Added Gelatin...airlock is bubbling again

[kidsmakeyoucrazy]

Ok, I know the airlock is not a good indicator of fermentation so lets get that out of the way...

Here's my situation. I've got an Irish Red in the Fermenter. It's been there for 2 1/2 weeks. I took a gravity reading yesterday and I was at 1.014. This was the first time I had opened the bucket since brew day. When I popped the lid I noticed there was a "head" on the beer. Not a big one, just a tiny blanket of bubbles that sank down by the time I took my sample. I figured almost 3 weeks and 1.014 was close enough so I added the gelatin (bloomed, took to 170, cooled etc).

Here's what is puzzling me though. I haven't seen any airlock activity on this batch for almost 2 weeks. After I shut everything back up yesterday the airlock started bubbling again, maybe once every 15-20 seconds. I'm thinking, well I did have the lid off, it's just gassing off. Tonight it's still doing it.

Is this normal after a gelatin addition? I don't think there's anything wrong, I'm just trying to figure out what is causing this batch to gas off after almost 2 weeks of nothing. My guess is the gelatin is pulling stuff to the bottom and the co2 attached to that "stuff" is being released as the protiens sink.

 

[dwarven_stout]

Has the ambient temp changed for the warmer? I find my beers in secondary tend to bubble a bit when they warm up or get moved. Sounds like you're fine, anyway.

 

[AnthonyD]

Maybe roused some yeast when you added the gelatin?

 

[Rushis]

The temp increase suggestion above is the most probable.

Another alternative explanation, by adding gelatin, you increased the amount of dissolved solids in the wort which could drive off C02 that is in solution. Similar to what happens when you add sugar to a soda, but the amount of C02 and dissolved solids in the beer are much lower.

Just a thought of course. A hydro reading right before bottling or kegging should tell you if started fermenting again for some weird reason.

 

[Revvy]

You removed the airclock, & you added something to the fermenter and then you replaced the airlock, in other words you disturbed the nice peaceful equilibrium of co2 in the fermener, and it is now venting again, probably even off gassing any o2 that got in when you dumped the stuff in....


It's not likely fermening but simply doing what an airlock is supposed to do, VENTING or off gassing.

Nothing to worry about, if you get out of the idea that bubbling = fermentation, and think of it as bubbling = ventilation, you won't bother caring or worrying if the airlock bubbles of not.

 

[arch1tect]

everytime I take a sample for a gravity reading my airlock bubbles for a few hours. Like Revvy said, it's just off gassing.

 

[kidsmakeyoucrazy]

Thanks. Like I said I wasn't worried as much as I was curious.

 

[akemai]

Gelatin can be a mild surfactant. If you look carefully at gelatin structure, it contains hydrophobic amino acids like alanine and proline, and hydrophilic amino acids like arginine, glutamine and 4-hydroxyproline.

An example of such reaction is the rapid outgassing of coke when Mentos is dropped in as a result of the discharge of all dissolved gas (carbon dioxide) within the coke. Additionally, gum Arabic coating the surface of the candy acts as a surfactant, decreasing surface tension of the bubbles on its surface. Low surface tension also helps bubbles grow quickly. Aspartame (the artificial sweetener in diet coke) also works as a surfactant in solution, further decreasing surface area and increasing bubbling.