Is beer still fermenting?

[ljastangs21]

I put the wort in the fermenting bucket 2 days ago. I checked yesterday and I saw that the bubbler you put on the top of the bucket was moving up and down. I moved the bucket off of the cold concrete ground to a carpeted area and now I checked today and its not bubbling anymore. Is it done fermenting?

 

[knightbeer39]

You have three options here to know for sure:

1) take a gravity reading
2) take a gravity reading
3) oh, and take a gravity reading



But seriously, take a gravity reading, and I think its highly unlikely you have completely finished fermentation in two days. Take a gravity reading, give it another week or two, and take another and see if it changes.

 

[Marko73]

The only way to know is to take a gravity reading with your hydrometer. The airlock isn't the best indicator of fermentation. If you are at your expected final gravity, it is done fermenting.

 

[CaptChet]

No. The easiest and first check to make is make sure the lid did not become jarred loose when moving the bucket. This can be an issue when using buckets.

 

[D_Struct]

To make the answer short and concise: No.

The easiest way to analyze where your beer is at in the fermentation process is to use your hydrometer. Two days is far from being "done" fermenting, and it'll still need more time after the end of this initial bit of fermentation for the yeast to clean up after themselves. Changes in temperature can disrupt the yeast, and cause them to slow down a bit. Keep monitoring things over the coming week +. After you've given it a couple of weeks, you'll need to check the hydrometer readings to see if it's hit its intended final gravity. After its hit its FG, check it again in 3 days to confirm. After that, you'll want to give the yeast a bit more time to clean up after themselves. Then you'll be ready to bottle or keg.

 

[Legin]

You have three options here to know for sure:

1) take a gravity reading
2) take a gravity reading
3) oh, and take a gravity reading


Many choices to choose from.
I especially can't imagine the airlock would completely stop bubbling because you moved the beer to a slightly warmer temp. Perhaps you broke the seal on the bucket, so now air is escaping out the sides instead of out the airlock. Don't worry if this is the case.

 

[D0ug]

+1 to the previous posts.

Other things besides fermentation can affect the airlock.

Take a gravity reading at the end of the week, then let it sit for two or three more weeks, the beer will be happier for it!
Take another reading at the end of this period. Wait to bottle or keg until you have two FG readings that are the same over the course of at least 3 days

 

[JonK331]

I put the wort in the fermenting bucket 2 days ago. I checked yesterday and I saw that the bubbler you put on the top of the bucket was moving up and down. I moved the bucket off of the cold concrete ground to a carpeted area and now I checked today and its not bubbling anymore. Is it done fermenting?

No, make sure the lid is tight and leave it alone for at least three weeks. Then take a gravity reading.

 

[osagedr]

It could be done fermenting. As others have said, checking the gravity is the only way to know. If it's the same for a couple of days it's done. If your plan was to leave it in the primary until bottling, it's probably not critical that you do anything (including checking the gravity) for awhile. If on the other hand you were thinking of using a secondary, then you may as well rack if it has hit its FG. There's no real rush either way. If you don't have a hydrometer, get one right away.

 

[dgoldb1]

What yeast did you use?

 

[RM-MN]

IT'S NOT DONE YET!!!

Someone has to be the one to say it loud and clear. You yeast may not be making bubbles anymore but it is far from done. At the end of 2 WEEKS you can take a gravity reading and see if it is done.

Yeast does a lot more than just make ethanol and burp CO2. Let it do all of its job.

 

[rjwhite41]

IT'S NOT DONE YET!!!

Someone has to be the one to say it loud and clear. You yeast may not be making bubbles anymore but it is far from done. At the end of 2 WEEKS you can take a gravity reading and see if it is done.

Yeast does a lot more than just make ethanol and burp CO2. Let it do all of its job.

+1. Check after 2 weeks. Checking now is a waste of time. Do check the lid though and make sure it is on tight.

 

[Revvy]

Many choices to choose from.
I especially can't imagine the airlock would completely stop bubbling because you moved the beer to a slightly warmer temp. Perhaps you broke the seal on the bucket, so now air is escaping out the sides instead of out the airlock. Don't worry if this is the case.

Anything can cause an airlock to start or stop bubbling. That's why they shouldn't be used as fermentation gauges and just what they are vents to release EXCESS co2. Nothing else.

 

[ljastangs21]

Do I need to wait 2-3 weeks like some of you are saying? In my instructions it says wait 5-7 days and then proceed to bottle. After its in the bottle dont I need to wait 10 days -2 weeks and then cool and then drink?

 

[jonmohno]

after three batches,only. i stronly agree.leave it alone for three weeks and dont even get in there until then.the less you mess with it the easier and better it will be.

 

[rjwhite41]

You will have better beer if you wait. I would recommend that you listen to people who have been brewing for years (I've been brewing for 13 years) instead of the instructions that came with your kit. No offense to whoever made your kit, but they all say that and it's just not the best way to make beer. To carb is 2-3 weeks in bottle I believe but I haven't bottled in years.

 

[jonmohno]

Thats exactly what threw me off at first reading those reccomendations, had i come to this site first listening to you guys, i would have known better! I dont know why they would say that,wouldnt they want you to have a better beer and buy more? Doesnt make sense to me.unripe beer.

 

[ljastangs21]

okay thanks sounds good

 

[D0ug]

Rumor has it they put the short fermentation times in the recipes, because they don't think anyone will buy it if they tell them they'll have to wait a month and a half to drink their beer.

Can you ferment for a week, bottle for two and drink? Yes, it will even be beer. But it will be nowhere close to the beer it could have been if it sat for a month in primary and then spent two weeks in the bottle.

Look for posts by Revvy. He has written, here and on his blog, exhaustively about this topic.

 

[ENS]

after three batches,only. i stronly agree.leave it alone for three weeks and dont even get in there until then.the less you mess with it the easier and better i will be.

word!

 

[jonmohno]

Good ol America.Anything for money lies lies lies. There is nothing more that i hate about america than LYING SALESMAN. protecting there money but deceiving the consumer.
What a discovery since i started seeking craftbrew, now im brewing it,Hell Ya!

 

[ljastangs21]

My GFs dad thinks we should just bottle it in a day or 2. I told him we should wait but he really wont listen. Is it okay to bottle half the beer now and let the other half sit for another 2 or 3 weeks?

 

[JRems]

You really should leave it and not disturb it. If it's not done fermenting and you bottle you have the chance of the bottles exploding.

 

[D0ug]

My GFs dad thinks we should just bottle it in a day or 2. I told him we should wait but he really wont listen. Is it okay to bottle half the beer now and let the other half sit for another 2 or 3 weeks?

Did he go in on this batch with you?

If you have a 3 gal. better bottle, or some container smaller than your fermenter, you can go ahead. Rack your beer into the smaller container and bottle his. You want to try to minimize the headspace over the beer that will be conditioning in the bright tank/secondary container.

But it's been three days today and he wants to bottle on day 4 or 5? I would really, REALLY, REALLY recommend taking a hydrometer NOW and on the day you're planning to bottle, otherwise you run a HIGH risk of bottling actively fermenting beer and can look forward to bottle bombs in about 2-3 weeks.

You should not bottle before you have two gravity readings that are the same three days apart.

How important is this relationship too you anyway Just kidding.

Try some platitudes, you know, "patience is a virtue", "anything worth doing is worth doing right","all good things come to he who waits"...

It is hard to work with others sometimes, this might be a good sign that it's time to spread your wings and brew solo.

Get a three gal better bottle, or three 1 gallon glass jugs w/ airlocks AND A HYDROMETER!

She must really be special for you to be willing to work with him

Good luck

 

[PVH]

The key is to buy more fermenters and brew more beer. That (and drinking homebrew) will cure your need to mess with or worry about your beer before it's time to package it.

 

[VTBrewer]

My GFs dad thinks we should just bottle it in a day or 2. I told him we should wait but he really wont listen. Is it okay to bottle half the beer now and let the other half sit for another 2 or 3 weeks?

Besides not being nearly as good if you bottle now, you have a very good chance of having exploding bottles and a mess on your hands if it is not done fermenting. Bottles don't have airlock's.

Three days with no gravity change is the only way to tell if it's safe to bottle.

 

[rjwhite41]

Even if it is "safe to bottle" doesn't mean the yeast is done. It continues to clean up and affect flavor after is done making alcohol. Patience is a virtue blah, blah, blah... If you are going to enjoy to enjoy the fruits of your labor you will need to develop it.

 

[D0ug]

Even if it is "safe to bottle" doesn't mean the yeast is done. It continues to clean up and affect flavor after is done making alcohol. Patience is a virtue blah, blah, blah... If you are going to enjoy to enjoy the fruits of your labor you will need to develop it.

It sounds like the OP doesn't have much choice, like maybe he split the ingredients? Or got the equipment from his "brew buddy"?

He wants to figure out how to split the batch I think.

I say let's help him figure it out. He can let his beer sit, and give Mr. Expert a case of pop goes the brew.