Bubbles -- Just a few: Interpretation?

[Just-a-Guy]

Hi Guys,

I've been brewing away but not posting much. Question: I have a Pale Ale kit in the secondary (5 g carboy). It was a True Brew kit -- a can of LME, and a couple pounds of light DME, and some hop pellets. I added an extra pound of DME. Boiled the pellets and DME for about 40 mins, then added the LME right before flame-out. It sat in the primary (7 g bucket) for 3 weeks, then I racked it to the carboy on top of an ounce of Cascade hop leaves.

Right after moving to the secondary, it was bubbling like crazy. Gazillions of tiny bubbles making their way up, and foaming even up into the airlock. I took the airlock out and set up a blow-off tube (in a one g plastic milk container), and it turned the water in the blow-off tube light brown after a couple of days.

When it seemed to have calmed down (3 days), I set the airlock up again. It's now been 9 days in the secondary. Hop leaves are floating about, mostly on top of course. And I can see just a few bubbles working their way up to the top.

So, my question -- what do the bubbles mean? Does that mean that it is still actually fermenting? Are the bubbles CO2 caused by fermentation activity, or could it be something else? I'm just trying to determine whether it's time to bottle. (I guess I could take a hydrometer reading, but I was still wondering what the bubbles are.)

Thanks,

Mark

 

[duckmanco]

The bubbles are probably co2 off gassing from the beer, I.e. residual co2 left over from fermentation that is just now being knocked out of the beer because you racked it.

And to make it easy, trust and use your hydrometer to measure fermenting activity, not the airlock. You'll know one way or the other if it's ready rather than relying on what could be nothing to decide what to do with your beer. But if I had to guess, after 3 weeks in the primary, it's done. Still if you aren't sure take 2 readings a few days apart and see if they stay the same, if they do, it's done.

 

[homebrewdad]

Bubbles mean nothing. You often get bubbles when racking - due to pressure, temperature, other changes, plus stirring up beer. Hops bring out bubbles as they give the CO2 places to collect.

Only indicator to trust is hydrometer. If it is steady, no more fermentation.

 

[Jayhem]

Most people will recommend that you leave any beer in the fermenter at least 3 weeks before bottling. I agree with this practice. You should always take at least 2 hydrometer readings 48 hours apart to be 100% sure it is finished fermenting but it's not going to hurt and usually helps to leave it in the fermenter at least 3 full weeks.