Fermentation question

I made a really dark porter last week. Pitched the yeast and had an active airlock 12 hours later. It fermented with so so activity from the airlock and after less than a week it is slowing down. How do I know if fermenting is complete or if it’s partial. Is there a final specific gravity it should be or does one wait for no change over a few days.
My concern is that the fermentation is ending too quickly and may not ever be completed. I have experience making wine commercially and at times the fermentation has blown the airlock off the tanks. The brix for wine has started out as high as 26 however. Rambling
Is a 1 week fermentation normal or am I to be concerned?

No need to be concerned. Take a gravity reading, and take 1 again in a few days. If it doesn’t go any lower it’s done. Nobody can tell you what the final gravity “should be” without knowing you’re recipe, yeast, fermentation temp. etc. But it’s probably somewhere around 1.010 - 1.014 depending on all those factors. Regardless of your reading I would leave it in for another week or 2.

:cheers:

Did you keep track of the beer fermentation temperature during the first few days? If not, do you know the room temperature? Also, what size batch are you making?

70 degrees and about 13 gallons

Was that the room temperature? Also do you know your original gravity?

Good advice from mmBeer. Airlock activity is not a reliable indicator of fermentation status.