Carbonation question

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Ranman481

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I thought I was ready to bottle my Belgian Hefeweizen today but I have a question (concern?). The brew had a starting gravity of 1.052. It was in my primary for a week when activity in the airlock had greatly slowed. I siphoned into my carboy and activity increased for a few days. The arilock has been inactive for days now, the gravity reading is now 1.013 (it has been 12 days in the carboy). The surface of the brew is perfectly clear of any form of foam or bubbles....unless I agitate the carboy. I was moving the carboy to get ready for bottling and noticed surface bubbles had appeared. If I rock the carboy enough to agitate the top of the brew it seems to froth like slightly flat soda and the airlock will bubble a few times. It almost seems like it has been carbonating in there. I'm afraid of bottle bombs if I bottle today. Any thoughts? The first photo was taken about 15 minutes after I first discovered what was going on so there is some residual foam along the edges. The second photo was taken after quickly rocking the carboy so that I could get a photo for you all to see.

before.jpg


after.jpg
 
If the SG is stable over at least three days, it's safe to bottle. If it was 1.013 three days ago, then it's fine. If not, wait there IS three days at the same SG.
 
During the whole fermentation process, there will be co2 in the solution. That is why they sell degassers for wine. As long as your gravity is around your target FG and has been the same for at least 3 days then your good to bottle. Do not use the airlock as a guide for fermentation. All you are seeing most likely is the co2 coming out of the solution, which will cause the airlock to bubble.
 
I just did a double check...my notes tell me that I had a gravity reading of 1.013 on June 29th. Just now it read at 1.012. You think I'll be ok to bottle?
 
Sounds ready, looks ready. The only way to know for sure is get a couple SG readings a day apart and see if it moves. It looks like the foam on top is CO2 being given off by the hops.....thats just a guess. Stop shaking it, take a couple readings and bottle it.
 
I'm still new at this. This will only be my third batch and my first two didn't act this way so I had some concerns.
 
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