I put my first biab on just over 2 weeks ago. Bubbled away for about 4 days then stopped (as per most of my beers do) i usually leave it in the primary for 2 weeks, then bottle. Just under 2 weeks old, the airlock started again. Left it for a few days then checked the gavity, it hadn't changed since the 1week check. Is it still fermenting? If so why isn't the gravity changing?
Im tempted to just bottle but i dont want any explosions!
Thanks in advance,
Bek
Post #2 made 14 years ago
Good Day Bek, Depending on where you live and where the fermenter is located, You have what I have.
Yeast that likes one temperature. If my fermenter drops below 60F it stops, when it get to 68F it starts fermenting again. Try raising the temperature to 72F/23C and see if it starts up again.
If you use plastic fermenters(Better Bottle) they are sensitive to atmosphereic pressure, They become giant Barometers. It may be a weather problem.
Best to check the gravity, and if it is below 1.015, it is most likey finished.
Yeast that likes one temperature. If my fermenter drops below 60F it stops, when it get to 68F it starts fermenting again. Try raising the temperature to 72F/23C and see if it starts up again.
If you use plastic fermenters(Better Bottle) they are sensitive to atmosphereic pressure, They become giant Barometers. It may be a weather problem.
Best to check the gravity, and if it is below 1.015, it is most likey finished.
Honest Officer, I swear to Drunk, I am Not God.
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Post #3 made 14 years ago
Hi Joshua,
Thanks for the reply, im in sydney so i doubt the temp would have dropped below 20, but we have been having some real changes in the weather. The gravity had gone from 1.050 to 1.013 after a week so i assumed it was done, but then the airlock started, thats what has me puzzled.
Bek
Thanks for the reply, im in sydney so i doubt the temp would have dropped below 20, but we have been having some real changes in the weather. The gravity had gone from 1.050 to 1.013 after a week so i assumed it was done, but then the airlock started, thats what has me puzzled.
Bek
Post #4 made 14 years ago
Hello Bek,
Unless you are in a hurry, and you practice decent sanitation, it shouldn't hurt to leave your beer in the fermenter for a few more days before bottling just to be sure.
trout
Unless you are in a hurry, and you practice decent sanitation, it shouldn't hurt to leave your beer in the fermenter for a few more days before bottling just to be sure.
trout
"All I know is that the beer is good and people clamor for it. OK, it's free and that has something to do with it."
Bobbrews
Bobbrews
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Post #5 made 14 years ago
unless the restart was an evil bug that began to eat up residual sugars that your store bought yeast couldn't finish. Lets hope not? Most yeasts can only ferment up to a certain alcohol level. Wild yeasts don't care! Good luck!
tap 1 Raspberry wine
tap 2 Bourbon Barrel Porter
tap 3 Czech Pilsner
tap 4 Triple IPA 11% ABV
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tap 2 Bourbon Barrel Porter
tap 3 Czech Pilsner
tap 4 Triple IPA 11% ABV
Pipeline: Mulled Cider 10% ABV
http://cheesestradamus.com/ Brewers challenge!
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Post #6 made 14 years ago
Thanks 2Trout, it has seemed to have stopped but might leave it for a few days just to be sure.
BobBrews, that's what i was worried about! I hope it wasn't a bug. Find out soon enough i guess.
Bek
BobBrews, that's what i was worried about! I hope it wasn't a bug. Find out soon enough i guess.
Bek
Post #7 made 14 years ago
Airlock's aren't an accurate way of telling if the fermentation has finished anyway.
Your hydrometer is. If you're really concerned you can rouse the yeast by swirling the fermenter and give it a few more days.
1.015 is a fairly high finishing gravity, but it will really depend on your brew
I leave most of my ales at 17.5C for 2 weeks, then crash chill to 1C for 1 week before kegging and carbonating over a week.
Your hydrometer is. If you're really concerned you can rouse the yeast by swirling the fermenter and give it a few more days.
1.015 is a fairly high finishing gravity, but it will really depend on your brew
I leave most of my ales at 17.5C for 2 weeks, then crash chill to 1C for 1 week before kegging and carbonating over a week.
Fermenting: -
Cubed: -
Stirplate: -
On Tap: NS Summer Ale III (WY1272), Landlord III (WY1469), Fighter's 70/- II (WY1272), Roast Porter (WY1028), Cider, Soda
Next: Munich Helles III
5/7/12
Cubed: -
Stirplate: -
On Tap: NS Summer Ale III (WY1272), Landlord III (WY1469), Fighter's 70/- II (WY1272), Roast Porter (WY1028), Cider, Soda
Next: Munich Helles III
5/7/12
Post #8 made 14 years ago
Sounds like it's OK if the SG hasn't moved in that amount of time. Some yeasts like ringwood are very good at settling out and can take some time to attenuate fully. In such a case the advice from stux is good - a bit of a swirl then a few more days would finish it off.
Post #9 made 14 years ago
I love this answer! I don't think it is the complete answer but you'll see below why I think it is a very important part of the answer. (I have never thought of that joshua - good on you!)joshua wrote:If you use plastic fermenters(Better Bottle) they are sensitive to atmosphereic pressure, They become giant Barometers. It may be a weather problem.
Bek's brew has been going a long time and I remember what she is experiencing. On my first all-grains, I was amazed that I would let them ferment out (get the same gravity reading even a week apart) but then I would transfer the brew to a cube in those days and let them cold-condition. What really confused me is that with these cold-conditioning brews I'd still have to open the lid of the cube every few days to release the pressure. This could continue until I actually kegged the brew - maybe 4 weeks??? On some days it would be more significant than others (that's why I like joshuas's answer so much
)So, I think Bek is the same position as I was. I suspect, but don't know, that the yeast always remains a little bit active and is always chewing up a little of something. Masses of CO2 are created during active fermentation so I suppose we shouldn't be surprised that an insignificant amount is still produced even when our hydrometer 'tells' us everything is finished.
I like the way that Bek is playing it safe as I have been on the receiving end of someone's exploding bottle. I think also though that you have left it long enough Bek. The gravity is not dropping noticeably on the hydrometer after all this time. I'm assuming the wort tastes not too sweet or odd (no infection) so bottle away!
I think the last bit of what I wrote is important - taste your gravity samples. Some beers, like a schwartzbier might finish high - I can't remember having a schwartz of mine drop below 1.018. (I gave up checking after I talked about it with a few other brewers who found the same thing.)
Worrying, questioning and doing another batch gave me confidence. Now I'm a bit like hashie and know that if I do a certain recipe, I just leave it for so long and all will be good. (Hashie, like me, kegs so this is not safe advice for bottlers.)
I really think all is good to go though Bek and thanks for starting the thread. It's a great one and has brought back some memories of just how many things there are to worry about, for good reason, when we are starting out.
PP
Last edited by PistolPatch on 08 Feb 2012, 21:49, edited 3 times in total.
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Post #10 made 14 years ago
Thanks guys, really appreciate the advice. The atmospheric conditions do make sense as it started bubbling after we had a significant weather change (30 one day, 23 the next) and i dont have a fridge as yet to cold condition.
I have been tasting and it seems ok, so will bottle tomorrow. I need to get it done so i can start on my next!
Bek
I have been tasting and it seems ok, so will bottle tomorrow. I need to get it done so i can start on my next!
Bek
