Newbie in Ohio

[RandyH]

My daughter got me an extract kit for X-mas - brewed it, was OK just not my preferred beer. Brewed another batch, a partial extract\grain porter and it was excellent. Brewed a 3rd batch and it was awful! Have an all grain 1 gal batch in the ferment-er now that has been in for about 10 days, first 3-4 was fairly heavy bubbles, settled down to just a bubble every once in a while now with a layer of junk on top. my previous brews have been much quicker to finish & settle about 4-5 days then i been giving them a week before bottling. My question is HOW LONG should it take? Is it still OK or is there something that i should be concerned about? it is a Double Choc. Stout if that matters?

Thanks in Advance!
Randy

BTW - i found the site with a google search

 

[RPh_Guy]

Hi, welcome from Cleveland (suburb)!

If you pitch a proper amount of healthy yeast, fermentation typically finishes in 2-5 days. Kraüsen doesn't always settle.

A hydrometer is a helpful tool to determine that fermentation is complete.
Traditional advice has been to make sure that identical gravity readings 3 days apart means fermentation is complete, as long as the FG is near the predicted value.

A more modern approach would be to do a forced fermentation test, but that's a more advanced approach.

 

[RandyH]

RPh_Guy,
Thanks for the reply! It did work fairly hard for about 3 or 4 days, it surprised me because my other brews then just pretty much stopped and sit there for another 10 days or so with the air lock bubbles level, this brew just produces a bubble every half hour or so now. and the Kraüsen isn't settling yet. Guess i will just continue to monitor it for a few more days before deciding what to do with it.

Randy

 

[RPh_Guy]

I went through the same thing as a newbie. The airlock bubbling doesn't mean anything. It's almost certainly done and ready to package.

 

[Cyclman]

Welcome to the hobby, and the group, from Colorado

 

[Section1]

I've had that happen, some beers are just slow to finish. I agree with previous post to use a hydrometer to see if you are at FG then check again for any changes.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

After you have brewed a dozen more... you will find that you simply don't worry about these things anymore.
As long as you did the proper procedures to encourage a good fermentation - a good fermentation is what you will get 99.9% of the time. Yeast do what they do. Out of all the things to "worry" about - fermenting is the least for me.
I make a yeast starter, I pitch the yeast when the wort is at the temp I want, I keep the fermentation chamber at 63 degrees...pop in and look a couple times to be sure it took off and not having a blow out if it is a big beer... and 3 weeks later I keg/bottle it.
Don't rush anything when making beer. Relax and enjoy it.

 

[RandyH]

I took a picture of the ferment er this morning. It still is showing a very slow activity in the bubbler. I haven't had this, after this many days, with my previous brews.
It still has a sheet of "Something" on top of it. Background - beer was started with a tube in water as an airlock - once it slowed down a bit i sanitized another two chamber bubbler, filled it with vodka, and switched them as quickly as possible. Beer has not been disturbed at all otherwise, in a temp of 68F the whole time. Now at day 15
WHAT should i do next?

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Too early to be super worried yet, although the film on top doesn't look awesome at the 15 day mark.
Go ahead and take the stopper out and take a good whiff.
It should smell like baked bread and beer. It should not have an unpleasant odor. It should not have a vinegar/medicinal/sulfur smell.
If it smells like beerish bread...don't worry about it. Just keep it in there. I have seen beers, particularly high alcohol beers have a "secondary" fermentation... that is... it fermented normally, and then even as late as 2 weeks of little/no activity - fire back up again.

 

[RandyH]

UPDATE!
Finally decided to check this brew out, been 4 weeks. It still had the same appearance that it had two weeks ago. Pulled the airlock took a sniff, smelled OK - No bad smell, so i decided to taste it- TASTES FINE, just FLAT. 8 bottles now waiting to carbonate.

Thanks for the replies guys!