first Non-kit brew question

[THEDIETZ]

So after making 3 kits my buddy and me decided to just purchase the ingredients and try to make one ourselves. we went with a honey lager. Either way...i brewed this sunday august 3rd. the first 2 days in the fermentor there was no bubbling in the airlock. I went to the beach for 5 days and came back this past sunday. there was a slow steady bubble now and there still is today!! Should i rack this to a secondary or just let it go until the bubbles stop? If you have any other suggestions let me know and thanks!!!

 

[carnevoodoo]

Let it go until the bubbles stop. Then take hydrometer readings and make sure you've hit your final gravity. Make sure you take a couple so you know it is actually done. I'd leave it alone for at least another week.

You don't even have to secondary if you don't want to.

 

[THEDIETZ]

well I guess that is another good question. My original gravity was at 1.061...but like i siad we just bought the ingredients and went with it....how do you know what your final gravity reading should be??

 

[Yooper]

well I guess that is another good question. My original gravity was at 1.061...but like i siad we just bought the ingredients and went with it....how do you know what your final gravity reading should be??

A good "guestimate" is 75% attenuation. So, 1.014 or so.
It really depends on your ingredients, though, since some ingredients have more unfermentables in them, as well as your yeast choice. Some yeast strains are less attenuative.

If you post your recipe, and tell us what yeast you used, we could give you a better estimate.

 

[THEDIETZ]

6lb pale malt light extract
1/2lb carapils
1/2lb honey malt
2 oz german perle hops
1 oz czech saaz whole leaf hop finishing
2 lb honey last 15 min boiling
british ale yeast - liquid

does that help? this was just a recipe i found that someone posted but we switched a few things...hoping it turns out pretty good

 

[Yooper]

Well, the British yeast strains tend to be less attenuative, so you could probably plan on 70% attenuation for the malt, but honey is very fermentable and will ferment out pretty well, so you could be 1.012-1.015ish.

 

[devaspawn]

definitely leave it in there for a week or so more. Let the yeasties clean up after themselves.

 

[boo boo]

A british ale yeast would be the last thing I'd brew with if I were making a lager style beer. Unless of course it was Nottingham or other neutral type yeast.