Is this normal?

[remillard_michael]

Hello, Folks.

I have started my second batch of beer last week. For both batches I bought a beer recipe kit (which is actually quite nice and simple) which came with some dry yeast that they tell you to simply "pitch". For my fist batch I did just that. After just a few hours CO2 was leaving the airlock and the next day it was basically every second and then some. But after 3-4 days it had really slowed down to about one escaping bubble per minute. Since they tell you to ferment for 3 weeks and then bottle I would have expected the airlock activity to be a little stronger a little longer.

So, for my second batch I didn't just pitch the yeast. Instead I prepped them suckers in warm water with nutrients and so on and then I added it to the wort. The next day it was practically two bubbles of CO2 escaping from the airlock every second. It was beautiful. But again, after 3-4, it had really slowed down (to like 1 every 30 seconds or so). And now (after a week) it is one every minute.

So, first question, is this normal behavior?

Note: I am using a 5 gallon fermenter with a 3 gallon batch. Just thought I'd mention this in case, for some reason, that extra headspace has something to do with this.

Second, if this is normal, why do we leave the wort in the fermenter for 3 weeks? If fermentation is that slow after just a week, couldn't we simple say "Chuck it!" and bottle already? Since there is still a little fermentation going on we might not even have to add priming suger.

Third, those extra two weeks... could they be more for "clearing up" the beer?

Thanks.

Michael

 

[Jag75]

Hey there , welcome to the HBT forum!
Just a little clarification. You have beer in your fermenter . Wort is what you have before you pitch your yeast . Once you pitch you now have beer . Active fermentation is more noticeable the first 3 days roughly. Then it slows down . That's normal . This is why your temp is crucial during that time . I keep my beer in the FV for 3 weeks . Even though fermentation is done ( check by hydrometer is the only way) it cleans up after itself . For the first 3 days or so I may keep at 66 f then towards the end let it reach room temp 70f for cleanup, diacetyl. Just be patient and you will be rewarded. You can bottle as soon as it's done. Some package quick and some dont , just find what works for you.

Yes you'll have to add priming sugar . And never ever bottle until it's done. You dont want bottle bombs

 

[remillard_michael]

Great. So it really just ferments the first week (normal) but cleans up after so waiting at least three weeks is the way to go. Got it.

Thanks.

 

[jrgtr42]

That is 100% normal.
Primary active fermentation is generally over in 3 - 5 days, depending on the strength of the beer and the yeast involved. The extra time is for the yeast to complete their work, "clean up" after themselves and settle out of suspension.
Personally, I've gotten best results leaving it for 3 weeks.
I;ve gone as low as 12 days, but that was a super-low gravity session beer.
Most instructions from kits say to leave 2 weeks, then bottle - but like I said, I get better results from that extra day.
Resist the urge to open the fermenter to "see how it's doing." As long as things appear to be happening, it's fine. I will check on mine daily for the first few, to make sure it's not blowing out or the yeast aren't working, then leave it alone for 2 more weeks. Usually I'll do a quick gravity check a few days before I plan to bottle, then again as I'm starting the process - if there's any difference, it's not done.

 

[ReaperOnefour]

3-5 days active fermentation is normal. ( depending on your OG & the yeast that you use.) I use US-05 almost exclusively. I always ferment for 14 days, then bottle. You want to give your brew at least 7 days for a d-rest. Three weeks just seems unnecessary to me. Even when i dry hop my IPA's i'll add the hops on day 9. I've always had good luck with that. I hope this helped you out. Happy brewing.

 

[Buick Beer Gardens]

Everything you have stated is as it should be. Even if the fermenter is in active there is still activity(clean up). I'm on my 4th brewing. As such, I'm finding 3 weeks in the fermenter is almost a must(visible activity or not). 2 weeks minimum in the fermenter. Purchase a hydrometer if you have not already. In expensive and a must has tool in the brewers box of tools.

 

[kh54s10]

Great. So it really just ferments the first week (normal) but cleans up after so waiting at least three weeks is the way to go. Got it.

Thanks.

The 3 weeks is both a hold over from old practices and a safety thing. Kit makers don't know your skill level or whether you have a hydrometer to determine when the beer will be done. Bottling a beer that is not finished is dangerous - bottle bombs. More fermentation in the bottles increases the co2 pressure until the bottles can explode.

You can turn your beers around faster, in as little as 5 or 6 days. But, that takes knowledge and precise gravity readings, or spunding. These are more advanced techniques.

All yeasts will have a bit of a lag before they get going. How you prepare the yeast will have an affect on how long that takes. Then all yeasts will ferment fairly actively for a couple of days then taper off. How active and how long will vary. The bubbling of an airlock is not a good measure of how your fermentation is going. For instance a leaky lid on a bucket fermenter could mean no airlock bubbles. Temperature or atmospheric pressure changes can make an airlock bubble long after fermentation is finished.

With care you can shorten fermentation time, but going longer is not going to hurt most beers.

 

[remillard_michael]

Thanks, Fellas.

My second batch (Belgian Amber Ale, 5%) is now bottled. My next batch will be an Imperial Milk Stout (9%). Should be fun.