Foam on top after krausen sinks, airlock bubbling again

[chaselun]

Hi guys, Im a new brewer and new to homebrewtalk. I searched the forums and couldn't find an answer so hopefully this isn't a repeat.

This is my 4th batch and I don't secondary ferment. Basically, my beer has been sitting in the Primary for 25 days (I plan to bottle after 28). After about 10 days or so all the fermenting stopped and the krausen fell back and the airlock quit bubbling.

However, a couple days ago (around day 22) when I went to check on the temperature (67 deg) I noticed that there was a thin layer of bubbles/foam on the top and the airlock started bubbling again every 45 seconds or so. Now, 3 days later the bubbles/foam are still at the top. All of my other batches the top has looked really clear which is why I'm curious.

What does this mean? Should I wait for it to clear up again to bottle?

Thanks for the help guys

 

[pwndabear]

do not bottle until fermentation is complete. you may have had a stalled fermentation for some reason and your eyeballing it caused it to start again.

At any rate, wait a couple more weeks for it to stop bubbling. A more reliable means to tell when it is finished is take a gravity reading every other day or so. when the gravity stays the same for 3 days, you're good to go.

if you bottle now expect little bombs to be going off.

 

[chaselun]

that's kind of what I was thinking. Do I need to really worry about autolysis (sp?)? I always heard after about a month you run a little risk of it, which Id be really disappointed because I sampled my gravity check and it tasted great

 

[pwndabear]

if you keep it in there for a week or two, nothing to worry about. in all reality, i would only start to worry about autolysis in... mmmmm, i'd say, a year or two.

given the small amount of beer you are making, autolysis really should be the last thing on your mind.

let it ferment out and then bottle. you'll have a great beer on your hands.

 

[chaselun]

Good deal, Thanks!

 

[Andy_LV]

*cough* *cough*
what about hydrometer reading? bubbling may have been caused by... say a change of a moon phase or atmospheric pressure or temperature change - wort releasing excess CO2. And that wont be a sign of fermentation.

 

[bullinachinashop]

+1^
Use your hydrometer. Check for 3 days to see if your teminal. When teminal, bottle.
There are many things that may cause your finished beer to degass.
Good luck
Bull

 

[chaselun]

Yah that was kind of dumb of me, I saw it "fermenting" again and panicked! forgot to use all my tools!