Active Fermentation In Secondary

I brewed a Muntons Nut Brown Ale that was given to me, over 3 weeks ago. The fermentation seemed to go very fast and appeared to be done within 4 days, but I left it in the primary till day 11th. The OG was 1.045 and the SG was 1.015 upon transfer to the secondary. It has been 12 days in the secondary and the beer looked totally fermented out. The three piece airlock didn't show any signs of CO2, and the floating piece just rested on the tower looking piece like there was no CO2 buildup at all.
I was planning on kegging it Friday, but decided to take a look at it tonight. When I opened the closet door, I saw a bunch of bubbles on top and it was giving CO2 off again. I know you can't trust gravity without a hydrometer reading, but has anybody ever experienced this before? Seemed kinda weird to me that for 18 days it seemed fermented out and then all of a sudden it is going again. The room I keep it in is dark and 68*. I originally pitched a re-cultured starter of Wyeast 1056, but didn't add the correct of DME when I made it so it didn't do anything for 3 days. I then pitched the dry yeast packet that came with it and got immediate activity which lasted for the 4 days.

Sometimes yeasts do their own thing not according to what we want them to do, remember that they are living organisms responding to the conditions we put them in. Do a gravity reading and go off that Good luck!

My alt was in primary for 3 weeks and was stuck at 1.020 when I racked to secondary. I had visible signs of fermentation in secondary and it dropped to 1.016 by the time I bottled three weeks after racking. Sometimes racking can stir up the yeast and revive fermentation.

HOOTER said:

Sometimes racking can stir up the yeast and revive fermentation.

Click to expand...

Bingo. Don't worry, the yeast are just finishing up the little bit of unfermented wort that was left behind. Your beer will be fine.

Tankard said:

Bingo. Don't worry, the yeast are just finishing up the little bit of unfermented wort that was left behind. Your beer will be fine.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the responses.

I am not worried about it, because I know it will be okay. I just thought it was unusual that for all those days there was nothing, and then all of a sudden it is active again. Normally I see some slight activity when I transfer from the primary to the secondary, but this sat for several weeks undisturbed and then it started to ferment again.

I am going up to Canada for a fishing trip for a week, so I guess I will have to keg it upon returning.

Thanks again!

I've observed yeast behavior change with temperature. If the room warmed up for some reason, even 5 or ten degrees f, that could have gotten the yeast rolling stronger. Anyways, congrats on a good ferment!

goplayoutside said:

I've observed yeast behavior change with temperature. If the room warmed up for some reason, even 5 or ten degrees f, that could have gotten the yeast rolling stronger. Anyways, congrats on a good ferment!

Click to expand...

CO2 solubility decreases with temperature increase. If the temperature increases and you see bubbles it very well could be CO2 coming out of solution. I believe this has been known to happen even without changes in temperature

goplayoutside said:

I've observed yeast behavior change with temperature. If the room warmed up for some reason, even 5 or ten degrees f, that could have gotten the yeast rolling stronger. Anyways, congrats on a good ferment!

Click to expand...

I think you hit it. My closet they have been in has normally been 68*, but when I got home from work tonight and looked it was at 70*. That 2* may have been what started it.