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As soon as adding the yeast, the fermentation process started immediately, like a bomb for about 15 hours and airlock was like an air pump during several hours. today is the third day of brewing and second day that there is not any sign of airlock activity, is it safe to bottle it? or i must wait. (i do not have a hydrometer ,air lock activity = zero)

thanks in advance

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    Possible duplicate of When is it okay to bottle?
    – Philippe
    Commented Jul 27, 2017 at 11:57
  • Hi paul, there a few similar question already, please do a serach and you will find your answer.
    – Philippe
    Commented Jul 27, 2017 at 11:57
  • Also: homebrew.stackexchange.com/questions/5095/ipa-when-to-bottle homebrew.stackexchange.com/questions/18994/…
    – Philippe
    Commented Jul 27, 2017 at 11:58
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    Philippe, all those questions are asking if after many days it is safe to bottle, this question is asking about his specific brew finishing fermenting what seems to be abnormally quickly, there are similar but different questions.
    – Mr_road ♦
    Commented Jul 30, 2017 at 15:20
  • thank you all for all of your suggestions/comments... That was an intelligent observation @Mr_road♦, i could let the beer to continue on its really microscopic fermentation for two or three weeks (as i'm doing it now), but what i really concern is, being good or enough to bottle after that huge fermentation for about 15 hours. as i mentioned, fermentation is really microscopic now, but it started like an air pump, exactly after adding the yeast, if i bottle it after that huge fermentation, let say 24 hours after adding the yeast. is it going to ruin the taste or decrease it significantly?
    – paul
    Commented Aug 4, 2017 at 19:37

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Airlock activity is a poor measure of fermentation. IMHO every brewer/brewster should get a hydrometer, they are cheap enough and will allow the brewer/brewster to determine what is happening in the brew with greater confidence.

If a hydrometer is not available at the time of brewing then a good rule of thumb is to leave the brew to ferment for (say) 14 days. Most beers are complete in about 10 days (depending on temperature) but waiting some extra days will not hurt the brew.

Bottling beer before it has finish fermenting (and particularly after just a few days) can be dangerous as the bottles may become excessively carbonated and the resulting pressure can "damage" the bottle - to say the least. Even if the bottles withstand the pressure the beer may behave more like champagne and empty itself onto the ceiling when opened.

So best leave the beer to ferment a little longer.

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  • Totally agree with you on this, get a hydrometer or leave it for a couple of weeks.
    – Mr_road ♦
    Commented Jul 30, 2017 at 15:21
  • I never bottle before 14 days even if the hydrometer reading is stable. I do think a hydrometer is a "must have" brewing accessory.
    – GrainMother
    Commented Aug 2, 2017 at 10:33

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