First stage fermentation

[bxrmendez]

Hello, I'm brewing an American Ale and it's in its first fermentation and my airlock started to bubble 24 hrs later. It bubbled for about 12 hours and than it stopped, is this normal? What does this mean for my fermentation?

 

[flars]

You are fermenting in a bucket? It just means the fermentation is beginning to slow down. The pressure of the CO2 is reduced so less is going through the air lock. Buckets don't seal well, and this is not a problem, some CO2 is escaping around the bucket lid before getting to the air lock.

 

[SteveHeff]

Leave it for another 7-14 days, or until you have stable gravity for 3 days in a row. I hardly ever see CO2 escaping from my fermentation...my buckets (and lids) don't seal very well and the gas disperses around the gasket and not the airlock. I usually leave mine for 10-14 days and then begin to check gravity readings with my hydrometer. Follow the instruction of the particular yeast strain you used. Ales ferment faster than lagers, for sure. So what did you brew?