5 weeks in and still bubbling?

[chibrewer]

I brewed a belgian trippel about five weeks ago. If I remember correctly the kit included six pounds of DME and two pounds of candy sugar which got me to an OG just north of 1.07. So now I'm wanting to bottle but every time I check on my fermenter I'm still seeing the occasional bubble out of the airlock. I've never had a batch go this long before. Does anyone know if candy sugar ferments slower than other sugars, or is there a chance something's gone wrong with the batch.

Any insights are appreciated.

Oh, and I should mention that I took a hydro reading about two weeks ago and it was about 1.025. I haven't checked it again since then.

 

[sirhc1210]

I'd take hydro readings 2-3 days in a row to see if it's changing. That's really the only way to tell if it's done.

Could be bubbling due to a temp change maybe?

 

[chibrewer]

I would say that it could be due to temperature because it did warm up here recently, but then it cooled back down and its still going.

 

[Bensiff]

Bubbles mean very little, let the hydrometer be your guide. Yeast will rip through sugar rapidly. Extract is not as fermentable as AG can be, but 1.025 is still high considering all the sugar you tossed in. It should not take that long to ferment a 1.070 beer, FG should pretty well hit within a week indicating temperature, pitch rate, or yeast health issues causing the slow/under attenuating ferment. Of course given the quality of the DME 1.025 might be as low as it will go...so, grab the hydrometer and go get another reading, when it is stable you can bottle or better yet let it rest for a few more weeks/months on the yeast to clean out the byproducts more.

 

[JonM]

Someone else on HBT (can't remember who, darnit) pointed out to me that changes in barometric pressure can make your airlock bubble too. Go with the hydrometer recommendations above - that's the most reliable thing.

 

[JLW]

I've had this happen to me as well with a clone of Arrogant Bastard. What's really interesting is I brewed two batches that day. Exact same recipe and exact same techniques. Batch one bubbled for 4 weeks and batch two did not. From the advice and research I did I believe it was off gassing. Both btahces turned out fantastic.

Definately go with the hydrometer suggestions.

 

[malkore]

Hydrometer is the only way. A semi driving by outside will make the airlock bubble too.

"Zee airlock...it means nothing!"

Its just a CO2 vent.

 

[chibrewer]

Awesome, thanks for the advice guys. I took another hydro reading today and its sitting right at 1.012, which is right on target for my FG. I'll give it a couple of days and take another reading just to be sure, but hopefully I can get this batch bottled sooner rather than later. I'm getting very eager to have a taste.

 

[iky0]

This question was recently asked on the brewing network (brew strong i think) and Jamil suggested that it may be due to wild yeast contamination, since in most typical cases the bubbling will stop.

 

[VVino]

Awesome, thanks for the advice guys. I took another hydro reading today and its sitting right at 1.012, which is right on target for my FG. I'll give it a couple of days and take another reading just to be sure, but hopefully I can get this batch bottled sooner rather than later. I'm getting very eager to have a taste.

Always taste your hydrometer sample!

 

[1ratdog]

why chance it. it wont hurt to leace it sit 2,3,4 weeks more b4 bottling

 

[charlesmartin]

update?

 

[chibrewer]

Double checked my hydrometer reading after letting it sit for a few more days, and it hadn't moved. Bottled last Thursday and the few sips that I took tasted great. I'm guessing the bubbling was just being caused by temp change/vibrations etc. I'll crack open the first bottle in a few weeks (although I'm going to let most of the batch age for quite a while) I'll report back again with results.