Fermenting STILL?!

[oldhat]

Hey folks. Still on my first from-scratch beer and most noticibly have some jitters.

So it's been almost three weeks since I put my brew in the fermenter and...I think there's still some airlock activity.

For reference, my airlock is one of these:

Currently the water is completely on one side and lets out one bubble burst every three hours or so. The question is: when it's still like this, would it still be okay to bottle?

It should be noted that I'm unable to take a gravity reading as I suspect that my hydrometer is broken and won't be able to get a new one for a good long while (would you believe my LHBS doesn't have any? sigh)

Thanks in advance and thanks so much for putting up with my freaking out of the past...jeez...past couple of threads.

 

[DoubleAught]

Rely more on your gravity rather than airlock activity, 3 days with the same reading "normally" means fermentation is complete.

 

[Revvy]

Airlock activity means only that the airlock is bubbling, not whether or not the beer is fermenting or not. It's a vent, a valve to release excess gas from the fermenter, and that gas could simply be from a change in temp or barometric pressure, or the cat nudging it, it's not a fermentation gauge. Take a hydrometer to know what the beer is really doing.

 

[oldhat]

As I posted, I don't have access to a hydrometer. Mine seems to be broken (as it reads that it has been the same gravity [1.010, which was baffling to start with] since before I put it in the fermenter when I know that's not true) and my LHBS won't be ordering any for a while.

Money is also a problem, as I currently have $2 to my name.

 

[oldhat]

So the question is, would it be safe to assume that after 3-4 weeks it's good to bottle?

 

[Delaney]

So the question is, would it be safe to assume that after 3-4 weeks it's good to bottle?

I think after the three week mark you'll be in the green, but you need a hydrometer reading to be certain...