4 days in and airlock not bubbling anymore.

[Justin Archer]

Sorry guys. I know this has probably been covered a few times. On Monday night I started a simply beer pale ale. By Tuesday night it had really taken off. It slowed to almost nothing by Friday night/Saturday morning. I have brewed a few 1 gallon batches before, but am new to these larger ones. Og was around 1.040 and I just took one at 1.006. I plan on letting it sit another two weeks. I’m not racking to secondary. Just wanting to make sure I didn’t mess anything up. Thought the airlock would bubble a little longer. It is in the corner of my living room and stays somewhere around 65F pretty consistently. Thanks for any help you guys can give to ease my stress.

 

[brewgar]

Sounds like you got beer working. Yeah, give it another 2-3 weeks at that temperature, then package it. Welcome aboard.

 

[Justin Archer]

Thanks, man.

 

[GHBWNY]

You'll have good beer. It has been stated a million times on here, so what's one more time? --- the airlock, while being an indicator that your beer is actively fermenting, is not a gauge as to where the fermentation stands. That's what your hydrometer is for. An FG reading at around 10 days and another at 2 weeks should tell you where the beer is at. If both of those numbers are the same, your beer is done fermenting. If not, let it ride until you get the same number a couple days apart. Best.

 

[passedpawn]

Totally normal Justin.

 

[flars]

You may be at final gravity now but keeping it in the primary for two more weeks will allow the excess yeast and sediment to settle into the trub layer. You'll have clearer beer going into the bottle and more clear beer to pour into your glass. You are definitely on way to brewing good beer.

 

[mongoose33]

When it's done, it's done. You've done well by checking gravity before reaching any particular conclusions, but 1.006 is done. In fact, that seems a bit low to me, I've never had one that low, but it is what it is.

I just tapped a keg w/ my Darth Lager. It's 2 weeks old, but still a bit green. Tastes pretty good, but I expect it to smooth out as it conditions another week or 10 days. Letting your beer sit in the fermenter for a couple or three weeks is almost always going to be beneficial.

Congrats, BTW. And a word of warning: you do know, don't you, that this is likely to result in further expenditures of the equipment kind?

 

[Justin Archer]

When it's done, it's done. You've done well by checking gravity before reaching any particular conclusions, but 1.006 is done. In fact, that seems a bit low to me, I've never had one that low, but it is what it is.

I just tapped a keg w/ my Darth Lager. It's 2 weeks old, but still a bit green. Tastes pretty good, but I expect it to smooth out as it conditions another week or 10 days. Letting your beer sit in the fermenter for a couple or three weeks is almost always going to be beneficial.

Congrats, BTW. And a word of warning: you do know, don't you, that this is likely to result in further expenditures of the equipment kind?

Unfortunately, I’m all too aware where this all will lead. Lol. Thanks everyone for putting my mind at ease. And sorry for what I know was a repeat question.

 

[Cevan65]

Why wait 2-3 more weeks? I'd give it 4-5 more days and keg that sucker.

 

[TrubDude]

I am by no means an experienced brewer but I had the same concerns during my first batch. I thought the yeast died and it stopped fermenting because of that. I bought a $2 packet of yeast and pitched it. My local homebrew store dude almost bet me the beer was just done. I checked the FG, pitched the yeast, then waited a week. No bubbles, the guy was right. Some yeast are just fast. As other folks have said, letting the beer sit for a couple weeks is a good idea.

 

[NitrogenWidget]

last two beers I brewed showed zero airlock activity but lots of bubbles and foam yet if I just touched the lid of my fermentor the lock started bubbling.
i've learned to just go with it.

 

[PKnotlost]

At 1.006 yeast is finished there is basically no sugar left, what is there for them to eat? Only clearing is left for it.

 

[SleepyCreekBrews]

Yaaa, you better send that over to my place, it sounds like I need to analyze it for trouble

 

[Sematary]

I see recommendations to check gravity at various stages but doesn't that open the beer up to possible infection? Wouldn't it be better to let it just sit for 3 weeks then bottle or keg?

 

[ancientmariner52]

Sematary, you are right about the risk. I handle it this way:

1. Sanitize everything that will contact the beer or be positioned above the beer. I soak a cloth in bleach, just use what you are comfortable with.

2. I take a shower and put on clean clothes before I approach the beer. No, I don't bow, although sometimes I think maybe I should.

3. Take the sample, being careful to never lean over the beer. A sampling/bottling valve makes this safer.

4. I don't return the sample to the fermenter. I drink it. If it tastes good green and flat, it's prolly gonna be good beer.

Or you can wait three weeks, and probably be done. But I still bottle, and I want to KNOW that fermentation is finished. Bottle bombs scare me, you see.

 

[Sematary]

Sematary, you are right about the risk. I handle it this way:

1. Sanitize everything that will contact the beer or be positioned above the beer. I soak a cloth in bleach, just use what you are comfortable with.

2. I take a shower and put on clean clothes before I approach the beer. No, I don't bow, although sometimes I think maybe I should.

3. Take the sample, being careful to never lean over the beer. A sampling/bottling valve makes this safer.

4. I don't return the sample to the fermenter. I drink it. If it tastes good green and flat, it's prolly gonna be good beer.

Or you can wait three weeks, and probably be done. But I still bottle, and I want to KNOW that fermentation is finished. Bottle bombs scare me, you see.

Understandable. In my short time as a "brewer" (I don't think I've earned that title yet), I've never had that issue but all my reading led me to believe that 3 weeks would be more than sufficient time to allow the beer to complete fermenting and clear out.

 

[ancientmariner52]

You are almost certainly right. It's the almost that worries me.

I used to run reactors on an aircraft carrier. We tend not to assume anything if there is a way to be sure.

Hope I don't sound hypercritical, here. I just do what I'm used to. Still learning, every day.

 

[SleepyCreekBrews]

I skip the shower and clean clothes but I do wash my hands and brush my teeth

 

[Sematary]

You are almost certainly right. It's the almost that worries me.

I used to run reactors on an aircraft carrier. We tend not to assume anything if there is a way to be sure.

Hope I don't sound hypercritical, here. I just do what I'm used to. Still learning, every day.

So, it sounds to me (since this is a small batch sitting in a Mr. Beer container), that I need to transfer the beer into a new container (another Mr. Beer container that I have) and then let it warm up to room temps for a few days then bring it down again and bottle it. Sound about right?

 

[ancientmariner52]

I wouldn't bother transferring it. Nothing to gain by it. Just let it rest where it is.

Transferring to a secondary used to be a thing, but apparently most brewers don't bother. I don't do it anymore.

When you are ready to bottle, cold crash it for a couple of days, and bottle it up. Then you get to wait some more, of course.

 

[Sematary]

I wouldn't bother transferring it. Nothing to gain by it. Just let it rest where it is.

Transferring to a secondary used to be a thing, but apparently most brewers don't bother. I don't do it anymore.

When you are ready to bottle, cold crash it for a couple of days, and bottle it up. Then you get to wait some more, of course.

I'm just curious about this part where I need to allow it to warm up for a 2 - 4 day period to allow a diacetyl rest then chill again (bottle at this point?)

 

[myndflyte]

I wouldn't worry about a diacetyl rest. That's more important for lagers where they raise it to the mid 60's (where I'm guess you're at now). Just let it sit in there until bottle day. You don't even need to chill it when it comes time to bottle unless you are cold crashing it.

 

[Sematary]

I wouldn't worry about a diacetyl rest. That's more important for lagers where they raise it to the mid 60's (where I'm guess you're at now). Just let it sit in there until bottle day. You don't even need to chill it when it comes time to bottle unless you are cold crashing it.

I spent to grueling weeks with this Mr. Beer container in water surrounded by bottles of ice. I managed to keep it in the low to mid 50's for the majority of the time, although it did approach it's upper end at times (around 58). It's now been in the fridge for a couple of days so I guess I'll bottle it up tomorrow when I have a chance.