Ok, this is my first batch I have done and it is a Brooklyn Brew kit all grain porter. Followed everything to the T direction wise. I have been reading about the Krausen not dropping and that is fine but after reading that i should gently twirl the carboy around to see if it would drop everything, it bubbles back to the top like its carbonated. It looks exactly like when you pour a coke and it fizzes up top. Wednesday will be 2 weeks in fermentation. Should I keep it in there longer or just bottle? When I shake it a bit the airlock bubbles for 2-3 seconds but does nothing else left alone so I thought it would be done by now. Sorry in advance if this sounds confusing.
If you want to be sure it is done fermenting, take a few hydrometer readings over the course of a few days and see if its stable. If you don't have a hydrometer, I would wait another week to make sure its done. Regarding the appearance of carbonation, that's because carbonation is produced by yeast during fermentation and not all of it leaves solution.
Step 1. Take a gravity reading. 2. Wait at least 48 hours... 3. Take another gravity reading. If the two readings are the same you are OK to bottle. If they are different, wait a few days and repeat above process. ALSO: If they are the same, you might even consider leaving it in the fermenter for another few days. Won't hurt the beer at all and might actually do it some good. Your beer IS in fact carbonated, just at a very low level. Agitating the beer will release CO2 from solution and cause activity in the airlock. Your decision to bottle should be based on your hydrometer readings, not airlock activity.
Apparently you are not following everything to a T. Step away from the fermentor Stop shaking it. Leave it alone. Two weeks should be enough time to ferment altho three weeks is more better.
Thanks for the advice guys, as far as shaking it I just meant swirling it around a bit to try and coerce the Krausen to fall. The only problem with a hydrometer is that this is only a 1gal batch. I will just hold out a bit longer to bottle.
Wherever you read that you should twirl the carboy to drop the krausen, I recommend not reading there anymore. Do what alanforbeer said.
Definitely don't stir the beans. Oh, I mean swirl the beer. That's the first I heard that one. Stick to reliable sources of infomation on technique in the future. That would be sources like how to brew. Primary fermentation should be long done after two weeks, but I agree that three is better. Sampling from one gallon is impractical, so if it's krausened, and three weeks have passed, I would just bottle it and don't sweat it.
When I read about the dangers of drinking, I stopped reading (badda-bing). Except alanforbeer suggested taking a hydro-sample from a 1G batch.
