Slow finish

[beerd]

Hi all -

Another random quarantine musing that bubbled up while watching my airlock...

I have a tilt hydrometer so I can see SG change during fermentation. For the ales I've done, they usually drop pretty quickly to FG and then activity just stops. For OGs around 1.045 - 1.050 they'll drop something like .010 - .020 the first day or two, then maybe .005 and .002 on subsequent days and by day 5 or 6 they've hit FG. Once they hit FG, usually within 24 hours all airlock activity has completely stopped.

This is my first time doing a lager. I am on day 8 since pitching. SG has been at 1.010 for 2 days (since day 6) - however I am still seeing about 2 airlock burbs per minute. My expected SG is 1.008 (probably more like 1.006 due to calibration with the tilt).

I understand that lager fermentation typically takes longer overall due to lower temps and I am planning to leave it for at least 14 days. Just curious if it's typical for lager yeasts to have a very slow finish / long tail like this?

2.5 gallon batch.
Marris Otter SMaSH with an OG of 1.046
Mashed for 60 min at 152 dropping down to 150.
Pitched 11 g of W-34/70 at ~62
Chilled to 58 within ~4 hours
Fermented at 58 until day 4 (SG 1.018), then raised to 66.
There were signs of fermentation with in 12 hours and some krausen by 24 hours.

Thanks in advance for any insight you have!

 

[Jag75]

Wow hitting 10 on day 6 , that's fast . I just did a Lager and I didnt hit 75% until day 5 .

 

[beerd]

Yes, I assume it's because I fermented on the warmer side for a lager. I've heard this strain can go a little closer to ale temps without putting off any serious off flavors.

I'm now on day 9. OG on the tilt is now bouncing between 1.010 and 1.009. The krasuen has fallen, but I am still seeing small bubbles rising from the cake and there is a light spotty coating of bubbles on the surface. Seeing about one airlock burp every 45 seconds or so today. It's like fermentation has not completed, but slowed down to a complete crawl for the last 3 days or so. Is that typical for this yeast? I've never seen this with ales.

 

[Jag75]

Your fermentation completion should be checked by gravity reading . You are seeing co2 escape the beer .