Transferred a partial mash Liberty Ale clone, from primary to seconday. Afterward there was no significant on-going activity, UNTIL about 10 days in secondary, what looked like little blotches of mold were evident. Now, 2 days later, it looks like fermentation has begun again. I would like to bottle In the next few days, but now I am wondering if I should hold off. Any ideas/suggestions, or any ideas what the little blotches may have been?
New activity after dormant in 2ndry fermentation
- Thread starter vanzandta
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ColoradoXJ13
Well-Known Member
did the temperature change at all? If it goes up the beer can de-gas dissolved CO2.
Evan!
Well-Known Member
vanzandta said:
May have just been yeast clumping or some other such nasty stuff on top. No big deal. However, I would highly recommend taking several SG readings over the course of a few days, just to make sure that fermentation isn't taking place.
Brewpilot
Well-Known Member
It is not uncommon to see NO activity in the secondary... it is not really a fermenting vessel as much as it is a clearing tank. Generally a brew is fully fermented when it is racked to the secondary...
Brewpilot
Brewpilot
Wables
Well-Known Member
I recently had the opposite experience. I have a very cool basement that I ferment in, and I have a select few strains that I use that will survive in 53 degrees with the aid of an insulating blanket. I brewed with a friend a couple of weeks ago, and we used HIS yeast. After a week of solid activity in the primary, the bubbling stopped, and I transferred to the secondary. I didn't take a gravity reading because it was late, I didn't want to sanitize my theif, etc. After a week in the secondary, I decided to take a gravity reading. Getting close to bottling time, right? Wrong. Never any activity in the secondary, and the FG was 1.020. OG was 1.56. My friend took a reading on his batch (10 gallons, split) and his was 1.013 after fermenting at 68 degrees. Bottle bombs waiting to happen.
Three days ago I moved the secondary to my 4 day old 1800's vintage freezer converted to hot box at 65 degrees, and as of tonight I still had no activity, no decrease in gravity, and the nearest Wyeast or White Labs yeast is 2 hours away. Arghh! I made a quick starter with Nottingham and pitched it tonight. Hopefully it gets the gravity down, and I can bottle before it floculates out.
That said, I agree with Evan. Watch the gravity for a couple days, and RDWHAHB!
Three days ago I moved the secondary to my 4 day old 1800's vintage freezer converted to hot box at 65 degrees, and as of tonight I still had no activity, no decrease in gravity, and the nearest Wyeast or White Labs yeast is 2 hours away. Arghh! I made a quick starter with Nottingham and pitched it tonight. Hopefully it gets the gravity down, and I can bottle before it floculates out.
That said, I agree with Evan. Watch the gravity for a couple days, and RDWHAHB!
FlyGuy
Well-Known Member
Wables said:
Did you have any yeast at the bottom of the secondary? If so, you could have tried agitating the carboy to 'rouse' the yeast. It might have stimulated another round of fermentation, especially if you have raised the temperature. Adding new yeast doesn't seem necessary unless there really was nothing in the carboy.
67coupe390
Well-Known Member
I agree. Often times you can wake the speeping by kicking up the cake. My 2cFlyGuy said:
Thanks for the feedback, looks like it almost went through fermentation twice. But I have a feeling it got cool during primary which stopped the yeast prematurely, and warmed up in the secondary causing it to start back up.
On deck: IPA From Hell (mucho malt, mucho hops)
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