quick question

[sepe]

I've had my first batch in the primary for about 3 days and after 8 hours it had quite a bit of airlock activity. I made a John Bull pre-hopped wheat/John Bull wheat syrup batch with a Windsor yeast. I believe the yeast's temp range was 64-73-ish and the activity was taking place when the basement was around 63. The primary was at about 66.

The airlock was seeing big air bubbles and the smell from the airlock was quite nice(still is) but I'm not getting any action in the airlock(on day 3). The primary temp strip was reading at about 63 so I'm not sure if the change in weather affected the basement temps that much and it slowed the fermentation. I moved the primary to the garage in hopes to re-start the fermentation...is that the correct thing to do? The primary might be coming back inside the kitchen for a few days starting tomorrow.

I've read some of the stuck and slow fermentation threads...just checking to make sure I'm taking the right steps to get some activity again.

 

[Yooper]

If it's into the third day, I bet it's about done. My kolsch that I just brewed on Tuesday finished in less than 30 hours, at 63 degrees.

After about a week, check the SG to make sure it's done. I'd leave it right where it is for now, and not move it or slosh it around.

 

[sepe]

shouldn't it have taken a little longer to be close to being complete being on the lower end of the temp range? I know you can't go 100% by the book as far as time is concerned with things like this but everything I've read has suggested 9-14 days for fermentation of a wheat. I will have to give it a short, gentle move to get it out of the way in the garage but I'm looking at giving it at least another full week before worrying too much about it being "completely done".

 

[BierMuncher]

shouldn't it have taken a little longer to be close to being complete being on the lower end of the temp range? I know you can't go 100% by the book as far as time is concerned with things like this but everything I've read has suggested 9-14 days for fermentation of a wheat. I will have to give it a short, gentle move to get it out of the way in the garage but I'm looking at giving it at least another full week before worrying too much about it being "completely done".

Active (bubbly) fermentation can take several days sometimes. To really get a good beer, you need to allow for full fermentation which is not so obvious to the naked eye.

Trust your hydrometer to tell you when fermentation is nearing completion.

As Yoop said...give it a week and take a reading. The "bubbler" is not the definitive measure of a beers progress.

 

[Metzger22]

I brewed a pale ale for my first batch and it fermented out within 36 to 48 hours. I've read that some dry yeasts are known to have a very fast/active fermentation and it appeared to be so with my brew. I'd check the gravity and then again in two days and again in five days. It's probably done. The airlock is not a exact indication of fementation. At least, that's the advice I got from the wonderful people on this forum Also, liten to the advice you get here. There is alot of knowledge floating around just waiting for your inquiry.

 

[sepe]

yeah I know that...my question on that was the fact that he said it might be nearly done after 3 days. I was intending on giving it 2 weeks in the primary to just let it chill and do its thing. no reason to rush if it'll come out better given a bit more time. moving it to the garage brought it back up to around 65 and started a little action back up. I'm planning on leaving it in the primary for 2 weeks and testing a little as I bottle, then bottle condition/carb for 2-3 weeks minimum. hopefully get something that is pretty good so I can feel good about jumping into the next batch(which I might get something a little more advanced than the can of hopped extract and unhopped extract).

already got another buddy that wants to test it once its done and then get set up with his own brew kit. gotta love a place that will get a newbie all the info and more that they need and get more into the hobby.