when would you start to question it.

[Soulshine2]

I brewed this American Brown Ale on Aug 22. Hit all my number and if youre up on my post on it , I had trouble with the first pitching which was a warm (possibly dead or weak) liquid smack pack and re-pitched a started dry yeast 36 hours later ,had noticeable fermentation within 12 hours . It bubbled actively for a solid 72 hours then went silent almost 3 days, around day 7 I guess . I thought it was done .
Just a couple days after ,drawing a sample with a gravity of 1.020 I thought I would be bottling it the next day or day after. I got busy but when I looked at it ,it had started bubbling the airlock again, fairly steady too, like 3-4 per minute. Temperature in the fermentation area has been a steady 68-70*F ,and the carboy is insulated ,on the cool basement floor and out of sunlight since day 1. I haven't moved it nor even nudged it. I have taken the towel off to check to see if it has cleared but so far it hasn't yet cleared . I think I still see yeast suspended.
So, today is day 15 . I know , I know, its done when its done and gravity is stabilized.
Whats your longest considerably normal fermentation period ?

 

[mongoose33]

What yeast are you using?

I don't know if a change in barometric pressure could be enough to make it bubble 3-4 times per minute, but maybe that has something to do with it.

I've never gone more than about 7 days of active fermentation (yeah, I do lagers too but i use an accelerated fermentation schedule, you can't go by me ).

I'll say it before anyone else does: another gravity sample, see where you are. If it's changed since 1.020, then you know it was fermenting. If not, barometric pressure changes.

 

[Soulshine2]

The first pitch was 1450 Dennys Favorite 50 smack pack. It showed up warm , even the ice pack was warm. No action whatsoever in 36 hours after pitching. The second was 36 hours later,a 9 yr old Muntons dry active ,that I started in a wort sample to check viability ,when it had a healthy 1/2 inch Kraeusen in 30 minutes I pitched it. Had vigorous fermentation in 12 hours that lasted 3 days then tapered off. Im going to guess(but not rule out) probably not barometric pressure, we are at 1300 ft above sea level , and its been extremely dry since I brewed , in fact it just rained here for maybe 15 minutes, first significant rain we"ve had in 4 weeks. Yeah , my past havent gone over a week either ,but Ive seen no dramatic changes that could cause a restarted fermentation, thats why Im questioning it.
I'll check it (gravity) in the morning and see where it is. I want to say my target FG is 1.013 but I had a slightly higher OG (+0.002)than the targeted 1.058, so considering that difference in the FG value, shouldnt it be close to finishing up?

 

[IslandLizard]

With liquid yeasts you should always make a starter!
Even if it was warm when you got it, it's not always detrimental. A starter will grow new cells from those still alive, and revitalize ones that lost their appetite (sterol reserves). That starter would tell you to pitch or not in 1-4 days. Sometimes longer...

9 year old Muntons dry, FTW! That's some friggin' yeast! How was that stored for all that time? I'm curious.

I've had fermentations kick up again after a few days. Especially those that were seemingly stalled at 1.020-1.024. <ugh>

Warming up slightly during the final stages really helps to keep em going and finish out, especially with British yeasts. Ah, Muntons.
Depending on where the sensor is located, many fermentation chambers drop the temps too low after the main action is over. Most yeasts hate that temp drop and go dormant. Keep an eye on that. Turning off the chilling when things slow down maybe all that's needed. Or just raise it a few degrees if ambient temps are high.

 

[Soulshine2]

With liquid yeasts you should always make a starter!
Even if it was warm when you got it, it's not always detrimental. A starter will grow new cells from those still alive, and revitalize ones that lost their appetite (sterol reserves). That starter would tell you to pitch or not in 1-4 days. Sometimes longer...

9 year old Muntons dry, FTW! That's some friggin' yeast! How was that stored for all that time? I'm curious.

I've had fermentations kick up again after a few days. Especially those that were seemingly stalled at 1.020-1.024. <ugh>

Warming up slightly during the final stages really helps to keep em going and finish out, especially with British yeasts. Ah, Muntons.
Depending on where the sensor is located, many fermentation chambers drop the temps too low after the main action is over. Most yeasts hate that temp drop and go dormant. Keep an eye on that. Turning off the chilling when things slow down maybe all that's needed. Or just raise it a few degrees if ambient temps are high.

This was my first liquid yeast ...long story...i got it warm and knew nothing about the yeast nutrient packet inside i was supposed to look or feel for. I didnt feel it. I poured the yeast in then realized the nutrient, made that a quick chaser. I waited. I watched. 36 hours, nothing. So i freaked out and tried to seek a local source with no luck. I found this muntons dry packet in my equipment bin. No special storage treatment, just ambient seasonal midwest temps from the time i got it 2 years ago from a friend that had the kit im guessing since 2009. I pitched that in heavily agitated wort, i threw a hail mary with it .within 30 minutes i had the healthiest and vigorous kraeusen i ever saw. Swirled and pitched. That was around 730 am. By 530 i saw a kraeusen in the carboy an inch thick and airlock bubbling away. I actually wrote muntons about this , they said even a totally ignored packet as long as its still sealed, will last even longer, but by i suppose food shelf life standards they must put the "best by " date. They were just as happy about its life after being packaged so long. I still have one more packet. It is now in the refrigerator .

 

[IslandLizard]

i threw a hail mary with it

That's the essential gesture!

Great story! 2009, huh?

I've had 4 year old Safale US-05 being as vital as a new sachet. Now that was stored in the freezer during the latter half of time. Not sure of her whereabouts before.

 

[Soulshine2]

Safale-05 is a great yeast . It just shows up and does its job.

 

[Tribe Fan]

Do you plan on kegging or bottling?

 

[Soulshine2]

Bottling. Id love to keg someday but funds for taps ,regs, hoses ,and co2 or nitro bottles are out of the question. I actually have a keg .its an old coca cola pin lock , needing conversion /gasket kit.

 

[Tribe Fan]

I just had a pale ale that I mashed high with WLP001. It stopped at 1.020 for over a week. I bottled 2 weeks after pitching and it restarted, went down to 1.016 plus the priming sugar, way over carb'd and one bottle broke. It really ticked me off because the beer was really good. It was no fun packing them up in coolers hoping nothing explodes, and I still have to ice them down, open them and pitch them.

This was 18 month old yeast that I revived with a starter and pitched with a huge healthy krausen.

1. I won't ever use old yeast like that again.
2. I will not bottle a beer over 1.020 unless it's a tried and true recipe for a big FG beer.

YMMV.

 

[Soulshine2]

I just had a pale ale that I mashed high with WLP001. It stopped at 1.020 for over a week. I bottled 2 weeks after pitching and it restarted, went down to 1.016 plus the priming sugar, way over carb'd and one bottle broke. It really ticked me off because the beer was really good.

This was 18 month old yeast that I revived with a starter and pitched with a huge healthy krausen.

You certainly got my attention with that.

 

[Tribe Fan]

You certainly got my attention with that.

It sucked dude. The first beer I tested after a couple of days was fine and was really good. 2 days later 2 gushers in a row. A few days later a busted bottle and then they all went into sealed coolers to be disposed of.

 

[Soulshine2]

My deepest condolences

 

[Soulshine2]

I just had a pale ale that I mashed high with WLP001. It stopped at 1.020 for over a week. I bottled 2 weeks after pitching and it restarted, went down to 1.016 plus the priming sugar, way over carb'd and one bottle broke. It really ticked me off because the beer was really good. It was no fun packing them up in coolers hoping nothing explodes, and I still have to ice them down, open them and pitch them.

This was 18 month old yeast that I revived with a starter and pitched with a huge healthy krausen.

1. I won't ever use old yeast like that again.
2. I will not bottle a beer over 1.020 unless it's a tried and true recipe for a big FG beer.

YMMV.

That sounds exactly like what I have going on.
Old yeast that I started with vigorous fermentation, stuck at 1.020 gravity (a week ago). which I did bottle that gravity sample last week,in a Grolsch bottle . I only put 1/4 tsp of priming sugar in it , forgetting those bottles are 16oz ,not 12 oz, I popped the flippy on it yesterday and although it was cleared, tasty and potent,it had zero head .The mouthfeel was that it does have carbonation in it and on the heavy side of the body , just no head. I'll draw another sample this morning and probably prime that up with a heavy 1/2 tsp and sit on that a week ,UNLESS the gravity is in the general ballpark of the target FG .I hate to lose the batch like you did. Seems its given me a bit of trouble .

 

[soccerdad]

in most cases fermentation is done after 15 days .. but gravity, gravity, gravity

test it

 

[Soulshine2]

in most cases fermentation is done after 15 days .. but gravity, gravity, gravity

test it

yep , yep , yep....details coming soon. I'm still coffee'ing .

 

[divrack]

in most cases fermentation is done after 15 days .. but gravity, gravity, gravity

test it

Gravity is only the percieved effect of mass moving through warped four dimensional spacetime as registered by mortal beings

 

[Soulshine2]

I just checked it. Its STILL bubbling,about 1+/- per minute. I'm going to give it another couple days. This is weird.

 

[Soulshine2]

last night I put it up on my workbench ,so the temp is slightly higher than on the cooler basement floor. Hoping it did one of 2 things- sloshed it just enough to kick the yeast into finishing gear OR its done ,settling and now in position to rack off to a bottling bucket,maybe tomorrow.

 

[Soulshine2]

FG 1.010 very happy with that number,17 days, I guess it just needed time to finish up.
4 1/2 gallons of nicely cleared American (honey) Brown Ale bottled. we'll have to see in a couple weeks how it comes out of the bottles.