Questionable fermentation...

[Kingston]

Ok so this is my 2nd brew. Its a Dunkel. My first was a Hefe. On my hefe I used a blow off tube and it was babbling for about 36 hours which I thought wasn't long enough but th when it was done it was about 4.75 percent ABV. Now this time it was spitting and making noise for about 24 hours and now it seems to be about done bubbliong. So... is thi snormal? My hefe turned out fine so I am confident that my Dunkel will also but I was just wondering if this was a normal thing since from reading, it should be pretty active for about a week or so give or take. Any thoughts?

 

[Suthrncomfrt1884]

Don't judge your fermentation by the airlock. All the airlock does is release gasses that are being created by fermentation. If it's not bubbling, it doesn't mean it's not fermenting. Sometimes it just means there's not enough gas being created for it to release it. I always allow my beers to ferment in primary for 3-4 weeks. ALWAYS. I realize being a new brewer, you want to drink the product fast, but patience will make a much better beer.

Also, almost all yeasts work a little different with different beers. You'll probably never see two beers do the exact same thing.

 

[Revvy]

There is no normal in brewing, since you are dealing with living micro-organisms, it's not a good idea to compare how one brew differs from another. And just like southern says, airlock bubbling isn't really a reliable indicator of what's happening, inside. Some never bubble.

An airlock is a vent, a valve to release excess co2 and to keep o2 out. If an airlock isn't bubbling, it just means that there's no need for it to release excess co2, not that anything is wrong.

Your hydrometer is your only true way to know what is happenning.

 

[Kingston]

Thank you for the responses. It is much appreciated.