fermentation question..HELP PLEASE!

[hopsbubmalty]

its only been about 3 days and my airloock* has either stopped bubbling or its moving extremly slow but the first two days it was nice and steady?has all my yeast died?and if it has is there a way to start it back up?

 

[Celticway]

its only been about 3 days and my aerator has either stopped bubbling or its moving extremly slow but the first two days it was nice and steady?has all my yeast died?and if it has is there a way to start it back up?

By aerator I hope you mean airlock. Did you take a gravity reading? It could be done.

 

[hopsbubmalty]

soorry yes airlock.new to this....and no i havnt i didnt want to open it...could it really be done in 3 days?

 

[Celticway]

What kind of beer is it? Typical ales can be done fermenting in 3 days. You want to give it another week or so to clear itself up. Did it have a nice head on it?

 

[mrk305]

It is normal for the airlock to slow or stop bubbling after three days. Especially as warm as it is. Try to keep it cool for a few more weeks. Most yeast like it low and slow.

 

[Nugent]

The airlock's activity isn't an indicator of whether the beer has finished fermenting; it just lets the CO2 out without letting anything into the fermenter.

As Celticway said, you will need to test a sample of your beer. You'll need a hydrometer, which measures the proportion of alcohol to water in the beer. Best thing to do is head to a homebrew or winemaking store and buy a hydrometer, a test cylinder and a sampling tool (Wine Thief) which will allow you to take a sample and get an idea of your beer's gravity.

Have a look at How To Brew online (just Google it) and it'll explain what to do.

But, yes, your beer could be done. Depends on how high the gravity was at the beginning, the air temperature, etc.

Good luck.

 

[runningweird]

there are quite a few factors that contribute to fermentation:

Temperature: a higher ambient temp leads to faster fermentation
Gravity - larger beers take longer(usually)
Yeast Pitching Rate( a larger healthy yeast dosage will ferment out faster than a lower quality pitch)


What kind of beer did you make? a kit? did you make a starter?

details! we need DETAILS!

likely you are just fine, don't worry about it. Give it a few days and check the gravity, follow your recipe and rack and bottle.

 

[hopsbubmalty]

thanks for the help..i unfortunately didnt take a gravity test at the beginning...first time i suppose there will be mistakes...but thanks ill figure this out...little research is to take place.

 

[hopsbubmalty]

it was a recipe from homebrewusa called the dumpster dog stout...i believe it was around 5.2 abv...

 

[hopsbubmalty]

oh and sorry celtic...the next morning i woke up and it had a very nice head on it

 

[WestCoastHopper]

It's probably just entering the conditioning phase. It might be a case of RDWHAHB. Hard to do though (I know, I'm new too). I found a lot of good info on fermentation on howtobrew.com. It has a good rundown on the different phases of fermentation, but sometimes gets a little technical (at least for me).

 

[hopsbubmalty]

well im gonna have to give that a look thanks alot hopper

 

[WestCoastHopper]

 

[Celticway]

Go get yourself a copy of "the Complete Joy of Homebrewing" by Charlie Papazian. It's a great read and a good place to start on your brewing adventures.

 

[hopsbubmalty]

yea ive been looking for a good book...and one more question guys...if i go to check the gravity...should i at least wait a week?and how bad is it if i take the cap out and check it?will that completely ruin fermentation?

 

[kh54s10]

Wait at least a week. Make sure you sanitize anything that will touch the beer. You can open the fermenter without problem. Try not to splash anything you do not want to introduce oxygen to the beer. Take a sample gravity reading then wait a day or 2 and take another. Again wait another day or 2 and take another reading. When it stays the same the fermentation is done. A lot of posters like to leave it in the primary 3 or 4 weeks and then keg or bottle. Also do not return the samples to the fermenter. You do not want to chance introducing anything that might infect the beer.

 

[Hefanatic]

yea ive been looking for a good book...and one more question guys...if i go to check the gravity...should i at least wait a week?and how bad is it if i take the cap out and check it?will that completely ruin fermentation?

I personally wouldn't open the fermenter for at least a week. The yeast is quietly doing its thing regardless of airlock activity. There really is no point in taking a gravity reading so early. Unless you decide you are going to bottle after 3 days of fermentation at which point your beer will not be nearly ready. Give it a full 7 days, and take a gravity reading. The instructions you have will indicate an estimated final gravity. If it close to that, leave it another few days and check again. If it is the same then it is ready for secondary or bottling although ideally waiting another week will produce a clearer beer. If the reading is still off, like 1.020 when FG is 1.010 then give it another week and check again. You want to minimize the amount of times you open the lid. Each time there is an inherent risk of infecting your brew. The risk is low, but a risk none the less. I give my beers at least 2 weeks before taking a gravity reading. I then plan my bottling schedule from there. As a new home brewer I know how difficult it is to do this. It is hard not to set a date to bottle, but it really is best if you let your beer tell you when it's ready. RDWHALHMS.

 

[hopsbubmalty]

thanks alot guys...really helpin me out.im gonna check out a few website and books before i brew agin..wanna make sure i dont gotta bug yall so much agin.