38 days still bubbling..

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Ridge Runner

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:confused: First one I've had do this. The recipe Blueberry Wheat; 7lbs Wheat LME, .25lbs Carafoam, 1oz Hallertau, Saftbrew T-58 dry yeast, OG 1.049. 8 day primary 66-68F. Racked onto 2oz blueberry extract SG 1.016. Noticed scummy brown islands on top of beer in primary at transfer to 2ndary. I'd never seen that before(1st clue). It started bubbling the next day and hasn't stopped. I moved it into my pantry and it got a little cool 62-64F, so I moved it to a little bit warmer temps 68F. Now it's on my 2nd floor at about 70F. I'm hoping the heat will finish it up. I brewed a witbier last summer that didn't turn out so great and this is only my 2nd wheat brew. I tasted it and checked the gravity about 10 & 17 days ago and it tasted good(although a bit sweet). The SG was constant at both checks at 1.012. The only thing flippin me out is these little tiny bubbles running up the sides of the BB. I've got time to wait this batch out. I think I transfered too early and that was my yeast sittin on top at transfer. What yall think?

Wheat bubbles.JPG
 
Maybe there were fermentables in the blueberry extract and that contributed? Otherwise that's a long and drawn out ferment. I haven't used flavorings, so I can't help much.
 
I'd say that at 1.012 it's probably done. I don't have a good explaination for the small bubbles gathering at the mouth of your bb, but I've seen that from time to time in secondary as well.

If the sample you took tasted fine then you can probably bottle (or keg) it.
 
i'd say you're good to go. that's 76% attenuation. i wouldn't worry about bubbles in the mix and bubbles in the airlock are no sign either.

taste it and if it's not too sweet you're cool. trust thy hydrometer!
 
i'd also say its done. yeast do weird things...CO2 and temperature changes do weird things...the hydrometer doesn't lie :)

as far as sweetness, the extract might have had a lot of unfermentable sugar in it...or your hop bitterness is a little low and it doesn't taste balanced. dry hopping might help IF you feel it really needs it.
 
I did a raspberry wheat a while back (4 lbs of frozen raspberry dumped in primary). Everything was still after about a week in primary (which included an explosive fermentation of wheat+fruit), so I racked to secondary. After about a week in secondary, I started seeing a fairly constant stream of those tiny bubbles make their way up the carboy. It did this off and on for the next week even until I bottled. I didn't have overcarbonated beer or anything, so I wouldn't worry about it.

I always attributed the little bubbles to the addition of the fruit. Even though the fruit creates a VERY active fermentation at first, I figure that after that initial explosion, there are residual fermentables in the fruit that will take a long time to ferment out. I could be way off though....

EDIT: Nevermind- I read your post again and saw that you're using a blueberry extract- so there goes my idea. Maybe this is something that happens with wheats...
 
I think because you have the carboy filled right to the top there is the appearance like there is more activity than there really is. Its done at 1.012...
 
Thanks All. I'm gonna get a gravity reading this weekend and if it's stable I'll bottle. All those little bubbles still kinda freak me out though.:mug:
 
Go ahead and take some consecutive hydro readings. That's really the only way to know if your beer is done fermenting for sure. Your hydrometer is your friend.
 
Temperature fluctuation will cause some of the dissolved CO2 to come out of solution. That's all it is.
 
Silviakitty said:
Okay, slightly off topic, but is it really that cool purple color, or is that a lighting thing?

That my friend is a crappy photo taken with a crappy camera.;) Yes the lighting.
 
I've done several of the crappy photo/crappy camera combo shots myself. ;) Mine's usually my cell camera.

But man...if it really was that color I'd go out and buy the ingredients _now_. A purple beer?? That'd just be too cool.
 

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