Fermentation Issue! Help Appreciated

[bigbrewhaha]

First time brewing - and my friend and I decided to go with a Trippel using the Trappist yeast by White Labs.

Took about 24-36 hours to finally take off and once it got going the yeast went wild with fermentation, starting at 65 rises/min up to 85 rises/min as counted from watching a 3 piece airlock (Was told that this may not be a fair way to assess yeast activity, but providing the readings anyway). An hour or so later, activity went down to 45/min and the following morning was as low as 10/min. Now, a day later, the rises seem to be coming very rarely and are very struggled. Temperature has remained somewhat constant. Around 70-72 I would assume, and maybe dropping at lowest 66-68 at night. I know this isn't good but there was not much I could do. It's only been about 5-6 days since initial pitching. Is this normal? I know the cell concentration curve, but would the fermentation activity curve follow the same trend? Should I be worried?

Thanks.
-Bigbrewhaha

 

[olz431]

Odds are its done making alcohol by now. Wait a couple more days and take a hydrometer reading, then a few days later do it again. If the readings are the same it is done making alcohol. At that point you can let it sit on the yeast for a few weeks and then bottle or move to secondary to age.

 

[aiptasia]

Welcome to newbie-itis. It's fine, just let it sit a full three weeks or so in the primary fermentation container and then it should be ready to rack to a bottling bucket.

 

[fork]

Sounds like it did exactly what it should. No need to worry.

 

[DSorenson]

I've done two brews so far and I've noticed on both of them that there was about one 24 hour period of high activity, and in a day or so after that died down to almost nothing.

 

[BigFloyd]

That's not all that unusual. Each fermentation is different. Some yeasts like Windsor take off fast and slow down after a couple of days.

Just because it's stopped bubbling does not mean it's finished.

 

[brewinchef_fairfax]

Yep - I always expected this long, rolling fermentation like I get with my ciders - but it's never the case - except with a Saison yeast I had that rolled for days and days. Most of the others (Wyeast 3068, 1007 - Nottingham) I notice a big push in the beginning and then they just peter out. Nothing to be worried about...

 

[bigbrewhaha]

Thanks guys -- excited!

 

[kapbrew13]

Welcome to newbie-itis. It's fine, just let it sit a full three weeks or so in the primary fermentation container and then it should be ready to rack to a bottling bucket.

+1. I let mine sit three weeks after ferm starts and slows down