Uh oh, help

[teddyjackson]

So,
Its been a week of fermenting. Currently brew is fermenting at my friends house. He told me yesterday that,it was bubbling for 2 days strait after we put it into bucket for fermenting. He said after those 2 days the rest of this week it stopped. Does this mean anything? We were going to bottle tomorrow, considering hes going back to school all of next week. Should we wait another week?

T.J

 

[Netflyer]

Wait another week or two, don't rush!

 

[MrInternet]

Don't go by bubbles, go by gravity. Your airlock can continue to offgas even after fermentation has stopped, and your beer can continue to ferment at a rate you wouldn't necessarily see looking at an airlock. Always go by the SG/FG readings... take a gravity reading, and if it stays the same for two days, you're safe to bottle as long as you're close to your expected FG and your fermentation hasn't stalled or anything.

Right, I was going to say a week from yeast to bottle is pretty fast, more than likely too fast. Let your beer do its thing for 2-3 weeks, you'll be rewarded with a beer that basically cleans up after itself. But if you're going to bottle quick (and a lot of people here do, esp with hefes and English milds), make sure your gravity is low and stable.

 

[broadbill]

No, dont' wait another week....wait 3 weeks instead....4 would be ideal.

 

[ArcaneXor]

Did you take a hydrometer reading?

I'd wait another week or two to bottle anyway. Bottling one week-old beer is not usually a good idea.

 

[TipsyDragon]

wait the extra week. before you bottle take some hydrometer readings. be sure to temp adjust the readings. wait a few days then take another. if its exactly the same then its safe to bottle.

if your brewing in a bucket its normal for fermentation to appear to stop. the CO2 is escaping around the lid instead of the airlock. don't worry. never use the airlock as a fermentation indicator its unreliable use your hydrometer.

 

[teddyjackson]

I will probably wait another week then. There shouldnt be any leaking, we made sure it was sealed shut pretty well. Oh yeah, what should the hydrometer read again for me to know when to bottle? Thanks everyone!

T.J.

 

[teddyjackson]

OH YEAH! Ok, should I rack my brew into the secondary? If I do, should I strain it? My secondary isn't a glass carboy. However it is another bucket with a nozzle when i begin bottling. Just wondering. Should I consider buying a carboy tomorrow? Thanks again!

 

[Hugh_Jass]

The text book answer is identical readings over three days, terminal gravity is reached and is o.k. to bottle.
Without knowing the recipe and yeast, it's difficult to answer that question, tho.

Not sure what you mean by "strain it", but if you let the beer sit in the fermenting bucket for a few weeks, most if not all of the sediment will drop out of solution, negating the need for a secondary.

Leave the bucket w/spigot for when it's time to bottle.

 

[teddyjackson]

Alright sounds good, I will just leave it as is. Thanks for all your help everyone. Very much appreciate it!

 

[shortyjacobs]

Definitely don't strain. ONLY siphon once fermentation has started or completed...you want to introduce as little oxygen into the beer as possible.