I think fermentation stopped!

Alright, I brewed a brown ale on Sunday 10-4 all came out well. My og was 1.040 and I pitched my starter. I used whitebread yeast. Anyways, I was concerned on Tuesday b/c my airlock stopped bubbling, but I know that doesn't always mean that ferm has stopped. I took a gravity reading on Tuesday and I got 1.016. I took another today and it's still at 1.016. I have a packet of Nottingham, but I don't want to pitch it unless I have to b/c I want to keep the mild flavor from the whitebread yeast strain.

Thanks in advance,
J

P.S.

This is Biermunchers Newcastle clone recipe if that means anything!

Extract or All Grain? If AG, what mash temp?

Chances are its done, but leave it for another week or two for conditioning. Make a world of difference in your beer.

I would not pitch the Nottingham. You'd probably only get a few more points max anyhow, since most of the sugars are already consumed. As mmb pointed out, if this was all grain and your mash temp was on the high side, all your fermentables may already be consumed.

Let it age, consume and enjoy. It's unlikely your yeast has "failed" in any way, and your process or fermentation temps are likely the culprit if this is an unexpected FG for this recipe.

Yep, this was on the high side at about 156* for 60 mins and then a batch sparge at 180. I did a 90 minute boil and everything came out perfect. Do yall think it's done? I'm definatley leaving it in the primary for at least 7 more days then racking it to a secondary for some additional aging with gelatin (like Biermuncher's recipe says.) I don't think I'd typically be paranoid, but since I had to use a bucket style fermenter (with a bottling spigot,) I'm a little scared that there is a leak some where. I typically use carboys, but I had none open and wanted to get started on this one. I took the lid off and put it on a different way. VOILA, airlock activity immediatley. Not very much airlock action, but atleast it's floating against the lid. Also, I still see ferm bubbles on top of the wort.

It's probably very close to done. I think you're fine, and should leave it alone.

As an aside, if you are fermenting pretty clean wort (you're keeping as much trub out of the fermenter as possible) seriously consider what transferring to a secondary is doing for your process.

I hear more and more very experienced home brewers singing praise for only using a primary. The process I follow is to only use a secondary if A: I'm adding something like fruit or other sugars, and therefore there is actually a secondary fermentation going on, or B: I am planning to dry hop the beer and I don't want hops particles in a yeast cake I am planning to harvest and re-use.

I'd leave it in primary for two weeks, then bottle/keg and allow to age for a month. Fewer racking sessions drastically reduce the possibility of the nasties getting in.

Cheers!

There's nothing wrong with a finish under 1.020, so 1.016 is okay. I wouldn't add any more yeast. But I might give the fermenter a gentle swirl to re-rouse the yeast, and maybe wrap a blanket around it to bump it up a few degrees, these things will help the yeast get active and finish off any more residual sugars.

But then I'd do what others have said, and just leave it a lone for a couple more weeks, to let the yeast clean up after itself.

Then if it's still 1.016, then it's done.

Put your hand up and slowly back away from the homebrew!

Seriously, Give it more than 3 or 4 days. Sounds like its going to be a great tasting Newcastle clone - if you can keep your paws off it! Try to forget about it for at least another week.

A wise man on this forum once said that yeast have been making great beer for a long time under far worse circumstances than you have provided. RDWHAHB and let those babies do their thing in peace.

Pangea said:

Put your hand up and slowly back away from the homebrew!

Seriously, Give it more than 3 or 4 days. Sounds like its going to be a great tasting Newcastle clone - if you can keep your paws off it! Try to forget about it for at least another week.

A wise man on this forum once said that yeast have been making great beer for a long time under far worse circumstances than you have provided. RDWHAHB and let those babies do their thing in peace.

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You're right. I've opened the lid so many times now I feel like I'm destined for contamination. I just need to chill. Idk, but I was hoping for a little bit more abv. From 1040 to 1016 is like 3. something. I was hoping for something around low fours, but I'll take what I get. Low ABV = Guiltless Pints!

the last few beers i've done have kept going just a bit after the first week even though the airlock showed no activity. just chill out and leave it alone for another week.