woodfordes Wherry stopped bubbling

[beerlad]

I brewed a woodfordes Wherry kit on Wednesday and I thought it went well. It's a new kit with 2 sachets of yeast and I used both as per instructions. I got gravity of 1040 after mixing and am using immersion heater for heat. FV wrapped in insulation and blanket. Thursday was bubbling rapidly but today (Friday) it has stopped. Is this normal or have I done something wrong ? it's my 1st brew so I was meticulous about sterilizing everything beforehand.
Any advice ?

 

[kelper]

What temp is it at now?

 

[beerlad]

didn't want to disturb it to check temp in case this was normal. I thought every time I open the lid it opens up possibility of infection and oxygen so thought I'd wait till tomorrow just in case but your response suggests not normal ?

 

[beerlad]

ok so I took the plunge and opened it to check temp and it is 21 deg which seems about right. Any ideas ?

 

[kelper]

I suggest to measure the SG. Could the lid be leaking? Is there an airlock on the FV? When you mentioned the heater I feared you had overheated it but 21 is OK

 

[kelper]

You can stick a thermometer on the outside of the FV so you don't have to open it. They're the LCD strips you see on home brew websites. Is the FV somewhere cold that you need a heater?

 

[beerlad]

FV is in garage so I need a heater. Lid is well sealed and fact the airlock was bubbling rapid yesterday suggests no other leaks but checked and seems sealed. What's SG ?

 

[Drunkula]

What's SG ?

Specific gravity - what your hydrometer reads.

 

[GerritT]

Aquarium stick-on thermometers, 2 of them is what I use. Good enough for ales.

 

[An Ankoù]

Draw off a sample and measure the specific gravity with your hydrometer. Then tell us what it is.
Then taste the beer in your sampling cylinder. Does it taste nearly ready, even though it's cloudy?

 

[kelper]

Do you know what temp it was when you added the yeast? Are you sure the bubbling stopped? Have you watched it for, say, ten minutes? I've found it does slow down a lot after the first couple of days. My current brew is so long between burps that I don't have the patience to wait!

 

[Sandimas]

The only way to tell what is happening is to drop a sterilised hydrometer in there and tell us the reading. Chances are it's all OK.

 

[beerlad]

Taken SG and it's 1016. was 1040 when I started. Temp still around 20 to 21 deg. Tastes a bit like beer but a but sweeter. It surely can't have finished as I only started it on Wednesday and by Friday it wasn't bubbling. instructions say should be below 1014 after about 6 days and constant for a few days after. Mines been in 2 days !

 

[kelper]

What was the temp when you added the yeast?

 

[beerlad]

Temp was 23 deg but Immersion is preset to 24 deg anyway by love brewing so it was close to where it should be. I have queried with love brewing about this as when I took temp yesterday it was 21 but Immersion is supposed to keep it at 24 ? I am waiting their response.

 

[GerritT]

It can still ferment without the bubbling. My guess is that in another week the FG will be as expected and it will be ready to bottle.

 

[kelper]

Well, that does not sound too hot for the yeast. I put my last yeast in at 24 and it worked fine. If it were mine, I'd stir it, but wait for advice from an old pro. On my first brew, the fermentation started slowly and bubbled for a week; on my second, I spent a long time stirring the syrupy gloop and hot water, And I made a point of stirring it when I had added the cold water, with the paddle half in, half out so that the brew got very aerated...... the fermentation was quick and the airlock was bubbling almost continuously for the first two days and then it really slowed down.

 

[beerlad]

thanks everyone. I'm a bit more comfortable following Kelpers comments. I'm inclined to leave it then and check in a few days time and take it from there. I'll let you all know how it goes.
thanks

 

[kelper]

And even if this brew is not perfect you are well set for your next one!

 

[Drunkula]

Early doors I did a beer kit where I thought the starting gravity was off and it stopped after a few days. I got the itch and gave it a stir and there was loads of the kit still not stirred in on the bottom. Even say 50 brews later you can still forget things even if you've got them all weighed out in cups. Everybody seems to get the "Who left that protafloc tablet there?" thing happen a few times a year. I always swear I'm going to do a tick list. Never doooo.