Need a little help with Fermentation time question

[mdrose]

Hi,
I am very NEW!! My first batch of 5 gallons is in my fermentor.
I'm making a Belgian Wit, followed the directions in the instructions, and everything seems to be going OK.
My brew went into the fermentor Sundat night (about 24 hours ago).
Yesterday bubbling out of the air lock was nice and constant, it was very slow this morning, and now at 24 hours, it's about dead.
Is this normal? I've been reading the fermentation should take 5 days or so, and so I was assuming I would have constant bubbling.
When do I know fermentation has stopped to the point I should transfer to my secondary? Should there be a few minutes between blurps? No bubbles for hours?
Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[dbreienrk1]

you should let it sit for one week and take a gravity reading. that is the only way to monitor fermentation. the airlock means very little.

 

[D0ug]

DO not worry about the bubbles, the yeast may have just slowed down. If you check out the various threads relating to this on this forum, most people go 10-21 days for an average beer.

Almost everyone will recommend getting a hydrometer and checking the specific gravity to determine when the beer has finished. After a week and a half or two weeks you can take some readings a few days apart and if the readings are the same it is done

The instructions for fermenting that come with kits usually suggest a fermentation schedule that is good for moving their product, not necessarily what's best for the beer.

 

[mdrose]

I have the hygrometer, I'll wait a week and take a reading as suggested. Thanks for the input!

 

[TopherM]

Just be patient and leave it in the primary for 3 weeks. The majority of beers UNDER about 1.06 OG benefit from a full 3 weeks. The first 95% or so of active fermentation takes place in the first 2-5 days, which is when you typically see airlock bubbles. Even after the airlock bubbles have completely ceased, however, it takes the yeast another 2-4 days to fully complete the fermentation. That last 5% is just not as active because there is far less sugar to consume, not to mention far more yeast competing for it. Anyway, even AFTER the full 100% of actual fermentation is complete, the yeast will start to eat all of the byproducts in the beer. Those byproducts can contribute to off flavors in the beer, so letting the yeast clean them up is great for the quality of the final product. This process takes another 3-5 days. From there, the yeast fall out of suspension and the beer starts to bulk condition, leading to clarity and more improvement to the beer.

So, just plan on keeping all averaged gravity beers in the fermentor for about 3 weeks, and you'll get all of these benefits! There are a few styles that this does not apply to, so just check in on recommended primary time when you start your recipe, but typically 3 weeks is optimal!