Help!

[jd410]

i'm in the process of fermenting a red ale..after 5 days i took a reading. everything seemed to be going well. I put new water in the air lock..and now on day 7 there are no bubbles. is everything okay?

 

[duboman]

i'm in the process of fermenting a red ale..after 5 days i took a reading. everything seemed to be going well. I put new water in the air lock..and now on day 7 there are no bubbles. is everything okay?

Sounds normal to me, what was the reading? If it is at or close to FG let it ride for another week to clear, taste and package

 

[NTXBrauer]

You should be fine. Depending on the yeast and temperature involved, fermentation could easily be completed. Take another gravity reading to know for sure. You may not see any bubbling going forward. Also, you might use vodka or star san in your airlock, to ensure no contamination of your beer. Cheers!

 

[andy6026]

Initial fermentation is often very active and you get to see lots of activity in the airlock. After that, fermentation slows down considerably and even though the beer is still fermenting, it's common to NOT see any airlock activity. Let it ride though. It's advantageous to allow the beer at least 2 weeks in the fermenter - this will help ensure that you reach final gravity and don't get bottle bombs, as well as gives the yeast time to clean up after itself - producing a cleaner and clearer beer.

 

[rodwha]

The typical time frame for fermentation, conditioning, and carbonating is 3 weeks/3 weeks/3 days. I've since adjusted mine to 4 weeks/4 weeks/1 week as I have had an IPA change drastically from first day ready to a week later when a friend showed up to try it. Time helps the flavors meld together and gives the yeast time to clean up their byproducts from fermentation.

Don't open up your fermentor too often as each time you pull the lid it's another opportunity for contamination. I don't check mine until bottling day.

Oh, and I've had some that never bubbled, but certainly fermented.

 

[jd410]

thanks for the help everyone! it's only my second batch and i really want it to turn out! It was close to the FG, but i'll let it sit for sure for another week

 

[unionrdr]

After all the rapid bubbling slows or stops,only initial fermentation is done. It'll then slowly,uneventfully creep down to FG. Then I give it another 3-7 days to clean up fermentation by products & settle out clear or slightly misty. Typically 2-3 weeks all said & done. Makes for clearer beer & better flavors/aromas.

 

[xamanek]

thanks for the help everyone! it's only my second batch and i really want it to turn out! It was close to the FG, but i'll let it sit for sure for another week

If I see no movement on FG for 7 full days I'm bottling it