Fermentation in Secondary?

[scottaustin]

I moved my Nut Brown Ale from primary to secondary on Wed Nov 21. This was after 10 days in primary, fermentation started about 21 hours after brewing. Did not take FG because I was rushing to get out of town and could not find hydrometer (hidden under previous beer recipe) but felt solid that beer was done and it looked fine when I removed the lid


NO action for a few days (in the picture with the 3 carboys it is on the left) than all of a sudden I got what seems to be a second fermentation. The bubbles moving to the surface are similar to Apfelwein to me and it doesn't really seem like a krausen because it is only along the sides.

I sanitized everything well (or so I thought) and have not moved the secondary since its initial placement.

What do you all think this is? Is it really a fermentation or is something else going on? Will it ever stop so I can bottle it?

Thanks for any help

 

[Bearcat Brewmeister]

Was there a temperature change that could have kicked off a stuck fermentation again? Risk of infection in the secondary is low due to the combination of the alcohol level and pH in the beer when it gets there. In the past, I once accidentally grabbed the wrong hose and transfered to secondary with a hose that was significantly less than clean and had no issues.

I don't think it is the worst thing to have it going again in the secondary. I transfer all of my beers before fermentation is done. I usually go at 7 days for lower gravity beers and 10 days for higher gravity beers (or ales that I ferment at the low end of the yeast's temperature range). I usually expect the beer to be 80 to 90 percent of the way to its FG when I transfer.

 

[rabidgerbil]

Did it keep going for very long like that, or just a little while?
That looks like CO2 coming out of suspension.

 

[scottaustin]

Did it keep going for very long like that, or just a little while?
That looks like CO2 coming out of suspension.

It started about a week after going to secondary and has not let up

Was there a temperature change that could have kicked off a stuck fermentation again?

Only a few degrees, crazy Texas weather goes from cold to hot/AC to heat definitely nothing drastic always between 66-73

 

[rabidgerbil]

ok then, definitely not just co2 coming out of suspension...

 

[david_42]

It may just be the yeast "cleaning up". So, check the gravity now. If it's at the target and stable, the small amount of fermentation won't matter.

 

[scottaustin]

So I checked my FG today, kept hoping the bubbles would die off and they never do.
1.012 exactly as the recipe said but I still have a lot of bubbles, almost like carbonation. Or Apfelwein fermentation

They go away if I drop the temperature on it but immediately come back around 70 degrees.

Is it safe to bottle this? I see no signs of this bubbling stopping.

 

[twocylndr]

I usually see the "yeast wake up" after transfering to the secondary; Only seems to last a day or so.

What is the airlock doing? Is it bubbling, too? Id say you should be safe to bottle, after this long in the secondary and your FG is on target.