A bubble every twelve seconds

[whovous]

Is this one ready to cold crash?

Brewed an IPA 13 days ago. Finished the boil with 3.25 gallons at 1.078. Added 3 qts of RO water, which I think means 1.0634. Pitched a very fresh packet of San Diego Super and put a SPUNDit valve on the keg/fermenter. at about 5psi for the first 36 hours, then turned it up to 22psi and left it unattended at 67F for a week. Increased temp to 69F and left it unattended for another week. The FERMonitor on the SPUNDit shows a bubble every twelve seconds.

I took a sample and poured it back and forth between two glasses ten times to decarbonate it. My hydrometer measures 1.006. Note that my recipe included 3.5oz (2.5%) of corn sugar which contributes to the low gravity number.

On one hand, 1.006 is pretty low, whilst OTOH, I am still seeing a bubble every twelve seconds. Should I cold crash, or should I leave it unattended for another week? Or does it even really matter when the gravity is this low?

 

[shoengine]

I wait until terminal gravity to crash. I also wait until most of the yeast fall out of suspension. Are you bottling or kegging?

 

[whovous]

I am fermenting and serving from the same keg.

As for terminal gravity, BeerSmith suggests that is 1.007. I am currently at 1.006, and the occasional bubble suggests I am not all the way there.

 

[hotbeer]

Bubbles lie. They only have entertainment value at best, IMO.

The better and more trustworthy way to determine if fermentation is over will be having the same FG reading three or more days apart.

Bubbles can also be from falling atmospheric pressure and temperature changes that have the beer getting rid of dissolved CO2 it can no longer hold or just gas expansion in the head space.

Your 1.006 actual against the predicted 1.007 SG suggest it is probably there or about there. But there can be things such as what the ratio of fermentable to unfermentable sugars were created during your mash if you used malts and not extract. But don't consider it done fermenting till you confirm it with another reading three days apart or more.

As well it's always possible you have a infection that will eat right through all the sugars including the sugars that beer yeast typically don't ferment. But don't fear or worry about that till you have evidence. Such as a much lower than predicted FG and bad or sour tasting beer.

 

[whovous]

Bubbles lie! Love it.

OK, I will ignore the bubbles. However, I won't be here in three days. I think I will simply cold crash at this point. I still need to figure out what pressure to shoot for once I connect the CO2. I am at 22PSI @69F right now. I am thinking 38F and 8PSI for the nonce.

 

[Rish]

^^It certainly won't hurt to leave it more than 3 days. Unless you're going to be gone for a really long time, you could just wait until you get back and check it then.

 

[fluketamer]

it prolly doesnt matter but longer primary is usually better anyway .

 

[whovous]

The primary is currently a bit over 13 days. I've gone from 1.063 to 1.006.

 

[redrocker652002]

If you brewing software says 1.007 and you are at 1.006 I would think you are done. As far as he CO2 part, I put my IPA's at about 12 or so PSI and leave it there for a week or two. That is my serving pressure so I don't mess around with it. I figure my cold crash and carbing happens a the same time. My kegerator is at about 38 degrees inside the chamber and when I pour a pint I am in the 40 to 42 degree range in the glass. I don't chill my glasses so I am sure I lose a degree or two to the glass. Either way, this is what I do, but I am just a novice at this so please read and go with the others. As far as how long in the primary, I have left beers in there for 3 weeks and I have not noticed anything different than the ones I did after one or two weeks. A lot of my IPA's are dry hopped, so I plan it out so that the dry hop goes in and I am able to keg within 3 or 4 days.

 

[Frank Nobrega]

Is this one ready to cold crash?

Brewed an IPA 13 days ago. Finished the boil with 3.25 gallons at 1.078. Added 3 qts of RO water, which I think means 1.0634. Pitched a very fresh packet of San Diego Super and put a SPUNDit valve on the keg/fermenter. at about 5psi for the first 36 hours, then turned it up to 22psi and left it unattended at 67F for a week. Increased temp to 69F and left it unattended for another week. The FERMonitor on the SPUNDit shows a bubble every twelve seconds.

I took a sample and poured it back and forth between two glasses ten times to decarbonate it. My hydrometer measures 1.006. Note that my recipe included 3.5oz (2.5%) of corn sugar which contributes to the low gravity number.

On one hand, 1.006 is pretty low, whilst OTOH, I am still seeing a bubble every twelve seconds. Should I cold crash, or should I leave it unattended for another week? Or does it even really matter when the gravity is this low?

Those bubbles don't mean anything at this point. You were probably at final gravity a week ago. I ferment at 12psi and cold crash to 38F and my kegerator pressure is 12psi and 41F. When I cold crash, the pressure will drop to about 9psi but a couple of days in the kegerator has it done.

 

[Greg Morris]

I am fermenting and serving from the same keg.

As for terminal gravity, BeerSmith suggests that is 1.007. I am currently at 1.006, and the occasional bubble suggests I am not all the way there.

It likely is finished fermenting, but just degassing. If you're leaving it in the keg then you could always just carbonate to a .1 less co2/vol and if it is still fermenting then who cares. 1.006 is sooo low without some other thing going on to get it lower...like added bacteria like Pediococcus. 90% attenuation is high.

 

[mac_1103]

90% attenuation is high.

Yeah, but we don't know anything about his grain bill or mash temp.

I was hoping that I might learn something from this thread about the effect of spunding on off gassing at the end of fermentation, but I guess maybe there's nothing to say about that?

 

[Greg Morris]

Yeah, but we don't know anything about his grain bill or mash temp.

I was hoping that I might learn something from this thread about the effect of spunding on off gassing at the end of fermentation, but I guess maybe there's nothing to say about that?

What would you like to know about spunding?

 

[mac_1103]

Just what I asked - does having 22 PSI on the fermenter at the end do anything to off-gassing?

 

[Greg Morris]

What's the style of beer? And are you packaging from the fermenter or transfering to a carbonation vessel? Are you going to repitch the yeast?

 

[Greg Morris]

Just what I asked - does having 22 PSI on the fermenter at the end do anything to off-gassing?

I only see 2 posts from you. Forgive me if I'm not understanding. I can definitely answer any question you have.

 

[mac_1103]

Forgive me if I'm not understanding.

I understand spunding and I understand off-gassing. OP stated that he turned up his spunding valve to 22 PSI. So I'm just wondering if 22 PSI has any effect on off gassing. Intuitively it certainly seems like it should. 22 PSI at 69F should force 2.1 volumes of CO2 into the beer, and it's been that way for a week so it probably should be close to equilibrium. So am I the only one wondering why or how any off gassing is going on under those conditions?

 

[whovous]

I chose 22PSI sort of at random on the assumption that there would be zero risk of over-carbonating once I cold crashed to somewhere in the 34-38F range.
I do not understand off=gassing, but a bubble every 12 seconds doesn't seem like much to me.

Today I removed the spunding valve, crashed to 38F, and hooked up the CO2 at 12PSI.

 

[whovous]

What's the style of beer? And are you packaging from the fermenter or transfering to a carbonation vessel? Are you going to repitch the yeast?

WCIPA bittered with a little Hop-Shot. Mosaic and Simcoe in late-boil, whirlpool, and a dryhop after roughly 36 hours of fermenting. Recipe modeled after Breaking Bud from KneeDeep Brewing.

I fermented a bit over 3.5 gallons in a 5 gallon keg which will double as the serving keg with the help of a floating dip-tube. I opened the keg once to add the dry-hops. ABV should wind up just over 7.5%.

 

[shoengine]

I chose 22PSI sort of at random on the assumption that there would be zero risk of over-carbonating once I cold crashed to somewhere in the 34-38F range.
I do not understand off=gassing, but a bubble every 12 seconds doesn't seem like much to me.

Today I removed the spunding valve, crashed to 38F, and hooked up the CO2 at 12PSI.

If you knew every factor that was impacting your beer then the bubbling would mean something. But since you don't, it isn't a good measurement (and it never is). Gravity measurements are the key!

 

[Greg Morris]

I understand spunding and I understand off-gassing. OP stated that he turned up his spunding valve to 22 PSI. So I'm just wondering if 22 PSI has any effect on off gassing. Intuitively it certainly seems like it should. 22 PSI at 69F should force 2.1 volumes of CO2 into the beer, and it's been that way for a week so it probably should be close to equilibrium. So am I the only one wondering why or how any off gassing is going on under those conditions?

It will have an effect on off gassing. It won't off gas at that point because head pressure/equilibrium will hold that dissolved co2 in solution. Off gassing won't occur at that pressure. Depending on the style though it could be bled out unless you're trying to trap aroma. If left to force carb for long enough then cold crashing with still keep equilibrium. Then at serving temp just put regulator at co2 volume pressure for temp. Assuming initial carbonation occurred over multiple days.

 

[Greg Morris]

WCIPA bittered with a little Hop-Shot. Mosaic and Simcoe in late-boil, whirlpool, and a dryhop after roughly 36 hours of fermenting. Recipe modeled after Breaking Bud from KneeDeep Brewing.

I fermented a bit over 3.5 gallons in a 5 gallon keg which will double as the serving keg with the help of a floating dip-tube. I opened the keg once to add the dry-hops. ABV should wind up just over 7.5%.

https://www.kegerators.com/carbonation-table/
2.4-2.6 volumes of co2 for that style imo. Set your spunding valve to whatever psi the chart says for the temperature you're using. Naturally carbonated is great!

 

[mac_1103]

Off gassing won't occur at that pressure.

And yet

a bubble every twelve seconds

and

It likely is finished fermenting, but just degassing.

Which is why I asked the question in the first place.

 

[whovous]

What exactly does this mean?

 

[mac_1103]

It means that getting any bubbles when the fermenter is at 22 PSI and the beer is close to or at final gravity seems kinda strange.

 

[Greg Morris]

It means that getting any bubbles when the fermenter is at 22 PSI and the beer is close to or at final gravity seems kinda strange.

We have "bubbles" as beer tries to reach an atmospheric equalibrium. We don't let it. But fermentation is done, unless you have an infection. I have no idea what type of controls you have in your place. That's a whole different conversation.