Question about Sediment on Carboy wall

Hi All. I noticed some sediment sticking to the walls and ridges on the inside of my glass carboy during secondary fermentation. It looks like it is falling to the bottom so it might be normal. Anyone see this before?

That's just yeast and sediment flocculating or falling out of suspension. It's perfectly normal for the sediment to settle on a horizontal surface

That is during secondary? Did you take hydrometer readings to see if it was done fermenting before you moved it to secondary, just seems like a lot of action for secondary..IMO

ChadChaney said:

That is during secondary? Did you take hydrometer readings to see if it was done fermenting before you moved it to secondary, just seems like a lot of action for secondary..IMO

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Chad, thanks for the reply. Yes I took a hydrometer reading and it was 1.014 so I think it's okay. The secondary was a little more vigorous than usual. I had to change the water in the airlock once but after that it calmed down and nothing ever bubbled out the top of the airlock. I can still see some small bubbles coming up from the bottom and I'm getting about one bubble every 30 or 40 seconds now. Maybe next tim eI'll give it an extra day in primary

I didn't notice that this was a secondary ferment. You shouldn't have that much krausen during secondary. You shouldn't rack off your yeast until you've hit your FG. You can do a small ferment test with a bit of wort and some of the yeast to see where it will stop.

pickles said:

I didn't notice that this was a secondary ferment. You shouldn't have that much krausen during secondary. You shouldn't rack off your yeast until you've hit your FG. You can do a small ferment test with a bit of wort and some of the yeast to see where it will stop.

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Hmmm...I did check the FG and the reading matched the recommended final gravity from the recipe. Any other reason why this might happen? I usually wait at least a week in primary, then check the gravity and if it looks right I will rack to secondary. That is exactly what I did here. Plus the primary was very vigorous for the first three days then slowed as usual.

Is there anything I should do?

Well you simply had more fermentable sugars in your wort that the recipe. Either your efficiency was higher than expected, the mash temps were off. You need to look at your process. Im not sure how many brews you have under your belt, but I'd recommend you keep it in the primary longer than a week. Did you make a starter for the yeast? When I brew, I make a starter to pitch the appropriate amount of yeast, control fermentation temps, adjust mash ph, etc. I typically do 2 weeks primary (occasionally 3) for a standard ale and no secondary. The yeast need to clean up by-products after fermentation.

pickles said:

Well you simply had more fermentable sugars in your wort that the recipe. Either your efficiency was higher than expected, the mash temps were off. You need to look at your process. Im not sure how many brews you have under your belt, but I'd recommend you keep it in the primary longer than a week. Did you make a starter for the yeast? When I brew, I make a starter to pitch the appropriate amount of yeast, control fermentation temps, adjust mash ph, etc. I typically do 2 weeks primary (occasionally 3) for a standard ale and no secondary. The yeast need to clean up by-products after fermentation.

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Thats good input!

I have been brewing off and on for 10 years, once a year. I'd just follow the recipe like I was making a cake. Recently, I have decided to delve in and learn the process. I have done a Kolsch, Belgian Wit, and this IPA, last month and another Belgian Wit back in the summer. So I'd say I'm on the low side of intermediate.

As far as the mash temp, I do a partial mash so I'm not sure that is the issue plus I have a thermostat controlling my temp and I used White Labs yeast, I usually get that out at the start and let it get to room temp then agitate before I pitch. I always rack out of primary at a week to 10 days. I didn't know you could skip secondary or even go three weeks! I think that is my issue. Very interesting. Wow!

I'm sure I have more to learn.

Thank you!

I always check my gravity 3 days in a row to and sure it is done fermenting before I rack over. Another reason it might have started fermenting again so vigorously is yhe movement and / or temp change during the racking.