Fermentation questions

[witster18]

The second AG batch I ever did was fantastic - so this last batch I did something very similar with a few small twists. Basically it's a golden/american ale style with about 10lb of weyerman pale, and 8oz of both crisp crystal and dark munich, and about 6 oz of oats, dash of irish moss.. first time around I used 1oz cascade pellets at 30 and then 1 oz of whole cascade (steeped in meslin bag) at 40 of a 60 min boil... mashed 70 @ 167 both times... OG this time around was only 1.042.. first time was closer to 1.049 so my efficiency wasn't as good this time around obviously... using safale 05 dry lager yeast both times..this time around I used whole cascades for both additions and left them in there... the first time around fermentation took a lickity split 3 days... this time around the thing has been constantly bubbling for 8 days and is showing no signs of slowing down... I haven't checked the gravity, I usually just wait till the bubbles get to about 1 every 90seconds or so and crash for about 12 hours then bottle... my 3rd batch was a helles with similar gravity's and it also fermented in about 3 days..

so why is this thing still bubbling away at a bubble every 3 seconds? the room temp has been a constant 60-62 degrees for each batch. is this normal? a sign of infection or anything? why would such a similar process and ingredients yield such a disperity in fermentation times?

any stabs might ease my mind.

 

[ColoHox]

Bubbles aren't a sign of anything but gas leaving the fermenter...check your gravity!

There are many factors that could influence the activity of the fermentation. Even if the wort were a few degrees cooler than the last batch, more CO2 would be in solution and slowly released, making the fermentation seem to take longer (if you are only watching bubbles).

 

[theck]

Your gravity should be close to 1.01 before you pull it or what your recipe says. If your not doing a secondary leave it for 3-4 weeks, check gravity and then bottle/keg if ok.

 

[witster18]

thanks guys... i'll ck the gravity when i get home, but i so wanna just crash it and be done with it.