fermentation done after 4 days?

[baystatebrew]

Hey guys-

My first batch has been fermenting for 4 days and it appears to have slowed way down. I am counting up to a minute with no bubbles. I've been watching it like it's my baby...right next to my bed in case it wakes up in the middle of the night. The bubbles were fast and furious at first, though initially I was worried I didn't let the wort cool enough and the yeast might not start eating, but it did. The past few days I've kept the temp steady between 59-63 and the fermentation progressed, with the bubbles slowing gradually.

So, it's an American Wheat beer that appears to be nearing the end of fermentation. This seems early and I definitely plan to keep it going at least a week and most likely 2 based on the advice I get in here. But seeing no bubbles at this point makes me want to double check with the pros in here.

Should I be worried? Would it be a good idea to leave it alone, or perhaps think about getting more yeast? Warmer temps?

I'll probably just leave it alone. Do no harm above all else, I guess.

 

[baystatebrew]

also, and this might be/probably is a dumb question. i've noticed the water level in the airlock has gone down. i assume the water in there partially evaporated but i was wondering, would one ever need to add water to the airlock for any reason during the fermentation process? like, can the water level get too low and effect how co2 is released or something? obviously, i'm new to this, so thanks.

 

[EzMak24]

if you used dry yeast it has been known to ferment fast. Your fine.

 

[velotech]

if you are really worried, take a hydrometer reading and see how much the gravity has dropped and if it still needs to drop more. personally i would just wait it out. the yeast is still working even if it has slowed down. as a beginner brewer it might be good for you to see where it's at right now with regards to gravity, just make sure to keep sanitary. if the airlock water gets too low, put a little more in there. i usually remove to fill up so i don't drop any water in.

 

[Shawn Hargreaves]

This is totally normal. First you wait while the yeast multiply and nothing seems to be happening, then there's a lot of bubbling while the yeasties go to town and eat their fill, then the bubbling slows way down while they work their way through the final few percent of not so easy to digest sugars, and then you want to wait even a while past that to give the yeast time to clean up their byproducts and then settle to the bottom of the fermenter.

It's normal for the frantic bubbling to stop anywhere between a couple of days and a week (I even had one brew that slowed way down after just 24 hours!) but this doesn't mean the yeast are done. You still need to wait two, or for a better taste three, weeks.

 

[Flattop]

Think of it like a second date... you got past the first base but if you rush things now you risk a premature evacuation.... just ease back on the throttle relax and have a beer....
You gave birth to this baby when you pitched, now sit back and let the yeatie beasties do their job.... in another 2 weeks it's their coming out party and you provide the bottles.....

 

[Revvy]

Bubbling in the airlock or lack of means absolutely nothing and it never should...it is NOT a gauge of fermentation, it is a cheap chinese plastic airlock to vent off the excess CO2...that's what a lot of noobs who think they have a stuck fermentation fall into the trap of thinking..or panic when their bubbles stop, or start to wind down...

Just becasue your airlock isn't bubbling or is bubbling doesn't mean that fermentation is or isn't occuring....it just means that theres no excess buildup of co2....or the airlock is askew, or the bubbler is weighted down...

Don't go by that, over half of my beers NEVER BUBBLE the airlock at all, regardless of whether I'm fermenting in a bucket or a carboy...Actually I've gone back to s types for that very purpose...

Back when most common brewing wisdom came about, and when Papazian wrote the book that everyone else wrote their books based on, pretty much the ONLY airlocks were s types and usually were glass and sat heavilly on the fermentors...and bubbled...that's where the idea to count the bubbles came from...but the writers and stuff haven't made the mental note to not use that with 3 piecers...

SO now a lot of people impose that same bad brewing practice on plastic airlocks and fall into bad brewing practices by not using a hydrometer and doing things prematurely...

In other words if you are going by your airlock as to whether fermentation is done or not then you don't know...The only way to know is with a hydrometer...that is the only fermentation gauge.

Read this http://blogs.homebrewtalk.com/Revvy/Think_evaluation_before_action/

ANd leave your beer alone for at least 14 days but if you want your beer to be really at it's best...do what quite a lot of people on here do..walk away from it for a month...after fermentation is done the yeasts like to clean up their messes...leaving it alone lets them do that and makes for really clear and crisp tasting beer.

 

[reim0027]

Just curious . . . I thought Wheat beers weren't supposed to condition that long.

 

[Dougan]

I made a pale ale with dry yeast a couple weeks ago. Less than two days after fermentation got started, it stopped. I was concerned so I took a reading, but it was actually near my expected final gravity. Other times the same yeast would take a week.

My 2nd batch I ever made (which was only a couple months ago) also quit two days in but hadn't gotten near final gravity yet. I ended up letting it sit and a week later it started up again and fermented out. Still haven't quite explained that one, but the point is that batch turned out fine as well. I wouldn't worry about it. The only thing that I would do different is to leave it in the primary longer than originally planned (if you were even planning on putting it in a secondary at all) if you do take a reading and find that it stopped halfway through like this one. It's not bad for it to ferment in the secondary... just sort of defeats the purpose of racking it at all.

 

[kenstogie]

Just curious . . . I thought Wheat beers weren't supposed to condition that long.

I have a Hefenwiezen in the primary for 3 days now and was wondering if I should leave it in the primary for 2-3 weeks. Thanks!!

 

[jds]

Hey guys-

My first batch has been fermenting for 4 days and it appears to have slowed way down. I am counting up to a minute with no bubbles. I've been watching it like it's my baby...right next to my bed in case it wakes up in the middle of the night. The bubbles were fast and furious at first, though initially I was worried I didn't let the wort cool enough and the yeast might not start eating, but it did. The past few days I've kept the temp steady between 59-63 and the fermentation progressed, with the bubbles slowing gradually.

Here's your problem. I know you're excited, but don't baby the beer. Treat it like a red-headed stepchild, banish it to a cold dark basement for a couple of weeks, and try to forget it's down there. Don't worry. Yeast LIKE to be treated that way, and will reward your neglect with tasty beer.

 

[Revvy]

Here's your problem. I know you're excited, but don't baby the beer. Treat it like a red-headed stepchild, banish it to a cold dark basement for a couple of weeks, and try to forget it's down there. Don't worry. Yeast LIKE to be treated that way, and will reward your neglect with tasty beer.

This is one of the best posts I've ever seen!!!

Beer is like Harry Potter, no matter how long he was forced into the durnsley's cupboard, he turned out ok...a pain in the a$$ but okay.

 

[baystatebrew]

right on fellas thanks

 

[tallguybrewing]

Thanks for the reassurance here, everyone. I'm only three batches into my homebrew career, and have appreciated the advice and tips here. (even though there seems to be a love for the terminology and lots of it is lost on me!)
I have a pale ale that stopped bubbling only four days in, but at least I know to trust my hydrometer more than the airlock. I think I was pretty light on the grain going in, so not as much sugar for the liquid yeast to play with. The hydro reading was the same this morning as it was yesterday. Even so, I think it's a good idea (based on posts above) to just leave it in there for two weeks and then transfer to the carboy for secondary fermentation.
I vastly underestimated how much grain I would need for roughly 6 gallons of strike water, and only had 5 lbs of grain. We'll see how it shakes out.. learning by mistakes is usually the best way, right?

 

[Revvy]

Thanks for the reassurance here, everyone. I'm only three batches into my homebrew career, and have appreciated the advice and tips here. (even though there seems to be a love for the terminology and lots of it is lost on me!)
I have a pale ale that stopped bubbling only four days in, but at least I know to trust my hydrometer more than the airlock. I think I was pretty light on the grain going in, so not as much sugar for the liquid yeast to play with. The hydro reading was the same this morning as it was yesterday. Even so, I think it's a good idea (based on posts above) to just leave it in there for two weeks and then transfer to the carboy for secondary fermentation.
I vastly underestimated how much grain I would need for roughly 6 gallons of strike water, and only had 5 lbs of grain. We'll see how it shakes out.. learning by mistakes is usually the best way, right?

This thread is ancient. A lot of stuff that was argued in here has now become common. Like not using secondaries in lieu of long primaries,

I suggest you read THIS thread, it's become the "uber discussion" on this topic thread.

To Secondary or Not? John Palmer and Jamil Zainasheff Weigh In .