Introduction and Question

[tyreej]

Hi!
I am new to home brewing and have a general question. I have a home brew kit from BrooklynBrewers for Honey Sage beer....i followed all of these instructions and have now laid the beer down to ferment for two weeks....after adding the yeast, it bubbled during the first week, but now it seems to have stopped bubbling (i assume that represents the fermentation process). The instructions state that it should ferment for 2 weeks prior to bottling.....should i be concerned? Do i need to wait the entire two weeks? any insight much appreciated!
thanks

 

[Rick91981]

It is still fermenting, just not aggresively. You definitely should wait 2-3 weeks before bottling to avoid overcarbonating the beer and potentially have bottle bombs.

 

[heferly]

Wait the full 2 weeks, 3 is better, and take a sample to check the gravity with a hydrometer...airlock bubbling is not a good indicator of fermentation, either. I've had batches where the lid grommet leaked, so no bubbly....but i knew there was fermentation going on. Hydrometers will let you relax, and enjoy a brew!

 

[tyreej]

you guys are the best...thanks so much for the quick response.....i will definitely get the hydrometer......one other junior varsity question for you.....once i bottle the beer and wait another two weeks, how long will it keep for and should i continually refrigerate it?

thx again!

 

[Qhrumphf]

The typical consensus I find on here is 3 weeks minimum for carbonation after you prime and bottle, bigger beers and darker beers will require longer. I'm not sure if your instructions indicated this, but if you're using priming sugar (as I'm assuming you are) you'll need it around 70 degrees to carbonate. Fridge temps will prevent proper carbonation. Once it's carbonated, a few days minimum, better a week in the fridge to ensure the C02 is pulled into solution before drinking, and cold storage is best. After that, I'm not familiar with the particular brew you're brewing, but different brews have different shelf lives. I find that wheat beers and dry hopped beers (such as IPAs) are better fresh, but most can age a while. The stronger the beer, the longer it can typically age (and in many cases needs to age). Some stronger belgian ales and barleywines can be aged for years.

 

[Qhrumphf]

PS welcome to the obsession

 

[HerotBrewer]

Welcome.
Read some of the stickies on the various forums, they have a lot of great info.