My husband (then boyfriend) tinkered with home brewing over a decade ago. We thought it would be nice to get back into it with pre-packaged/easy kits. We started a Pumpkin Spice Porter (Brewer's Best) in a starter kit and followed all the instructions to the T this Saturday. The temp and OG were within the range when we sealed everything up after pitching too. Saw some bubbling activity Sunday and vigorous activity last night. Everything is VERY quiet Monday morning. It is not in a dark closet (too many outer walls) but in an opaque plastic bucket that came with the starter kit in the dining room. Re-programmed the thermostat to maintain 65 DEGF in the house at all times. What's going on? Is it already done? Should we take a peak? Take the FG already? Need to pitch again? Please help!
Wait a week or two and take a gravity reading. Then wait 2-3 more days and take another. If it has stopped moving and is in the range you were expecting, wait a few more days, then bottle. Bubbles are not a good quantitative indicator of fermentation activity.
If you're using dry yeast without a starter (fine by the way) it might take two or even three days before you start seeing activity. And then it might go fast! Look through the side of your bucket for a ring of scum above the level of your beer. That'll be a good sign something happened!
It looks like the yeast was quite active yesterday but then went dormant today. I wouldn't be as curious if there were no activity whatsoever by now since we only started this bath on Saturday. I am only feeling a bit concerned because it seemed to start fermenting and then go to sleep. I don't know ...
Again, bubbles are not a good quantitative indicator of fermentation activity. Depending on setup and (non)airtightness, you could have a whole fermentation without any airlock bubbles. Or you can have bubbles being produced long after attenuation is finished. Or something in the middle. You did have significant bubbling, which means you had some activity. It may be done. Or it might not. Either way, wait. Then measure.
Relax, don't worry, etc. If you saw activity, that means you're good. Unless the temp got above 100 degrees or so, or down to freezing, you yeast are still alive. Whether they are done, that's a different story. They may have finished the most active portion of the fermentation, but there is still work for them to do, and it's best to leave it alone.
Was that your ambient temp? I ask because you were of the understanding that setting your thermostat at 65* would maintain it low enough for ale temps.. which it wouldn't during active fermentation. Chances are, if I guessed.. You pitched warm, didn't have temp control and it took off like fire. If you saw active signs, it's probably done. Open it up and see if there is krausen on the sides and on top.. Let it sit another week and take a gravity reading.. Wait 2-3 days.. see if it's the same. If it is, proceed.
We need a new brewer sticky Todd! Gravity readings are what you need to check, not airlock activity. Look into www.howtobrew.com about yeast fermentation cycles. There is a lot of information that will ease your mind for sure!
You can if you want. But too soon IMO. I wouldn't crack that lid until at least a week since you pitched.
The wort was closer to 70 DEGF. We just took an SG reading at it was 1.02, that's a drop of .03 Beginning of the beer phase? We are thinking about leaving it be and recheck on Sunday. If pretty much the same, then bottle?
So you went from 1.050 to 1.020 in a couple of days and the intensity of the fermentation has since slowed....sounds like a normal healthy fermentation to me. You will probably get down from 1.020 to your target FG (or close) in the next 7 days.
+about 1 million all is well with this fermentation, provided the OP and boyfriend don't mess it up by fiddling with it too much! Edit to add: which I have done, but not for about ten years!
