How long should my primary ferment for?

I brewed my first batch two days ago. It's an Amber Bock 20 minute boil extract kit from Midwest. It had an original gravity of 1.036 (1.0385 temperature corrected)... but after some discussion here on this board, it is likely a low reading because the wort was not mixed with the water in the primary fermenter well enough.

Anywho, about 8 hours after pitching the yeast, my air lock was bubbling like crazy (a bubble about every second), then stopped 24 hours later. There is no bubbling whatsoever now. Shouldn't that stage have lasted longer? I have not peaked into it to see the krausen or anything else that is going on because it is in an opaque bucket and I don't want to introduce oxygen into the system.

Oh, and the temperature in the room is 68-70 degree F. During the furious bubbling, the temperature on the outside of the bucket read 73-74 degrees F. It now reads room temp. I took that to be another sign that there was not any (much) fermentation happening.

Do you plan on doing a secondary? If so, I'd give it 1 week in primary and 2 in secondary.

I usually just leave all of my brews in primary for 3 weeks.

Primary is done when it is done, check the gravity wait 3 days check again. Should you get the same reading then it is done, bottle or keg it at that point.

My beers often do exactly what you described, so I wouldn't worry about it. If you're really nervous, take a gravity reading to make sure you're at or around your final gravity.

If you're doing secondary, I would leave it in the primary for at least 2 weeks. Leaving it on the yeast cake will help 'clean up' your beer. But most people on here just primary for 3-4 weeks instead for normal gravity beers.

Wow! Thanks for the FAST replies!

I was planning on leaving it in the primary for a week, then in the secondary for two more weeks before bottling, as per the instructions that came with the extract kit.

I didn't want to open it up to take a gravity reading yet because I was planning on leaving it in there for a week anyhow. Is there a good reason to open it up early to take a gravity reading?

max384 said:

Wow! Thanks for the FAST replies!

I was planning on leaving it in the primary for a week, then in the secondary for two more weeks before bottling, as per the instructions that came with the extract kit.

I didn't want to open it up to take a gravity reading yet because I was planning on leaving it in there for a week anyhow. Is there a good reason to open it up early to take a gravity reading?

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Every time you do a gravity reading you introducing a chance (albeit small) of infection. I'd like it sit for the rest of the first week then take a reading.

Even if it's at terminal gravity at that point I'd still let it sit at least on more week before bottling.

No need to place it in secondary whatsoever.

I leave my beer in the primary for at least 3 weeks. I do not secondary unless I dry hop (and not always) or bulk age. I never take a FG reading, but you should until you learn your brewery. I never follow kit instructions past the assembling of ingredients.
Giving your beer time on the cake allows the yeast to finish up and the trub to compact which will minimize the schwag you rack off and increase your yield.
Find a way to control your temps down at least 5 degrees.

1-2 weeks in primary should be fine