Pale Ale Still Fermenting After Two Weeks?

[jeffceo24]

Hi Guys, I brewed a pale ale (LME extract kit) about 15 days ago. Pitched Safale 05 yeast at around 70-75 degrees. Fermentation started within 12 hours or less. Bubbled quite a bit for the first week or so. Now it has been in the fermentor for 15 days at a consistent room temperature of 63-64 degrees. I was going to bottle this past weekend but I am still getting bubbles every 5 minutes or so. Is this the yeast "cleaning up" or is it still fermenting since it has been at a relatively cool temp in the low 60's? Thank you

 

[vgmohag]

The only way to tell if its done is with a stable gravity reading over a few day time span. As you'll soon see there are tons of posts about airlock bubbles not meaning fermentation or lack of.

 

[RM-MN]

Airlock bubbles only tell you that there is an exchange of gas. The end of fermentation is verified by using a hydrometer, sampling one day, then again 2 days later. Matching readings that are near where the final gravity should be confirms that the beer is ready to bottle.

Your beer absorbs a lot of CO2 during the ferment and it can be releasing it for a long time afterward. That is probably why you still see bubbles in the airlock.

 

[beerlover77]

Check with a hydrometer. US-05 should finish 1.010-1.015 range. As VGM and RM stated you can take a few samples over a few days and if it stays the same it's done.

Don't pour the sample back.... drink it!