fermentation done?

[mrwentura]

so it has been 6 days since I boiled my wort. I made a German style wheat beer with wyeast 3068 weihenstephan yeast, Hallertauer hops, and wheat malt. it seems as if the fermentation is slowing- a bubble every 12-15 secs. the temp is at 68 degrees now. I dont have a finished gravity # to direct me when it is finished. I was told to bring the temp up in fermentation as the bubbles slow down so that the yeast cleans up the wort. should I do it now or wait till bubbling is almost at a stand still?

 

[willness33]

I'd wait until you have less than 1 bubble per min. Ideally, you'd want your gravity to be stable over 3 days, regardless of what it is. Your still fermenting pretty actively at this point with bubbles every 12-15. Give it more time before doing anything.

 

[jonny_crash]

Do not use the airlock as an indicator of fermentation. As the previous poster said let it go a bit longer and use your hydrometer to tell you when it's done. I wouldn't change your temperature as I think its better to keep temp steady but maybe someone with more knowledge could give you more insight.

 

[unionrdr]

Keep the temp steady till initial fermentation is done going nuts. I wait till the 2 week mark to check for a 1st FG. Then if it has a few more points to go,you can raise the temp a couple cgrees. Many times,unless it's a big beer,you don't need to do that. Just give it time.

 

[boscobeans]

I'd wait until you have less than 1 bubble per min. Ideally, you'd want your gravity to be stable over 3 days, regardless of what it is. Your still fermenting pretty actively at this point with bubbles every 12-15. Give it more time before doing anything.

As stated above I wouldn't go by either bubbles or any predetermined final gravity. Each batch can be and usually is off by a few points. Those few points could lead to bottle bombs.


Gravity readings over a period of 3 days or longer should remain the same (as long as you're in the expected vicinity) before going forward with the beer.

The extra few days or even week or so will do nothing but give you a better beer.

IMHO

bosco

 

[mrwentura]

so I originally said the bubbles were 12-15 secs apart but today it seems as if it has sped up. Why? THE TEMP HAS BEEN THE SAME. do the yeast take breaks? lol im not worried. the beer seems fine but it is very interesting to see it have a second life of speedy bubbling. what do you guys think?

 

[Yooper]

so I originally said the bubbles were 12-15 secs apart but today it seems as if it has sped up. Why? THE TEMP HAS BEEN THE SAME. do the yeast take breaks? lol im not worried. the beer seems fine but it is very interesting to see it have a second life of speedy bubbling. what do you guys think?

An airlock can bubble when the air temperature changes. Usually if it gets warmer, it'll bubble much faster. Barometric temperature changes can do it too.

I bet your room got warmer today.

That's why you can't count bubbles as a sign of fermentation. If you take a hydrometer reading, and three days later take another one, and it's the same- the beer is done.