How can I tell if my beer fermented sucessfully?

[Chrozi_75]

so i'm trying to brew 5 gallons of IPA. Boil seemed to go ok and I was excited to ferment.

I'm new to this, I was a bad boy and didn't take a gravity reading before I fermented.

I pitched at 74-75 F. I used a packet of dry yeast that had been in the fridge until I opened it to proof it. I only smelled a slight "dough" smell after letting sit in the water, and saw a couple bubbles. The packet sat open at room temperature for about an hour.

Now the first time I fermented I had a good amount of bubble action coming out of the airlock. This time I have no such action, there are some bubbles in the water but just sitting. I read elsewhere you cant use the airlock as a ferment gauge, so since I didn't take a gravity and I don't see bubbles, are there any other ways to tell if the beer fermented?

I did peek in through the airlock hole and could see there was a slight buildup on the sides of the bucket. I did not have heavy foam when I first filled the bucket.

Even though I didn't take an initial reading, is there a general range a fermented IPA usually falls in?

Thanks for reading!

 

[CBMbrewer]

Bucket fermentors can be notorious for not sealing completely so during your primary, which it sounds like you had, co2 was going out through the place of least resistance leaving little to no activity in your airlock. Don't worry the pressure of the co2 pushing out should be plenty to keep anything bad from getting into your wort. Give it a couple of weeks then take a hydrometer reading. If it looks like the fg is where it should be, wait three days then take another reading. If its the same, fermentation is down.
Airlocks are not a good gauge for fermentation. Stick with your hydrometer.

 

[Chrozi_75]

thanks,

my lid was a little unsecure at first, I snapped it shut best I could a day or so after I pitched.

What is the gravity I want to be at?

 

[beergolf]

What is the gravity I want to be at?

Depends on the recipe. What was your recipe?

 

[thefragle]

My airlock had stopped bubbling after a week, is this right? I figured it would be more like two weeks of bubbles???
Its a Coopers Australian Pale Ale kit btw
Cheers All

http://www.d1139064.cp.blacknight.com/joeysite/wordpress/?page_id=141

 

[froidy]

My airlock had stopped bubbling after a week, is this right? I figured it would be more like two weeks of bubbles???
Its a Coopers Australian Pale Ale kit btw
Cheers All

http://www.d1139064.cp.blacknight.com/joeysite/wordpress/?page_id=141

Take CBMbrewer's advice! Never rely on the bubbles to work out if fermentation is finished. Leave it at least another week to be sure, it won't hurt, if anything the end product will come out better
Take a hydrometer reading and once the gravity is the same two days in a row you will be right to bottle it