Primary Fermentation Complete?

Northern Brewer General
1

New brewer here. 2nd batch ever in the primary now. American Wheat extract. Added 1lb honey at the end of the boil and pitched. Fermentation seems to have gone well so far - temps on target, airlock activity was good for first week+ and krausen formation within first 36-48 hours.

Been in the primary now for 2 weeks, 3 days. Airlock activity has slowed to one bubble every 20-30 seconds, but the krausen hasn’t fully subsided like my 1st brew (Irish red extract kit). Ferm temp has maybe been at the lower end of the suggested range (low 60’s). Should I keep in the primary a bit longer until the foam cap subsides more or can this be racked at this point? Thanks for your insight here.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

2

Honey takes longer to ferment than malt sugar. Leave it alone for about another week until the airlock quits bubbling, then wait another 3 days, then you should be okay to rack it. The best rule of thumb: When in doubt, always leave it alone for longer than you think you should.

3

You will hear it all over on the forums…don’t use airlock activity to gauge beer readiness. Use a hydrometer reading. 3 days of unchanged readings means that it is done. Sometimes the krausen doesn’t fully fall - just dissipates to a large extent. The krausen ring will stick to the side, for sure.

:cheers: