Help?

[IPA Brewer]

Hello fellow brewers,

 

This is my first brew, purchased a Brew Craft started kit. Started the brew on Monday night, everything has been going well, bubbling away and sitting about 24-26 degrees.

 

Tonight, (thursday) I get home from work and the brew has stopped bubbling? is it finished already or has it gone bad or something?

 

Cheers

IPA Brewer

[Mike Neilson]

Its probably finished bud, as thats the top end of the yeasts temp range and ferment like crazy at those temps!! Just check it with your Hydrometer and if its down to where the kit recomends it being then its all over rover, Enjoy!!

[IPA Brewer]

is that too fast?

also do I take the lid off the barrel to check?

[Mike Neilson]

Yeah it is in a way. The closest to 18-20 degrees the better. Yeah pop the lid open tomorrow and if there is no creamy stuff (Krausen) on top then it is done, but to be sure make sure you take a final gravity reading just in case the yeast aint crashed out which im sure it hasnt.

[JR]

If your fermenter has a tap on it you can get a hydrometer sample out that way otherwise its through the lid (with a sterilized cup or something)
If you fermented it cooler it would have taken longer, since you did it hotter it was done much quicker.

I would leave it sitting there for at least a few more days before bottling though to let more yest settle out etc.

[Pilgrim]

And don't put the sample back in the fermenter. Drink it, it's good for you :-)
I always keep a spray bottle of sanitising solution handy and spray around and into the tap before and after sampling. If the tap is one of those that can be rotated, then turn it upwards, open it half way to block off the little air-hole and then fill the spout with the sanitising solution. Leave it for a few minutes and then turn the tap back to the off position and turn it back down to drain the sanitising solution out of the spout.
Make sure you turn the tap the right way, or you'll have a nice beer fountain.