3rd brew kit made, but fermentation question

Hi All, new here,

I have just made my third home brew using a kit.
I thought this time I would use a Brewmaker bavarian Pilsner.
The instructions were just the same as the other two, so I proceded as follows.

Boiled water and added the contents of the can into the fermentation bucket and stirred, then topped up to 40 pints with cold water as instructed.

Added 1kg of sugar and yeast.

Waited for fermentation to start. It starting bubbling a bit but not much, and nowhere near as much as the previous two that I have brewed (they really bubbled, so much so that it was like a head), and then it seemed to stop after about 3 days. I left it for another 4 days and measured it with my hydrometer, which told me that it was ready to bottle. So thats what I have done.

However I have an uneasy feeling that I may have killed the yeast or something, because of the lack of bubbling in the fermentation stage and I dont know whether to throw this batch away and start again, or to wait and see if it has worked.

What do you think does this sound normal or is my beer dead?

Cheers

P.S. something I was also wondering about, How often should you take a hydrometer reading when in the fermentation bucket and is it risky to keep opening the lid to take a reading.

Every batch is a little different. If the gravity is down to where it should be, it's done fermenting.

Ditto what he said. Also I might add that in the future it may be worth it to let it settle and bulk age for at least ten days to two weeks before bottling.

If you are just fermenting with one vessel, I would take a hydrometer reading just before you pitch the yeast, and once when you are getting ready to bottle. If the gravity seems high the second time wait two days and take another. If it still hasnt gone down, do a search or ask questions here.

- magno

dazza001 said:

I dont know whether to throw this batch away and start again, or to wait and see if it has worked.

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Unless it's obviously infected - and you'll know, it'll be stinky and sour with weird growth - never throw a batch away just because you're unsure. Even if it tastes bad at first, let it age and try it a few months later. If it's still not so good, use it for cooking!

thanks everyone, I will leave it be. look forward to trying it, German Pilsner is my favourite, was in Munich last year and had some really good pilsners, hope this is something like.