What is the expected airlock activity?

[AnnapolisBrewer]

First brew put into the fermenter Thursday around 10pm. By 7am there was activity and the airlock was bubbling about every 2 seconds. It stayed this way until this morning (Sunday - day 3). Now is is bubbling once every 14 seconds. I pitched my yeast at about 78 degrees ( I would have waited longer but it was taking quite some time to cool down.) The bucket is in my basement which stays at a constant 69 degrees.

The beer is an Autumn Amber Ale kit from Midwest. I added some of the Wyeast Nutrient Blend into the boil prior to completion.

So I guess my question is regarding if this is normal fermentation activity?

 

[sanch]

yep its normal.

 

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

Yep. That's normal. Give it a few more days to finish fermenting. Then check your gravity. Let sit another week or so to condition then check gravity again. If getting the same reading more than 3 days in a row and you'll be ready to bottle.

 

[KISS Brew]

Sounds fine. Don't use the airlock as a judge of fermentation, though. Sometimes it bubbles without fermentation (temperature changes, for example), and other times it will not bubble even with fermentation (like if the seal isn't perfect). Leave the beer for a couple of weeks and take a gravity reading. I'm sure all will be fine.

 

[AnnapolisBrewer]

Ok well that is a relief. So if I let it sit for a while and decide to transfer to a secondary fermenter like a carboy...What size carboy should I use for my 5 gallon batch and when do I make the transfer?

 

[Kate00]

Ok well that is a relief. So if I let it sit for a while and decide to transfer to a secondary fermenter like a carboy...What size carboy should I use for my 5 gallon batch and when do I make the transfer?

If you want to secondary, a 5 gal carboy for a 5 gal batch is ideal. Fill it as full as you can. That being said, I've put 5 gal into a 6.5 gal secondary a few times and had it be fine. It's extra head space that fills w CO2. No big deal. But, if you have the five gal open use that.

 

[Captain Damage]

Congratulations! You've taken your first steps into a bigger world!

Use a 5 gallon carboy to secondary a 5 gallon batch... but there's no need to secondary unless you're adding fruit or aging for several months. But if you do want to secondary, wait until all signs of fermentation have stopped and you have consistant gravity readings. Unless you're adding fruit or other fermentables, there is no actual fermentation going on in the secondary fermenter (it's kind of a misnomer).

As KISS Brew said, the airlock is not a gauge, it's just a pressure release valve.

Also, 78F is pretty high for a pitching temp. (don't worry your beer will be fine) Most ester production occurs during the lag phase, which just-so-happens to be the time during which the temperature is shifting from pitching to ambient. Higher temp = increased ester production. The instruction to pitch at higher temperatures is a caryover from the days when high quality, healthy yeast was not widely available. Pitch at - or below your fermentation temperature for best results!

 

[AnnapolisBrewer]

Should I put my fermenter bucket into my sink and let it sit in cold water to help bring the temp of the beer down? I have a small sink down her that it could sit nicely in.

 

[duboman]

Should I put my fermenter bucket into my sink and let it sit in cold water to help bring the temp of the beer down? I have a small sink down her that it could sit nicely in.

Active fermentation should already be complete so cooling it down now would have minimal to no importance now. Give it a week and then check for FG.

 

[Captain Damage]

Should I put my fermenter bucket into my sink and let it sit in cold water to help bring the temp of the beer down? I have a small sink down her that it could sit nicely in.

While it wouldn't hurt, it's less critical at this point, now that the active portion of fermentation is tapering off/ending. So I'd recommend just leaving it alone, rather than moving it. 69F is not a bad temperature for your beer to ferment and sit at. Sure, a little cooler would be better. But as I said, your beer will be fine as it is. It's easy to get into a cycle of diminishing returns trying to control a natural biological process. Somehow, humans managed to make beer for 10,000 years before the thermometer was even invented.

 

[adamjackson]

Expect nothing. Celebrate every bubble with a glass of home brew