I brewed a batch of hefeweizen on Saturday. Pitched about 8:00pm. By Sunday morning it was bubbling in the airlock. Yesterday it was bubbling really good. Now, nothing. I watched it for 10 minutes and didn't see a single bubble. It's been less than 48 hours and it's already stopped bubbling. Is the fermentation stuck? If it is, what could I do about it? I would add that this was my first time using a dry yeast, safbrew WB-06.
Stuck fermentation?
- Thread starter phil74501
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You'll need a gravity reading 3 days apart to see if it's stuck. I wouldn't use airlock activity as a sign that fermentation is completed.
I've let a beer sit for several months without any issues. As long as your able to maintain correct temperature it'll be fine.
Dang. I didn't know you could let one sit for that long. The recipe on the one I'm doing says to rack it after 7 days, which would be Saturday. I'll check the gravity when I rack it.
BeerAddikt
Expert Beer Quaffer
No need to worry. I brewed a batch using Muntons dried yeast and had the same results. Had steady airlock activity less than 7 hours after brewing. At 24 hours the activity was so intense I thought the fermenter might explode. After 48 hours the bubbling was almost completely gone. After 4 days no bubbles at all.
I let the yeast do their thing for 2 weeks total and took FG...all was well. You should be fine.
I let the yeast do their thing for 2 weeks total and took FG...all was well. You should be fine.
Several things.
First I never rack to a secondary. I would only rack to a secondary if your doing a long term storage or doing dry hoping. I'm lazy and short on time so I always add any adjuncts directly to my fermentation bucket. Then either bottle or move to keg.
Second, only move when your gravity readings are stable after a few days between testing. Just because it's been X number of days doesn't mean it's done.
Good Luck!
First I never rack to a secondary. I would only rack to a secondary if your doing a long term storage or doing dry hoping. I'm lazy and short on time so I always add any adjuncts directly to my fermentation bucket. Then either bottle or move to keg.
Second, only move when your gravity readings are stable after a few days between testing. Just because it's been X number of days doesn't mean it's done.
Good Luck!
If you see any activity at all (airlock bubbling, krausen), then it's fermenting. No worries. If you didn't see any activity at all after 3 days, then worry.
Don't bother checking gravity at all for at least a week. I'd suggest 10 days (that's what I do). In fact, it's best to not open the fermentor at all (assuming you know fermentation had started). Every time you open it, bacteria and oxygen enters. You do not want that.
At warm temperatures (i.e., room temp) fermentation can go very quickly. Still, after the apparent fermentation is finished (that is, fermentation that produces CO2), you should leave it for a few more days to let the yeast finish converting some of the ugly byproducts.
Oh yea, don't bother with a secondary fermentor.
Don't bother checking gravity at all for at least a week. I'd suggest 10 days (that's what I do). In fact, it's best to not open the fermentor at all (assuming you know fermentation had started). Every time you open it, bacteria and oxygen enters. You do not want that.
At warm temperatures (i.e., room temp) fermentation can go very quickly. Still, after the apparent fermentation is finished (that is, fermentation that produces CO2), you should leave it for a few more days to let the yeast finish converting some of the ugly byproducts.
Oh yea, don't bother with a secondary fermentor.
Kit instructions are notorious for short time spans. Longer is safer, for the beer itself and for you against bottle bombs.
Airlock activity is only telling you that strong enough fermentation is occurring, creating more co2 than the fermenter can contain. Bucket lids often leak and the airlock will not bubble though fermentation occurs.
I suggest 10 days, then take a gravity reading then take another one on day 12. If it is the same you can bottle it, or you can leave it longer. Some homebrewers feel the yeast will keep working and clean up off flavors that are created by the action of fermentation. How long this takes is up for debate. Most say a couple of days, others think it takes a month. With a few exceptions, leaving the beer in primary longer is perfectly acceptable. I have left some in primary for a month or more with no ill effects.
So in answer, No it is unlikely your fermentation is stuck. But, it is also not likely finished either.
Temperature has not been covered. Ale yeast should be fermented in the mid sixties (wort temperature) A warmer temperature will ferment faster. But not necessarily for the better, in fact too warm could lead to terrible off flavors. How off depends on how hot. The hotter the worse.
Passedpawn beat me to the temperature part of the equation.
Airlock activity is only telling you that strong enough fermentation is occurring, creating more co2 than the fermenter can contain. Bucket lids often leak and the airlock will not bubble though fermentation occurs.
I suggest 10 days, then take a gravity reading then take another one on day 12. If it is the same you can bottle it, or you can leave it longer. Some homebrewers feel the yeast will keep working and clean up off flavors that are created by the action of fermentation. How long this takes is up for debate. Most say a couple of days, others think it takes a month. With a few exceptions, leaving the beer in primary longer is perfectly acceptable. I have left some in primary for a month or more with no ill effects.
So in answer, No it is unlikely your fermentation is stuck. But, it is also not likely finished either.
Temperature has not been covered. Ale yeast should be fermented in the mid sixties (wort temperature) A warmer temperature will ferment faster. But not necessarily for the better, in fact too warm could lead to terrible off flavors. How off depends on how hot. The hotter the worse.
Passedpawn beat me to the temperature part of the equation.
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The kit instructions say to rack to a secondary after a week. The instructions also say you can just leave it in the primary. The temp on the side of the fermenter is about 74. The yeast temp range is supposed to be 59 to 75.
microbusbrewery
Senior Member
+1 everything passedpawn said
This is a recurring problem for many of us, the best answer I get that you haven't gotten yet is to swirl the carboy to disturb the sediment on the bottom. This is a slow and steady approach that you may as well repeat every few days. ( hell I've started doing it sometimes to healthy brews) I have also resorted to step feeding sleepy yeast to get them going again!
