RoaringBrewer
Well-Known Member
So... Here's the deal. Last Sunday I brewed a Holiday Spiced Ale extract recipe. Basic recipe as follows:
5lb. Light LME
2lb. Amber LME
Steeped 1/2lb. Crystal Grains
1lb. Honey
2oz. Hops
Added: orange zest, cinamon, ginger for 10 mins of boil
Added: aroma hops last 2 mins of boil
Pitched: Safale US-56 American Ale Yeast into wort at 70 degrees, aerated 5-10 minutes VIGOROUS. There was 2"+ of air bubbles on top, so I believe it was aerated well?
OG ended up being 1.050 before pitching yeast
Anyway, 24 hours later I had bubbling through the airlock at 6p/m, 48 hours later I had 20 bubbles p/m through the airlock and this lasted two days.
Now, I don't know if 20 bubbles p/m is "vigorous" fermentation, but I had 0 bubbles coming through the airlock today when I returned from work and the temp dropped from the normal 70 to 64-66ish with the colder weather today. I watched for literally 10 minutes, not one bubble. I heated it up with the brewbelt, still nothing.
I figured after 5 days it could be done fermenting and I was worried about it being stuck, so I removed the airlock, then removed the lid to grab a sample. There was a small krausen remaining/yeast floating on top. I took a sanitized cup and dipped through and got a sample. Replaced the lid ASAP. Sanitized the bottom of the airlock and replaced.
Dumped the sample in my hydrometer sleeve and measured a gravity of 1.016. First question was, what attenuation am I at. I can't recall how to calculate this and couldn't find a calc in Papazians "bible". Anyway, from 1.050 down to 1.016 seems pretty respectable, but am I done?! Should I rack to secondary soon?
Well, maybe my question was answered? I came downstairs after testing the sample and now my airlock is bubbling at about 10 bubbles per minute!!! Did I just have a bad seal before? Hard to believe considering it bubbled fine for 4-5 days.
Could the little stir from the measuring cup have restarted the yeast? Or did the CO2 on top of the batch just get warm enough from removing the lid that it has started to perk through the lock a bit? Am I Ok removing and replacing the lid like this? Or should I just rack to secondary now that I'm down to 1.016?
Comments, questions, thoughts?
Oh, beer smelled good too!
5lb. Light LME
2lb. Amber LME
Steeped 1/2lb. Crystal Grains
1lb. Honey
2oz. Hops
Added: orange zest, cinamon, ginger for 10 mins of boil
Added: aroma hops last 2 mins of boil
Pitched: Safale US-56 American Ale Yeast into wort at 70 degrees, aerated 5-10 minutes VIGOROUS. There was 2"+ of air bubbles on top, so I believe it was aerated well?
OG ended up being 1.050 before pitching yeast
Anyway, 24 hours later I had bubbling through the airlock at 6p/m, 48 hours later I had 20 bubbles p/m through the airlock and this lasted two days.
Now, I don't know if 20 bubbles p/m is "vigorous" fermentation, but I had 0 bubbles coming through the airlock today when I returned from work and the temp dropped from the normal 70 to 64-66ish with the colder weather today. I watched for literally 10 minutes, not one bubble. I heated it up with the brewbelt, still nothing.
I figured after 5 days it could be done fermenting and I was worried about it being stuck, so I removed the airlock, then removed the lid to grab a sample. There was a small krausen remaining/yeast floating on top. I took a sanitized cup and dipped through and got a sample. Replaced the lid ASAP. Sanitized the bottom of the airlock and replaced.
Dumped the sample in my hydrometer sleeve and measured a gravity of 1.016. First question was, what attenuation am I at. I can't recall how to calculate this and couldn't find a calc in Papazians "bible". Anyway, from 1.050 down to 1.016 seems pretty respectable, but am I done?! Should I rack to secondary soon?
Well, maybe my question was answered? I came downstairs after testing the sample and now my airlock is bubbling at about 10 bubbles per minute!!! Did I just have a bad seal before? Hard to believe considering it bubbled fine for 4-5 days.
Could the little stir from the measuring cup have restarted the yeast? Or did the CO2 on top of the batch just get warm enough from removing the lid that it has started to perk through the lock a bit? Am I Ok removing and replacing the lid like this? Or should I just rack to secondary now that I'm down to 1.016?
Comments, questions, thoughts?
Oh, beer smelled good too!