8 days and still bubbling

[ncoutroulis]

Put a light up to it for a second. It there is still yeast swirling around then i would wait longer.

i attached a couple pics.

can't see anything, the beer is too dark, but here's what the krausen looks like, hope its not infected!

the krausen seems to be floating on top of the wort, and is fairly dense.

thoughts???

thanks

 

[Clankenbrew]

I would dump that one for sure, too scary looking for me.
That looks like mold on top.

 

[ncoutroulis]

not what i wanted to hear...its still bubbling, if that means anything. i looked up infected beer and couldn't find anything that looked like this. most images look like bacteria growing in a peatry dish...
This actually looks more like real krausen. if i take a gravity reading, and its lower, does that mean anything?

thanks

 

[Clankenbrew]

I really cant say. Never had a beer ferment like that. I have used s05 yeast and had it work for 8-10 days but not looking like that.
Who knows.. It might be fine. Take a big sniff and if it smells like beer.. Drink it.

 

[ncoutroulis]

I really cant say. Never had a beer ferment like that. I have used s05 yeast and had it work for 8-10 days but not looking like that.
Who knows.. It might be fine. Take a big sniff and if it smells like beer.. Drink it.

thanks
it didn't smell bad, i was smelling through the airlock and i would think that if it were bad, it would give off a pretty bad smell (from what i've been reading).

tomorrow ill take a gravity reading and compare to OG.

 

[richlong8020]

Those are called yeast floats or yeast rafts. They will fall out and clear up like a normal beer. Keep in mind that your brew is probably perfectly fine. The alcohol levels in the brew will kill off anything "growing" in your brew. Like everyone has been saying... RDWHAHB and plan your next beer.

 

[ncoutroulis]

Those are called yeast floats or yeast rafts. They will fall out and clear up like a normal beer. Keep in mind that your brew is probably perfectly fine. The alcohol levels in the brew will kill off anything "growing" in your brew. Like everyone has been saying... RDWHAHB and plan your next beer.

thanks! hope you're right
I've moved it to a slightly cooler place now. its still bubbling away, about every :10 or so. should I take a reading tomorrow? or is it likely that its still fermenting? tomorrow will be 3 weeks in carboy, but fermentation actually started showing signs 3 days in.

thanks

 

[xgfhfjh]

Thanks. That's good to know. So all that krausen should go away before I open the airlock and take a sample?

 

[Ivypunx]

Sounds about right

 

[richlong8020]

thanks! hope you're right

I've moved it to a slightly cooler place now. its still bubbling away, about every :10 or so. should I take a reading tomorrow? or is it likely that its still fermenting? tomorrow will be 3 weeks in carboy, but fermentation actually started showing signs 3 days in.



thanks

Personally I always go 3 weeks. If it's a big beer say a porter or stout I'll age it for a few months. Just my opinion.... 3 weeks is my limit and I bottle afterwards. My vote is to bottle away and get ready to drink in 2 weeks.

 

[xghfy]

It could be. What yeast and what temperature. Low temperature will make it take longer.

 

[ncoutroulis]

It could be. What yeast and what temperature. Low temperature will make it take longer.

is it all at strange that is going on 3 weeks and still bubbling?

it's Wyeast 2112, and the temp now is mid 60s, right within the suggestion from them...

 

[RM-MN]

thanks! hope you're right
I've moved it to a slightly cooler place now. its still bubbling away, about every :10 or so. should I take a reading tomorrow? or is it likely that its still fermenting? tomorrow will be 3 weeks in carboy, but fermentation actually started showing signs 3 days in.

thanks

Oops, backwards move. You want to start the ferment cool as that is when the activity of the yeast wants to make the beer warmer and where the warm ferment allows them to make off flavors. Now that period is over and you want to warm the beer to encourage the yeast to finish up, not put them into a coma. http://www.brewgeeks.com/the-life-cycle-of-yeast.html

 

[IslandLizard]

^ what he said.

With all that foam and krausen, that beer has a while to go.

I wonder, did you pitch a single yeast pack, without making a starter? That can explain the slow fermentation to some extend. So putting it in a little warmer place (~70°F) will help to finish it up, without going dormant before done. There's little point in taking a gravity sample now, wait until the fermentation has completed, usually when bubbling stops, the krausen has fallen and the beer starts to clear a bit. I expect another week.

 

[ncoutroulis]

Thanks guys. I did use a single smack pack without starter. Wednesday will mark 3 weeks that the activity started. I fear this batch is botched. Should it take this long to ferment? I've moved it to a warmer spot now. Thanks

 

[IslandLizard]

Thanks guys. I did use a single smack pack without starter. Wednesday will mark 3 weeks that the activity started. I fear this batch is botched. Should it take this long to ferment? I've moved it to a warmer spot now. Thanks

The low dose of yeast maybe one of the reasons it's slow going. I never used WY2112, which is a hybrid yeast, before. The Kolsch yeast I've used (2565) is very active, but that's with a large starter.

Look up how to make starters from liquid yeast (yeast sticky). It's very easy and gives you much better fermentation. You're kinda lucky this thing is still chugging away, really.

Yea sounds normal. Depending on yeast strain and temperature, the airlock could keep going for a week or 2, or it could stop after 2 days. Is there still visible activity inside the carboy?

He posted a picture a few posts up. Yes, it's still fermenting.

 

[ncoutroulis]

here's an update on this brew.

Just took my first reading and it's about 1.016 (OG was about 1.060)
Tomorrow will be 4 weeks in the carboy. Smelled like beer, tasted kind of like beer ( only took a tiny sip) but didn't taste horrible or anything like what i've heard from infected beer.

Seems like this is probably done and ready for bottling?

Although it still looks the same, with all that krausen-like foam on top. curious what I should do.

thanks

 

[richlong8020]

Bottle it and wait two weeks to drink. Update afterwards.

 

[fimpster]

I'd wait a couple days to bottle. Take another reading and if its still the same, then go ahead and bottle.

 

[Clankenbrew]

Any update on this brew? Did you bottle it? Taste it?

 

[ncoutroulis]

Any update on this brew? Did you bottle it? Taste it?

Am going to bottle this weekend.

tasted a tiny bit, and it wasn't terrible, smelled like beer, so i think that's a good sign. Still has that stuff on the top though, so i guess ill have to rack from underneath?

will keep updating

 

[ncoutroulis]

I'd wait a couple days to bottle. Take another reading and if its still the same, then go ahead and bottle.

Seems this brew is ready to bottle...However, all that stuff is still on the top.

Curious what technique I should employ when racking, so as not to get any of that in the bottling bucket.

(aside from obviously racking from underneath all that stuff)

thanks

 

[richlong8020]

Could try a grain bag tied to the bottom of your racking cane. I've done that with pulpy fruit beers.

 

[fimpster]

I've used a nylon paint strainer bag from Home Depot or Lowes fixed around the end of my auto siphon when racking underneath a bunch of leaf hops.

 

[IslandLizard]

Been 8 days today and the airlock is still bubbling, about every :10. Is this about right for fermentation? It's 5 gals in a carboy

Yes.
Haven't you read the posts in this thread, perhaps?

 

[ncoutroulis]

the Update, because I know everyone has been waiting for this
The brew is in the bottles. Smells good, I'm chilling the sample and will try it later.
FG was around 1.014 (does that sound right)
OG was 1.060

I only yielded 36 bottles—maybe due to the amount of trub, and that other gunk that was on top? (a lot of that finally settled out)

bottled it, but still have my doubts.

Now I'm curious if the bottles i'm using are OK to use...combination of

Anchor Steam
Sam Adams
Pilsner Urquel
Red Hook IPA

I ask because the caps are on, but for some reason they don't quite look as tight as the previous batch I did.

thanks in advance for any thoughts

cheers

 

[xcfgj]

Yea sounds normal. Depending on yeast strain and temperature, the airlock could keep going for a week or 2, or it could stop after 2 days. Is there still visible activity inside the carboy?

 

[pablosbrewing]

I only yielded 36 bottles—maybe due to the amount of trub, and that other gunk that was on top? (a lot of that finally settled out)

If those are all 12 oz bottles and you used the normal amount of priming sugar for 5 gallons, you will be overcarbonated.

In the future you'll probably want to prime with a calculator:
http://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/

 

[ncoutroulis]

If those are all 12 oz bottles and you used the normal amount of priming sugar for 5 gallons, you will be overcarbonated.

In the future you'll probably want to prime with a calculator:
http://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/

Uh oh...yes, they are 12 oz bottles...I didn't think i would only get 36, I thought it would be more. How are you to tell with the calculator? I had to leave some wort in the carboy, since there was still some gunk in the bottom.

I used 1 cup of water, with the priming sugar pack the store gave me. Too much?

so what now, bottle bombs??

thanks

 

[pablosbrewing]

Uh oh...yes, they are 12 oz bottles...I didn't think i would only get 36, I thought it would be more. How are you to tell with the calculator? I had to leave some wort in the carboy, since there was still some gunk in the bottom.

I used 1 cup of water, with the priming sugar pack the store gave me. Too much?

so what now, bottle bombs??

thanks

I made a couple of assumptions and ran a what if check:

• Beer temp at bottling was ~68F
• ~5.4 oz of sugar for 5 gallons (2.7 Vol CO2 = high end of the ale/lager range)

If those are both true you should get carbonation more like a german wheat or lambic from that same sugar in 3.4 gallons (3.6 vol CO2), so no bombs expected

Note: you can stop carbonation by moving them to a fridge when they are carbed enough.