Why won't my wheat beer stop fermenting?

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Tonedef131

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I brewed a summer wheat that was 11lbs barley and 9lbs wheat two weeks ago and pitched the American Wheat yeast from Wyeast. It has been fermenting 14 days now at about 70F and will not stop bubbling. It is not like it has been slow and steady, this thing went nuts from day one and blew the top right off the fermenter. Then it settled down and the krausen dropped after a week or so. Usually at this point I am bottling/kegging it but it is still bubbling like every second, it's showing more airlock activity than my IPA that is in it's peak of fermentation (day 3).

Now I guess I am posting because this is my first wheat beer and I don't know anyone who has brewed a wheat before. So is it normal for a wheat to be so violent and lengthy in its fermentation?
 
I had that happen to me with my first wit, and it turned out great.

My sugestion is to take a hydrometer reading and see where you are in your fermentation. Perhaps it is just taking longer to reach your FG that usual and the yeast are just slowly chugging away.
 
I had that happen to me with my first wit, and it turned out great.

My sugestion is to take a hydrometer reading and see where you are in your fermentation. Perhaps it is just taking longer to reach your FG that usual and the yeast are just slowly chugging away.

+1 on the hydrometer reading....my first AG wheat is still bubbling away, but the hydro reading has been the same for the past 3 days. In addition I'm hitting 1.009, so I know it's done. I think a lot of the bubbling may be just degassing...although the more experienced brewers can comment on that. I just know when the hydro readings are steady for 3 days and you hit your expected final gravity...you're done!
 
I am glad to hear someone else has had a similar experience with wheats. All my beers seem to finish within 5 day, but this one just won't seem to stop.
Just for clarity, how many gallons is this batch?
3 gallon, why do you ask? ;)
 
Take your hydro reading and once it hits your desired FG drop the temp to stop the activity. you don't always have to wait for fermention to stop for your beer to be complete.
 
Thanks guys, I guess I have never had a beer take this long to degas. All of my other beers usually stop bubbling as soon as they are done. And for the record it was a 10 gallon batch with an OG of 1.060, I will grab a current gravity reading tomorrow.
 
Let it ferment out. 1.060 is strong wheat beer. If you bottle too soon..... Boom. If you keg then you can get away with kegging now but waiting will not hurt either. Make another batch and you will forget all about this problem and you will have more beer = GOOD.
 
I took a gravity reading tonight and it is at 1.012 with apparent attenuation of 78%, so I stuck it in the keg. I guess it was just gassy and was taking its time getting it out, it tastes great by the way.

I'm not sure why wheats do that. My first hefe was my only that I had to use a blow off tube.
Increased protein content perhaps?
 
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