time to ditch it?

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OxTrotter

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Hi, I'm a newbie on my second ever brew, using a Munton's Midas Touch kit, and the fermentation seems to be taking for ever. It started off fermenting vigorously then slowed down after a few days but didn't stop. We're now into the fourth week and the airlock is still bubbling every few minutes and it's starting to smell a little 'pond-like'. I'm guessing it's time to ditch it and start again, but any advice welcome!
Munton's Midas touch summer ale.JPG
 
Fermentation and airlock bubbles are only slightly related. With a well sealed fermenter and a good airlock you should see bubbles within a few hours of fermentation starting because the yeast are eating sugars and producing CO2. That CO2 production only lasts 2-3 days usually. From then on the yeast produce no more CO2 but there is a lot of the CO2 dissolved into the beer and that coming out of solution can make the airlock bubble for weeks. The only way to determine if the fermentation is complete is to use your hydrometer.

Unless you took the cover off to sniff the nice aroma, your beer is just fine and would be fine for a few months. Take a hydrometer reading now. It should be somewhere between 1.005 and 1.020. If it is, it is time to bottle that beer.

Most of us would take a hydrometer reading between day 10 and day 20, record the reading, then take another a couple days later. If they match we bottle. Learn to use your hydrometer as it is the only way to determine if the beer is done fermenting.
 
I would never ditch it on smell. If you've ever used a Hefe yeast, it can smell like rotten eggs once the sulfur gets going. But they turn out great. Take gravity readings and taste the sample. If gravity is the same with a couple days apart and it tastes ok, I'd package it.
 
Thanks all - really glad to hear that it's probably OK! I'll check it with the hydrometer tomorrow and have a taste.
 
Hydrometer reading was 1011 - kit instructions say anything stable below 1014 is complete, so I went ahead and bottled. Fingers crossed and thanks again for the advice!
200509 Munton post ferment.JPG
 
Good - quite malty with a very nice bitterness. I'm also using light spraymalt for the conditioning instead of sugar so will be interested to see how that works out (not sure it will affect the flavour much?).
 
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