Bottling Day!!!

[DuallyBrew]

The activity in my first batch has basically stopped. There is a bubble about every 2 minutes.

It's been fermenting for 6 days and over the last couple of days the fermentation has steadily slowed down... A bubble or so every second on the second day, by wednesday it was a bubble every 10 seconds, then 20 seconds thursday, and close to a minute yesterday. A full 2 minutes this morning.

I will try to get some pictures.

Thanks to everyone for answering all of my questions!

 

[Sasquatch]

Did you take a SG at all? That's a little better than the bubbles/min guide, I think.

 

[DuallyBrew]

Nope, no hyrdrometer yet.

I'll be sure to track the gravities for the next batch.

 

[Sasquatch]

Reason I ask is that I bottled today, a batch that's been in secondary since about 10 days ago, and I haven't seen it bubble for a long time... Just sitting and watching for a few minutes... you see nothing. So I wonder if you may have been just a bit premature, but probably not bottle-explodingly so. Let's hope not anyhow! The hydrometer takes out the guess-work

 

[DuallyBrew]

Yeah - I wouldn't be surpised if I was a bit premature. When I ordered my equipment, I didn't realize at the time that the hyrdrometer readings were required from the beginning, so I planned on going by the visual activity...

Next time I will be going by readings.

It wouldn't be a "first batch" if EVERYTHING went right ;-)

Thanks for the advise. I appreciate it very much.

 

[Sasquatch]

Well, in all honesty, I didn't use a hydrometer for my first batch either.. I just followed the kit directions as regards time, and things were fine. But it sure seems to depend on the type of beer and type of yeast... the stout kit I just did seems to have totally finished in about 4 days, and the Dutch Lager before that took 3 weeks to finish out... I think a real experienced brewer would be able to tell just from flocculation, air-lock activity, color etc, but us noobs need all the help we can get!!