I just brewed my first batch of Nut Brown Ale and the fermentation started out great. The yeast cap and foam were about 3 inches thick for the first 3 days and bubbling was steady through the air lock. This morning, the foam cap is gone and a couple bubbles every minute through the air lock is all I get. Should this have happened or is something amiss here?
OG: 1.044
Current: 1.010
Temperature: 68F
Thanks in advance!
Sounds pretty normal for a relatively low-gravity beer like that-let it sit for a few more days at least so the yeast can clean up and settle out. I often bottle beers like that 7-10 days after brewing.
I never rack anything off of the yeast before 3 weeks. It might be OK, but it will definately be done in a couple more weeks and won’t hurt anything
+1. That’s my system too. Let everything sit for at least 3 weeks. Sometimes longer. I’ve even stopped checking the gravity before 3 weeks. I’m sure I’ll be pissed when I get a stuck fermentation one day and don’t know it for 3 weeks, but 28 batches down and no problems yet.
I pretty much give all ales a standard 3 weeks as well. However sometimes with a smaller beer like this, and presumably a flocculent english yeast, I just wait 2 weeks.
It won’t hurt to wait up to 3 weeks, but you are already close to your final gravity, if not there now, and waiting another 2 1/2 weeks to bottle won’t really improve it either. you can bottle after another 5-7 days and have beer that is just as good as if you wait longer with this type of beer. This type of beer does not need to be aged, and keeping it 3 weeks just ties up your fermentor for at least a week longer than you need to. If you don’t need it , it won’t hurt, but I would bottle in the next week and let it condition in the bottles for 10 days or so.
You gotta get more fermenters then :blah: If it tastes good to you then it doesn’t matter
Thanks everyone for the help! I still see miniscule bubbles every now and then. I will heed your advices and let it sit to clarify and then bottle.
Thanks again!
