Fermenting Stopped After Transfer to 2nd

[bluefelix]

I am brewing a porter and it has been fermenting for 9 days. Well, it now looks like fermenting has stopped. I dont even see bubbles anymore. The thing is though, it fermented like crazy for the first 7 days prior to the transfer to the carboy for secondary fermentation. What do you guys think I should do? Do you think it has fermented enough? Should I just bottle it? When I transfered it, I didnt taste it, but it smelled like there was some alcohol there.

Let me know your thoughts...

 

[Arneba28]

Did you take any hydrometer readings. Once you have hit you FG +/- a point or two then you can transfer to secondary. The secondary is just a clearing and bulk aging vessel. No or very very very little fermentation actually takes place in it. It was still fermenting after 7 days? you still had airlock activity? When you transfered it to the secondary you effectively slowed or stopped fermentation, baring you racked off the yeast cake and left most of it behind.

 

[Bokonon]

You should always wait until fermentation is complete before racking into a secondary (or before bottling/kegging)

 

[bluefelix]

I think that is where i went wrong guys. I probably shouldnt have transferred it. So what now?

 

[Bokonon]

I'm not sure if you checked your gravity when you racked into your primary, or when you racked to your secondary. If you did then take another reading and see where its at.

If you don't have a hydrometer and didn't check the gravity, then I'd say just let it sit for another week or three before doing anything else. If it wasn't done fermenting and your temp wasn't too low there should be enough yeast in suspension to finish up.

 

[Spunkmeyer]

Take a hydrometer reading and see where it is. That's the only way to know where you are.

 

[Sir Humpsalot]

I should start a FedEx overnight hydrometer store. I swear, I could make a mint!

 

[bluefelix]

I have a hydrometer, I just dont know how to use it.

It did ferment pretty violently for at least 5 days and had slowed down consideribly before it was transferred. Wont it have a normal amount of alcohol at this point? I was planning on letting it sit until the weekend before bottling.
What are the side effects if fermenting ends a little early? What happens to the beer?

 

[blacklab]

I have a hydrometer, I just dont know how to use it.

It's really easy - just get some beer out of the secondary with a santized turkey baster, siphon, whatever you got. put it in the tube the hydro came in, or a tall, thin glass. Float hydrometer in it. See below:

Tell us what the number is, it will be something along the lines of 1.0XX.
I would advise against bottling before take a reading. You really want the beer to ferment out. If you are not done fermenting, the yeast will continue to chew on the sugars in the beer after you bottle(+the priming sugar). This can cause an excessive buildup of pressure in the bottle, which can lead to bottle bombs, and is very dangerous. You can always pitch more yeast if you need to continue fermentation.

 

[bluefelix]

Where do I read the hydrometer? Is it the line that is floating on top of the beer? I see in your pic there is an area in the beer that is brighter. Is that where I read? Sorry man, but I have never used one of these things and it just looks like a tube with a rolled up piece of paper in it to me.

If I just let it sit till the weekend and then bottle, will it be good??

 

[blacklab]

Look at the reading at the point where the water(beer) line is-right where it is sticking out of the liquid. There are several scales on the hydrometer, you want the one that reads 1.0XX.

To answer your question about bottling after the weekend we need the hydro reading.

 

[bluefelix]

Ok. I plan on taking the hydro reading this weekend since I will wait at least that long until bottling. I would do it earlier, but I dont really have time to sanitize, etc. Thanks for the help. I will get back to you all with the info.

 

[Revvy]

It's really pretty easy to use the hydrometer; just follow these simple steps:

1. Sanitize the hydrometer, wine thief, and test jar.
2. Place test cylinder on flat surface.
3. Draw a sample of "clean" beer with the wine thief - avoid testing samples that contain solid particles, since this will affect the readings.
4. Fill the test jar with enough liquid to just float the hydrometer - about 80% full.
5. Gently lower the hydrometer into the test jar; spin the hydrometer as you release it, so no bubbles stick to the bottom of the hydrometer (this can also affect readings).
6. Making sure the hydrometer isn't touching the sides of the test jar and is floating freely, take a reading across the bottom of the meniscus (see diagram to the left). Meniscus is a fancy word for the curved surface of the liquid.

Most hydrometers used in testing are calibrated for with a reference temperature of 60ºF. These hydrometers will be inscribed with "60ºF/60ºF" on their necks denoting that the reference density was measured at 60ºF and the sample should be at 60ºF.

You can adjust the reading for any liquid temp. with this calculator.

http://www.fermsoft.com/hydroCorrect.html

You imput the gravity reading, the temp of the liquid and the calibration of your hydrometer (either 60 or 68) and it will correct for you.

 

[BlindLemonLars]

If I just let it sit till the weekend and then bottle, will it be good??

You need to measure the specific gravity...there is really no shortcut or reliable rule of thumb. Once you've got some brewing experience and have more of a sense of the process, you may be able to make educated guesses, but at this point you've got to get the hydrometer out!

Getting the FG right is even more critical for those bottling instead of kegging. If you bottle too soon, after all your hard work you're liable to end up with two cases of exploding beer.

 

[bluefelix]

Ok guys. Im going to take the gravity. On my recipre sheet, I dont see what FG is supposed to be. Is there a neighborhood in which it should be that would let me know that it's ok to bottle? This is a American Porter Ale using white labs ale yeast (not sure which one).

 

[Warped04]

Ok guys. Im going to take the gravity. On my recipre sheet, I dont see what FG is supposed to be. Is there a neighborhood in which it should be that would let me know that it's ok to bottle? This is a American Porter Ale using white labs ale yeast (not sure which one).

It depends on several factors, one including the OG before fermenting. I'm guessing this is a kit beer? And do you still have the vial the yeast came in?