Brewing Master » Homebrew Beer » First brew: activity has markedly decreased after 24 hrs.
First brew: activity has markedly decreased after 24 hrs.
Question:
As the message states, this is my first brew; I’m working on a Newcastle- like ale and have the beer fermenting now. I am making five gallons, and yesterday the fermentation was quite active, with lots of bubbles coming through the air-lock. However, towards the end of the 1st 24 hours of fermentation the activity slowed down, and now seems to have stopped. 1) Is this unusual? 2) Should I wait at least another day to check things out? 3) Do I just need to have another brew (can’t have a homebrew yet, since this is my first)? any answer appreciated. later, jerry.
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – As the message states, this is my first brew; I’m working on a Newcastle- like ale and have the beer fermenting now. I am making five gallons, and yesterday the fermentation was quite active, with lots of bubbles coming through the air-lock. However, towards the end of the 1st 24 hours of fermentation the activity slowed down, and now seems to have stopped. 1) Is this unusual? 2) Should I wait at least another day to check things out? 3) Do I just need to have another brew (can’t have a homebrew yet, since this is my first)? any answer appreciated. later, jerry.
Definitely give it another day. Several in fact. What you are experiencing is not unusual, but depending on several factors, ex. temp., yeast type/amt., OG, etc., you may be experiencing a Weak Fermentation. Not much you can do about it now. Keep your fingers crossed and learn from this batch. Good luck, John — Metallurgist for International Space Station Alpha My file, How to Brew Your First Beer, containing info on equipment,
terms, brewing processes and troubleshooting, is available via WWW on the Palmer House Brewery and Smithy homepage at http://www.primenet.com/~johnj/
Response:
As the message states, this is my first brew; I’m working on a Newcastle- like ale and have the beer fermenting now. I am making five gallons, and yesterday the fermentation was quite active, with lots of bubbles coming through the air-lock. However, towards the end of the 1st 24 hours of fermentation the activity slowed down, and now seems to have stopped. 1) Is this unusual?
Not really. Although activity can go on for a week or so, it’s not rare for things to taper off after 24 hours of vigorous activity. 2) Should I wait at least another day to check things out?
Definitely. A few extra days aren’t going to hurt anything, whereas if you bottle too soon, you risk explosions from excessive pressure buildup. I recommend that you let the beer ferment for 10 days or so, no matter WHAT the bubbling rate is. Yeast have been known to apparently stop, then start up again. Also, the bubbling rate can look artifically low if your fermenter is leaking gas (plastic buckets are notorious for this) or if the temperature changes. Bubbling just isn’t a reliable indicator of fermentation progress. If you absolutely need to feel like you’re doing SOMETHING during the 10 days, draw off small samples every couple days with a sanitized turkey baster and take a specific gravity reading. Drink the sample to get a feel for how things are going, but DON’T risk contamination by pouring it back. When you get the same reading 2 days in a row, the fermentation is probably done. 3) Do I just need to have another brew (can’t have a homebrew yet, since this is my first)?
This is your single most appropriate activity during fermentation. I strongly recommend that once a day you have a beer while staring at your carboy and thinking nice thoughts to encourage the yeast to do good things for you. — dave whitman "The opinions expressed are those of the They made me say that. Really.