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I brewed a California Common recipe that I've used successfully in the past on 10/15. I used Wyeast 2112 and made a starter that got going pretty well so I was feeling good about the brew. It's been bubbling in the airlock since then, though it has slowed down by now (bubbles every 30 seconds, roughly).

I took a measurement a week ago, thinking that the gravity would be pretty low since it had been bubbling for awhile, but to my dismay it was still at 1.040 (OG was 1.082).

My question is, is there a problem that it's taking so long to get down to a reasonable gravity? Or should I just let it continue to ferment and hope that it gets there eventually?

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    I don't think you have a problem. That's 4.4% ABV, which is quite reasonable for a home brew. Taste it. If it's not too sweet then you're ready for the next step.
    – Chris Cudmore
    Nov 8, 2010 at 21:11
  • What was your ending measurement on the previous brew?
    – Jarrod
    Nov 8, 2010 at 21:45
  • I don't recall what the final readings were on the previous batches, but I know it was a stronger beer than 4.4%. It has quite a bit of sugar, and with the yeast starter I was hoping it would get lower.
    – benr
    Nov 8, 2010 at 21:53
  • Have you been monitoring the temp? Temp changes might cause a volume change and make you think its still fermenting when it's not
    – Joe Phillips
    Nov 8, 2010 at 23:38
  • I have a temperature strip on the side of the carboy, and it's been getting colder, just because the season is changing. Started around 68 and is now at 60.
    – benr
    Nov 9, 2010 at 0:04

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I would think that with your OG it still has a ways to go. Make sure that you are fermenting at a good temperature for the yeast. You should let it keep fermenting until there are at least two minutes between bubbles. I would consider racking it and being patient. Those big beers can take a while and you don't need the exploding bottles or crazy foam that come with bottling too soon.

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  • It's sitting around 60 degrees, which is right in range for the yeast. I'll keep waiting it out, though patience is a virtue I'm not blessed with :)
    – benr
    Nov 8, 2010 at 23:34
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You could try racking it in to a clean fermenter and re-pitching. I've done this with barleywine, saving some of the starter to use in the secondary, and it works pretty well.

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  • That's an interesting idea. It's far enough along where I'm just going to let it slow down and then transfer it, but I like your idea.
    – benr
    Nov 11, 2010 at 4:07

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