 3 weeks from when the yeast was pitched, or went active. Just because it could be done fermenting (you need to CONFIRM the FG by taking another SG reading 2-4 days from the first one, IF it matches, you could be at FG) doesn't mean it's ready for bottle/keg.

Best thing you can do is drink the gravity sample to see what it tastes like. Do that for any gravity sample you pull. It will help you to learn how to tell when something is actually ready for bottle/keg.

BTW, I keg now. Even when I bottled, I wouldn't bottle before it was otherwise ready for glass (except needing to be carbonated). This has done extremely well for me. It does mean you need to be PATIENT, but you already knew that. You're not going to get great beer from bottling it too soon (or kegging it too soon). At best, you'll be drinking green beer. At worst, you'll have bottle bombs. Look up both terms to see what they are.
 
Deathblooms8788 said:
ok, why should i wait so long? does it improve the beer?

Yes. Active fermentation may have ended, but there's still more work for the yeast to do. They will "clean up" and get rid of some things that would otherwise cause off flavors.
 
is it bad that when i added water to the fermenter i was adding poland spring water from the dispenser so it was pretty cold water?
 
is it bad that i added cold water from a poland spring dispenser to bring it up to 5 gallons before pitching the yeast?
 
"ok, why should i wait so long? does it improve the beer?"

Short answer "yes".

The question you asked, I asked and probably just about everybody who made their first batch asked too. The answer I got was be patient. Time heals just about all beers. At a minimum I give my beers about 4 weeks before bottling. 3 weeks in the bottle and everyone's been pretty good.

The thing you have to do is learn to be patient, give your beer time to clean itself up as others have said. What you should do during this time until you build up an inventory is buy some commercial beers that you would like to try and build up an empty bottle inventory. At the best possible price figure $12 for a case of empties... Costco sells their brand for around $18-20 bucks a case. Bottles clean up easy so you paid $6-8 bucks for a case of beer.

Cheers.
 
i think it was around 70 or so..

Depending on the yeast, recipe, etc. even more time might be warranted. Fermenting too warm can create some off flavors that need time to mellow, or age, out. If you pitched at 70F, then chances are it fermented at 75F, or higher. Different yeast strains can produce different flavors, characteristics, etc. at different temperatures.

Personally, I like my wort to ferment at/below 70F. Often, I'm chilling to under 60F before pitching, and keeping the fermenter where it won't get too warm. During the hot month(s) of summer, that can also involve using a swamp cooler to help moderate the temperature. Luckily, that only seems to happen once, or twice, a year. Mostly due to fermenting in a basement. I'm very glad that where I'm moving to has a full basement for me to use, where I can ferment (and store items). Otherwise, I'd be making a fermentation chamber by spring time.
 
I tasted it before i pitched the yeast and it was pretty sweet. I tested it today 3 days into fermentation and it was pretty bitter. It's an extract cream ale and I hope it doesn't taste that bitter at the end. I was expecting something more malty.
 
I tasted it before i pitched the yeast and it was pretty sweet. I tested it today 3 days into fermentation and it was pretty bitter. It's an extract cream ale and I hope it doesn't taste that bitter at the end. I was expecting something more malty.

At just three days in, chances are you're tasting super-green beer. GIVE IT TIME... Leave it alone for 2-3 more weeks, then sample it. Also understand that the brew will taste different once carbonated. Just be careful to carbonate it to style. Use one of the priming calculators, like this one if you're going to bottle. If you're going to keg, use this chart to figure out psi at temperature (in keezer/kegorator/brew fridge) for the 2 week 'set and forget' method.

If you're going to bottle carbonate, give it at least three full weeks in bottles, before chilling one for 5-7 days and then pour into glass. Read up on pouring bottle carbonated beers too. The extra time in the fridge will help the sediment to compact in the bottle, making for an easier, better, pour into glass.
 
The simple answer is initial fermentation is over. It will now slowly,uneventfully ferment doen to FG. no worries,mate.
 
I just found out the room its fermenting in was about 75 degree Fahrenheit whoops brought it to basement and itll stay there for a week
 
I just found out the room its fermenting in was about 75 degree Fahrenheit whoops brought it to basement and itll stay there for a week

Plan for more time... If the room was 75F, you can bet that the wort was fermenting at 80-85F. Pull a sample in another 2-3 weeks and see how it's progressed.
 
Just want to say thanks for all the great advice on this thread; I have this exact situation.

I am pretty sure I fermented too warm; water around carboy was around 72 degrees the first 2 - 3 days, airlock bubbling started after 2.5 days and lasted barely 24 hrs.

Kit instructions say keg after 48 hours of no bubbles, so I was thinking about doing it today.

This thread has me putting it off at least a week. (Though a week is probably all I can stand.)

Now I think the higher temp caused the quicker initial fermentation but more time will fix it up, which is great... PSI chart also great, and given how much time it can/should ferment I'm thinking I can get the next brew started as soon as this one is done, which is also excellent.

Cheers!
 
yeah i brewed 5 gallons, spilt some obviously and most of the bottles are 12 0z and i have a few 16 oz. i should of gotten 48 right? not too far off.
 
Like many others said the key to GOOD beer is patience :) I allways leave my beer sit for 30 days then bottle or keg and if your realy a patient brewer, you would let it age in the keg or bottle in the fridge for another 30 days, the 2 month stretch will have your buddies wanting your beer more than coor or bud :) The fermentation may be done but the flavors are not :) your numbers looked great the fermenting temp looked high try to keep it stable and a tad lower, realy try to avoid temp swings that realy screws things up... Also I NEVER take a reading before 30 days I just set it and forget it !! Every time you open the lid contamination might occure, believe me you will be sure your fermention is over in 30 days... If ever you like looking at your beer ferment in a glass or plastic carboy, always cool to see the stuff activate :)

If ever you have an earge to peak at your beer or rush it because 2 months is too long, just brew another one that will pass the time and at the same time have a rotation going, when you have 2 or 3 batches going time flyes like crazy :) I have 4 batches that are fermenting ageing carbing and drinking, my chain is going good, so 2 months.... Why not :)

Cheers :)
 
+1 with jesseroberge.

The trick is to build up a supply while you brew. If you can let your batch "sit" it will usually pay off with a great tasting clear beer. If you're just getting started, buy come commerical beers you'd like to try to make and save the bottles. I would hit costco and buy their microbrew variety pack. My cost was about $19 (empties are $12) to get a decent beer, good bottles to reuse and a good carton to hold them in. So while your first batch is doing it's thing, build up your bottle supply.

Then for a bit try and brew a batch (5gal) every two-three weeks or so. For example yesterday I brewed a pumpkin stout. While I was brewing the stout, I was also transfering a red rye from the primary to the secondary for oaking. This way you build up an inventory of beers.

Right now I have 7 cases of beer. 3 have been ready to drink for a while now (since early summer) 2 other cases (mocha expresso stout) are now just ready and the last two have about another week or two and they're ready.

A little time, a little patience and you'll build up a nice inventory that will allow you to be patient, and patience is one of the best brewing skills to learn.

Cheers man.
 
Wow! You were really impatient weren't you! After all the advice you still bottled at 8 days unless I missed something. You also fermented warm.

Now wait at least 3 weeks before deciding that the beer is not carbonated.

With all the impatience I would not have high expectations for this one.

Brew more asap and try to be patient. You can make good beer but it will be better if you do not rush so much.
 
kh54s10 said:
Wow! You were really impatient weren't you! After all the advice you still bottled at 8 days unless I missed something. You also fermented warm.

Now wait at least 3 weeks before deciding that the beer is not carbonated.

With all the impatience I would not have high expectations for this one.

Brew more asap and try to be patient. You can make good beer but it will be better if you do not rush so much.

+1 on this post !!
 
Wow! You were really impatient weren't you! After all the advice you still bottled at 8 days unless I missed something. You also fermented warm.

Now wait at least 3 weeks before deciding that the beer is not carbonated.

With all the impatience I would not have high expectations for this one.

Brew more asap and try to be patient. You can make good beer but it will be better if you do not rush so much.

Well i wanted to rack to something else but I didn't have anything and I didn't want to just leave it. Next batch i am brewing is a partial mash pumpkin ale and I now have a glass carboy for second fermentation. I will be more patient on the next batch i promise :rockin:
 
Deathblooms8788 said:
Well i wanted to rack to something else but I didn't have anything and I didn't want to just leave it. Next batch i am brewing is a partial mash pumpkin ale and I now have a glass carboy for second fermentation. I will be more patient on the next batch i promise :rockin:

Dude remember to never secondary unless you have to dry hop or add something to the beer as it ferments... Secondary fermenting is an old school technique that is less popular these days...
 
Dude remember to never secondary unless you have to dry hop or add something to the beer as it ferments... Secondary fermenting is an old school technique that is less popular these days...

how can that even be true? Everyone talks about racking to a carboy if your doing an all grain and how it clarifies the beer. You just confused me lol
 
Racking to secondary will only make you loise some beer in the transfer and risk infections because of the lack of Co2 in the head space of the secondary carboy :)

30 days in primary and 30 days in keg or bottle...

Start a thread on secondary or not and see what the others are saying, I'm no expert on the mater but followed their techniques and got amazing results :)
 
how can that even be true? Everyone talks about racking to a carboy if your doing an all grain and how it clarifies the beer. You just confused me lol

Actually, very few people post that these days. IMO/IME, those that are still holding onto the old (and seriously outdated) thoughts and methods are either people that cannot change their method (for whatever reason) or use ingredients that force them to rack.

Using/selecting items to help it become even more clear (in primary) is really easy, IMO. Things like a yeast that flocculates better (at least a medium rating), giving the batch time to become clear (no need to transfer it, just leave it the F alone for the duration) and brewing smarter.

I even transfer via a CO2 push, which means the chances of getting oxidation is ridiculously low (CO2 blankets prevent oxidation, not infection). I also use proper sanitizing practices, so the chance of infection/contamination is also very low. I ONLY rack/transfer my mead batches during the process. Even then, it's months between transfers, and the mead is typically in process for at least 9-12 months. I will, occasionally, move my big beers to aging vessels, after being in primary for several weeks (or a few months) to age them on/with something. I have one that was brewed in December, and has been aging on oak since March (a 12% brew).

Don't start another thread about to secondary or not. Simply search the boards for those threads and you'll find a lot of them. It's something that's been done to death and back again already.
 
So what do you think about primary fermentation in a glass carboy rather than a bucket? Does it matter? I know the bucket would probably be better because light can not get in but with the carboy you can see what's going on better
 
So what do you think about primary fermentation in a glass carboy rather than a bucket? Does it matter? I know the bucket would probably be better because light can not get in but with the carboy you can see what's going on better

Size matters more than material does. That being said, a 6-6.5 gallon glass carboy will be more expensive than a bucket. Of course, I'm using neither carboy or bucket to ferment these days. I've graduated to using stainless fermenters (converted sanke kegs). No chance of breaking, melting, better handles built into them, etc...
 
Deathblooms8788 said:
ok, why should i wait so long? does it improve the beer?

If after one week your FG is stable, you can certainly package it. I usually primary for 10 days on all sub-1.065 beers then cold condition/carbonate (force) for 3-7 days before serving... and enjoying. You can also give it 3+ weeks, if you really want...
 
Golddiggie said:
Size matters more than material does. That being said, a 6-6.5 gallon glass carboy will be more expensive than a bucket. Of course, I'm using neither carboy or bucket to ferment these days. I've graduated to using stainless fermenters (converted sanke kegs). No chance of breaking, melting, better handles built into them, etc...

No difference for the flavor of the beer dude just cooler to see the beer work in a glass or plastic carboy :) you won't want to cheat and peak by opening the lid on the bucket :) both are easy to clean with OxyClean :)
 
Brulosopher said:
If after one week your FG is stable, you can certainly package it. I usually primary for 10 days on all sub-1.065 beers then cold condition/carbonate (force) for 3-7 days before serving... and enjoying. You can also give it 3+ weeks, if you really want...

You want good brew JUST F***** wait 30 days :) your FG will be more than done and the flavors will be smack on spot :)
 
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