Stable gravity but still bubbling?

[MaximAvs]

I've seen a ton of threads about "when should I bottle", so I didn't want to start another one unless I looked around. I haven't actually seen this one come up (I'm sure someone will prove me wrong), but here it goes.

I have been brewing a Hefeweizen. It was in the primary for 10 days, and then I moved it to a secondary. It's been in there for 7 days. When I moved the mixture to the secondary, I took a hydro reading (1.014). It still bubbles, very slowly (1 every 30 seconds), but does bubble. I decided to take another reading last night after the 7 days and it was still 1.014.

To me that means it's done fermenting (the same reading for 2 days). But why would it be still bubbling?!

Any ideas guys?!

Sean

 

[tunoffun]

co2 coming out of solution would be my guess.

 

[kevmoron]

ditto the above, plus it will expand in volume (headspace as well as beer) if it warms up

 

[CypressTop]

Why would you clarify ( secondary ) a hefe?

 

[v2comp]

c02 coming out of solution would also be my gesss on the first question, and technically leaving a hefe in a secondary for a few days isnt going to really clarify it that much.
if you are bottling your beers, dont worry about it. bottle when you feel its ready.

 

[PolishLogic]

Sounds like normal off-gassing to me.

Had one batch in the secondary for 3 months (due to just not getting around to bottling), and as I was about to pick up the carboy and set it up for the bottling process, I apparently bent down at just the right moment to see a bubble come out of the airlock.

 

[WillPall]

Yeah, does sound like CO2 coming out of solution. However, I wouldn't trust a gravity reading over just two days myself. I usually take a reading, wait two days, take another, and maybe wait a couple more. I've had fermentation really slow down at the end, but that's a rare case.

 

[KeithMoonsLiver]

Yeah, does sound like CO2 coming out of solution. However, I wouldn't trust a gravity reading over just two days myself. I usually take a reading, wait two days, take another, and maybe wait a couple more. I've had fermentation really slow down at the end, but that's a rare case.

Er, the readings appear to have been one week apart.

 

[MaximAvs]

Yes the readings were one week apart. And I put my hefe in a secondary cause 1.I'm new to the home brew thing, and 2. The guy at my brew supply place said it's still good to put a hefe in a secondary cause you get it off that spent yeast.
Any way, thanks guys for the info!! I took another reading tonight and it was the same so I bottled it. Hopefully everything turns out. So far it tastes pretty good!!

 

[WillPall]

Er, the readings appear to have been one week apart.

To me that means it's done fermenting (the same reading for 2 days). But why would it be still bubbling?!

Haha, sorry. Looks like I have a problem with selective reading.

Sounds like this one is going to turn out great.