Airlock Bubbles for a week, then nothing

[Normtp1]

This is my first batch of Beer to brew, and I just want to make sure I'm not messing anything up. It is a Blue Moon clone, and Brew day had some rough spots. 1) My mash temp fluctuated between 145 and 170 degrees. 2) I couldn't get my siphon to work so I just poured the beer into the fermentor bucket and strained it with a colander to keep most of the sold junk out. 3) then I realized after opening the liquid yeast packet that it was actually a smack pack that I was supposed to activate first. I cut the packet inside and dumped it all in, sealed the lid and put on the Airlock. Needless to say I thought I ruined it. Then the next morning I went in the basement to seen it bubbling away like a champ. I noticed that it was a touch cold in the basement so I put on the heating element and it continued to bubble away. Then all of a sudden after a week (to the day) it stopped bubbling. I don't want to open it and look if I don't have to. The recipe kit calls for a 2 week fermentation. Should I just wait it out? If I do, but it is done now, will it hurt the beer? Sorry for the newbie question.

 

[brewn00b4]

A week for fermentation is pretty normal. After the airlock stops bubbling doesn't mean it's finished yet though. Once all the easy-to-eat stuff is gone they'll start eating harder-to-eat ingredients, some of those processes don't involve releasing CO2, so no bubbling.

 

[doug293cz]

Yeast don't know how to read a clock or calendar, so will do their work in their own sweet time. They may or may not be done in one or two weeks (although two weeks is usually plenty.) All you can do is monitor their activity. Active fermentation being complete after a week is pretty typical. Leaving the beer for another week is a good idea, as it gives the yeast a chance to clean up. The best way to tell if fermentation is complete is with hydrometer readings. If you get the same reading two days apart, then fermentation is done. You can't really tell just by looking at the beer. However, if you wait a week after all the yeast and trub settle out, you can be pretty sure fermentation is done.

No real reason to do a secondary. Just wait until you are sure fermentation is done, and then transfer to your bottling bucket, and bottle away (after priming.)

Brew on

 

[Normtp1]

Great, thanks all. One more quick question. I'm transferring into bottles this time, but I'm looking into getting some corny kegs and a kegerator. If I transfer to the keg, would I still prime it? Or does the CO2 from the tank in the kegerator handle that?

 

[brewn00b4]

The CO2 carbonates the beer for you.

 

[Normtp1]

Sounds good, thanks again!

 

[doug293cz]

Great, thanks all. One more quick question. I'm transferring into bottles this time, but I'm looking into getting some corny kegs and a kegerator. If I transfer to the keg, would I still prime it? Or does the CO2 from the tank in the kegerator handle that?

You can prime kegs like bottles, or you can use the CO2 from the tank to force carb them. If you prime, you might want to use a blast of CO2 from the tank anyway, just to make sure the lid is fully sealed. I think most people who keg force carb.

Brew on