Over Active Fermentation

[jbeukelman]

Greetings,

So I brewed 9 days ago. After all this time, I still have bubbles in my airlock every 3 seconds. I've brewed a dozen batches or so and never encountered this. Is it possible to over ferment and produce a dry, bodyless beer? With every other batch, fermentation died down after a week or less. This is crazy!

I have not yet checked the gravity as I didn't want to disturb the process if it's ok. If it's not ok, than should I take a reading and cold crash to halt fermentation?

I just brewed a simple, extract based pale ale. Crystal 20L only specialty grain. 2oz hops. OG 1.050. Fermentation temp = 67 degrees F. WLP001 Yeast.

Your thoughts?

 

[duboman]

Every yeast is going to act differently with each batch of beer and no you should not try to halt fermentation. Cold crashing would only force the yeast to drop but once the beer warms up again it will begin fermenting again and that is not something you want to happen in the bottles

Let it finish up and take a gravity reading.

 

[Thunder_Chicken]

Doesn't sound too overactive. "Overactive" implies "beer gyser that I had to mop off ceiling" sort of activity.

The yeast will finish when they are done. They may take a week, they may take a month. Don't mess with them; they know what needs to be done better than you.

Step away from the fermenter and RDWHAHB.

 

[Heavywalker]

I just brewed an IPA and used WLP001 on May 25th the fermentation started slowing down but there is still krausen and the airlock is still bubbling every 6-8 seconds. I fermented in a bathtub and kept the water about halfway up the fermenter at 64*F. until last friday, then I drained the water and it has been sitting at room temp since then, around 70-73*.

I don't think it is anything to worry about, but what do I know this is my first brew.

 

[Thunder_Chicken]

Airlock bubbles mean nothing. Bubbles are not a great measure of fermentation. The airlock is just there to keep contamination out of the fermenter. You can put a filled airlock on a completely empty cold fermenter, then put it out in the sun, and get "airlock activity". If you have a small leak in your cap you might get no "airlock activity". It doesn't mean the yeast aren't working on making beer.

Measure the gravity of your beer with a hydrometer. It is the best way to determine how done the beer is, really! I grumped when someone first told me this but it is the right thing to do.

 

[Thunder_Chicken]

For example, I just put a stout in the primary carboy about 24 hours ago. I just checked on it, no "airlock activity", but krausen is forming. I pressed the seal on the cap a little tighter and the airlock suddenly started bubbling. So I have a little outward CO2 leak under the cap. No big deal. Ferment is on. Beer will be. Spiders and nasties won't get in my brew. All is right in the homebrew world.

Where did I put my beer? Ah...there it is...what were we worried about again?