Fermentation lock bubbles (too slow?)

[Casey26]

Hey all,

I put my wort in the carboy on Saturday, and the initial fermentation has subsided. Now my fermentation lock is bubbling about once every 20-30 seconds. Should it be bubbling more, or is this about average?

I did a search and the only thing I found is that it bubbles like crazy at the beginning (Which mine did), and that it bubbles about once every 2 minutes when fermenation is over. I didn't see any info on the period between start and finish.

Thanks for the help!

 

[dwarven_stout]

Sounds average to me. Leave for a week, minimum, then test the gravity. Don't trust the bubbles to tell you when it's done. Test again a couple days later. If they're the same, go ahead and bottle it, but be sure to leave them alone for 2-3 weeks after you bottle.

 

[hamiltont]

I leave mine in the primary for 3 weeks. Then start checking the gravity. If it stays the same 3 days in a row it's ready to keg/bottle.

 

[jewillia]

I have been leaving mine in primary for 2-3 weeks without touching it and I won't be doing a secondary starting with my recent ones. Like others said, don't use your airlock as an indication of how fermentation is going (or has gone). The hydrometer is the only real way to know, but the fewer samples the better for contamination sake.

 

[Hang Glider]

Casey,
the airlock is a vent. It bubbles when it needs to. It's not an indicator of "ready" or "not ready"

Dig out your hydrometer and become friends with it.
and then, when it doesn't change anymore and you think it's done, that's when to wait a couple more weeks for it to get happy. Conditioning, cleaning up after itself, etc.

Welcome to HBT!

 

[Casey26]

Thanks for the replies. I'll pull out the hydrometer in a few days.

 

[IceFisherChris]

Yep, bubbles in an airlock can tell you its fermenting but you can't use it as a gauge. Some people never have bubbles at all. If it's bubbling, its most likely fermenting. But that's all you can really grab from an airlock.
Use a hydrometer to tell you when it's done.

 

[mosquitocontrol]

My first batch that 'didn't bubble' I searched every thread like you and got slightly worried. A few days later I realized I didn't click my lid on all the way.

Prime example of why airlocks don't tell the truth. I subscribe to the leave it for 3-4 weeks with one hydrometer reading at the end to see if its done.

 

[TipsyDragon]

there is no set length for a fermentation. any idea what your current fermentation temp is? if its too low it will cause the fermentation to slow or even stop prematurely.