Question regarding stuck fermentation

[javajo91]

I brewed an AG cream Ale last Saturday - OG .055 - after boil and pitched with Whitelabs California Ale WLP001.

Fermented in bucket with "S" style airlock.

Noticed bubbling one day - did not really pay attention...
Bubbling stopped.. - fermentation apparently done.
When i went to bottle yesterday -the FG was .030 - way too high..
I put the lid back on with the thought of adding more yeast and added the airlock back.
I noticed that the airlock started to bubble again - at a steady rate.
Apparently the fermentation was not done.

The only theory that i have is that i overfilled the airlock the first time - causing a blockage of sorts...i would have thought if this was the case the lid would have blown off.
Could the lack of ventilation through the airlock cause the fermentation to stall?

 

[david_42]

Could the lack of ventilation through the airlock cause the fermentation to stall?

No, as anyone who has had a bottle-bomb knows, yeast can produce under pressure.

 

[javajo91]

Thanks David -

So - what happened?

Why was their no activity and then all of a sudden it started up again...?

 

[Lonek]

Any kind of movement/stirring of the fermentor can startup some fermentation again, but it probably won't last long. Browse the forums you'll find many techniques for fixing a stuck ferment, but whatever you do, don't bottle yet.

 

[drayman86]

Would also recommend active aeration of the wort prior to pitching. My attenutations gained 8-10 gravity points after I began to actively aerate the wort. In my opinion, active wort aeration is one of the most overlooked aspects of homebrewing.

 

[javajo91]

OK - I'm thinking that the fermentation was just VERY slow due to the overfilled airlock...
can the lack of proper ventilation cause the fermentation to slow down?

 

[javajo91]

ok - thanks everyone! I'll go home and check on it tonight..
I may need to buy some more yeast...

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

Your airlock did not affect the fermentation. It would not even affect the speed. It would just blow the lid off or blow...something...and just keep on fermenting.

Is it possible there was a leak in the lid or at the base of the airlock? That would make it appear nothing was happening...until you messed with it and got it to seal again...then you'd have 'activity' again.

 

[javajo91]

I don't think there was a leak...I'm usually pretty good with making sure i have a tight seal..
When i go home tonight I'm checking to see if i still have activity in the airlock. I'm guessing that the activity was just insanely slow due to the amount of water in the airlock..

there was also what appeared to be thick krausen on the top of the beer. This would indicate the peak of fermentation..

 

[Runyanka]

Also, when you mess with your primary you are stirring up a a bunch of suspended CO2 bubbles, that is also why you may have had airlock activity after you closed it.

 

[Lonek]

"was just insanely slow due to the amount of water in the airlock.."

Sorry to be a pain, but we keep telling you that the amount in your airlock has nothing to do with the fermentation.

 

[Runyanka]

Airlock water capacity will not affect fermentation. Try plugging that hole, you will still have fermentation, along with a blown off lid and crap everywhere.

 

[double_e5]

I don't think there was a leak...I'm usually pretty good with making sure i have a tight seal..
When i go home tonight I'm checking to see if i still have activity in the airlock. I'm guessing that the activity was just insanely slow due to the amount of water in the airlock..

there was also what appeared to be thick krausen on the top of the beer. This would indicate the peak of fermentation..

So did you pressure check it to make sure there was no leak? If not, you have no idea if it was leaking or not. That's why it is not a good idea to rely on an airlock to guage fermentation.

I would also guess you had a small leak and whatever you did taking the gravity, messing with the airlock stopped the leak.

And like others have said, the amount of liquid in an airlock will not slow down fermentation. That thing is on its own time schedule.

 

[javajo91]

So should i attempt to gently stir the wort and see if i can re-activate the yeast? Unfortunately i do not have any yeast on hand...I'd have to order some..

 

[javajo91]

OK - cool. Thanks everyone. I called home and right now there is no activity in the airlock. Will check the gravity when i get home.
If i'm seeing Krausen on top of the beer that shows that the yeast is alive and active right?
Sorry for being a newbie here...1st batch flying solo...I've brewed two other batches under the guidance of a friend with 15 years experience.
I jumped feet first into AG brewing.

 

[javajo91]

I may be answering my own question here but if i'm seeing Krausen than everything is probably fine...just moving along slowly...if the fermentation was truly "stuck" the yeast would have settled already and the beer would appear clear on the surface right?

 

[Runyanka]

The only way to tell if fermentation is taking place is to check with your hydrometer. Check it today, then check it tomorrow, if it drops, fermentation is taking place. Once you get three days of the same reading, you can bottle or let it clean up a little.

 

[javajo91]

update - went home and gave the bucket a swirl (did not open)
afterwards - began to bubble through the night and the entire next day. Will check tonight.
I can smell the beer around the airlock so there has the be a small leak somewhere - that would perhaps explain the lack of visible activity.

 

[Runyanka]

Hopefully it wasn't competed with fermentation when you swirled it. If it was you risked oxidation of your beer. As I said previously, anytime you move your primary, walk near it, look at it wrong, you could be releasing suspended CO2 bubbles inside the beer, thus the bubbling. Check it with your hydrometer.

P.S. I'm starting to think this is a vet pulling a prank on us!

 

[Spludge]

I brewed an AG cream Ale last Saturday

When i went to bottle yesterday

When you said last saturday did you mean may 23rd?
Why would you be thinking about bottling 4 days into fermentation?

 

[javajo91]

Nope - brewed beer on 16th. Was planning to bottle on Memorial day when i realized my fermentation was stuck for unknown reasons...could have been the temp.

After i gave the primary a swirl it started up again finishing around .10.

Nope - i am not a vet playing a prank. Just an overly nervous Noob doing his first batch.




Thanks everyone!

 

[ifishsum]

Glad it worked out! The "nervous nOObitis" should fade by the third or fourth batch. Once I pitch my yeast now, I pretty much forget about my beer for 2 weeks except to check the temperature of the bucket. So far they've always come through for me :rockin: