fermenting

davidp

Hi I'm new to brewing I'm Dave I m wandering what's the longest I can leave my lager fermenting as I'm having a problem getting a barrel in time its been 4 days so far .

HBO_Staff

hi davidp, sorry for the late reply, as a general rule it's best not leave the lager in the fermenting vessel for much more than around 2 weeks, but this does vary depending on temperature. We have left it in for 3 weeks before we've had a chance to transfer it out, and with no adverse effects. It's best to leave it a bit longer than not long enough, to ensure it has completed the initial fermentation, and use a hydrometer where possible to check the fermentation has completed and stays constant. When brewing without a hydrometer, the brews tend to stay in a bit longer to be sure they have completed fermenting

firsttimer

hi there i have just started my first home brew wine kit (muntons) , the temperature has not been quite able to get up to the right temp, it has been fermenting for 12 days, i tried the hydrometer on day 11 and it was not quite where i need it to be, the brew is still bubbling,any suggestions please

HBO_Staff

With the temperature being a little low this will make the fermentation take longer, it's not all bad news though as a nice and steady ferment will produce a great brew, brewing at cooler temperatures can have that benefit. You must wait for all the bubbles to stop rising through the liquid, and by checking with a hydrometer like you have is the best way to tell how it is doing. Continue as you are, once the bubbles have stopped and you have a steady, low hydro reading, it will then be ready for the next stage. Let us know how you get on....