air lock activity after 4 weeks!! WTF?

[tomaso]

I brewed an amber ale 4 weeks ago and because of travelling I haven't gotten around to bottling it yet. It is still in primary. But coming back from a trip yesterday the airlock was still bubbling every 10 seconds; but only sometimes; also sometimes it stops for a while but then goes back to bubbling again
How ist that possible? Only thing I can think of is am infection??
Took a sample just now and tastes ok; bit too bitter due to high FG I guess but ok.

Want to bottle but maybe fermentation is not complete yet, but after 4 freakin weeks???

Recipe:

11L (2.5Gallons)
2,4kg 2Row Pale
600g Munich
300G Crystal 60L
250g Cara Pils
20g Black Patent

10g Magnum (60min)
11g Amarillo (30min)
11g Amarillo (10Min)

Safale-05 American Ale
Fermented at 18,5C (65F) Ambient Temp.

Og: 1,062
Fg (sampled just now): 1,024

Eager to hear some feedback!
Thanks!

 

[BreezyBrew]

It's off gassing. Especially if it got moved, the c02 raised to the top long after fermentation is done. The only real way to tell is a hydrometer.

 

[gnor]

Cold crash it then bottle

 

[major.noms]

Cold crash it then bottle

what is a cold crash? I'm having a similar situation.

 

[tomaso]

Thanks for the input.
I think as well that I'll bottle.

Estimated FG according to Beersmith is 1,017 and I'm on 1,024

but I don't want to go through the hassle of getting another batch of yeast fermenting and pitching it at high Krausen without even being sure that it'll bring down gravitymore.... although, that being said just though that I could use part of the yeast that I'll be using for my brew tomorrow....

 

[tomaso]

Btw, I've never cold crashed my beers so far but they still come out fine and clear.

 

[Rockn_M]

what is a cold crash? I'm having a similar situation.

Cold crashing is when you drop the temperature of the beer. This will put the yeast in a dormant stage and sink to the bottom along with any other solids that might be floating around. This is a great way of clearing the beer without using filters or gelatin. I typically cold crash around 35 degrees for 3-5 days depending how much time I have.

 

[seigex]

I brewed an amber ale 4 weeks ago and because of travelling I haven't gotten around to bottling it yet. It is still in primary. But coming back from a trip yesterday the airlock was still bubbling every 10 seconds;

Physics and barometric pressure. I'm guessing you probably have a storm front near by, or passing over, or a high pressure ridge is building and your inHg probably changed. Temperature changes will also do this as warmer temperatures release co2, while colder temperatures absorb it.

 

[brewkinger]

Thanks for the input.
I think as well that I'll bottle.

Estimated FG according to Beersmith is 1,017 and I'm on 1,024

but I don't want to go through the hassle of getting another batch of yeast fermenting and pitching it at high Krausen without even being sure that it'll bring down gravitymore.... although, that being said just though that I could use part of the yeast that I'll be using for my brew tomorrow....

If what you are saying is that your current FG is 1.024 and you were supposed to be at (or around) 1.017, then bottling right now might not be in your best interest.

Off gassing due to changes in ambient air temps, air pressure are normal.

I would not bottle that beer until you get 2 (or 3) steady hydrometer readings over a 2-3 day period... PERIOD!

Bottle bombs suck.

 

[gnor]

That's why cold crash the beer, then bottle.

 

[brewkinger]

That's why cold crash the beer, then bottle.

Still bad advice.
Cold crashing a beer is done AFTER a beer reaches FG to achieve clarity.

Doing so in a beer that is not done fermenting all the sugars and then adding more sugar to bottle that beer is a recipe for disaster.

The best advice for the OP is what several of us have given.

Test with hydrometer and make sure that it is done fermenting (I concur that it very well might be)
If the gravity is stable, then by all means cold crash or bottle or both.

 

[tomaso]

Bottled today after 3 days same gravity;

Anyway, my point was in a way to ask whether it's possible that a brew is still fermenting after 2 or 3 weeks and if so for what reason???

Thanks for you rhelp!

 

[m00ps]

I've had a cpuple beers still with visible activity even after 4 weeks. I took gravity readings and they were stable from week 2 on so I just bottled. No bombs, and they havent been over carbed. I think it was just random things like the beer itself heating up a bit with teh ambient temp or off-gasing of the yeast or something.
Bottom-line: listen to the hydrometer, not the airlock

 

[brewkinger]

Anyway, my point was in a way to ask whether it's possible that a brew is still fermenting after 2 or 3 weeks and if so for what reason???

It is possible for a beer to still be fermenting after 3 or 4 weeks, although I would say that it is not normal.
If so, it could be due to poor yeast health / function, or temperature fluctuations.
For instance the beer starts fermenting normally and then the temp drops for some reason and the yeast slow down and maybe go dormant prematurely.
Then the temp comes back up and it starts back up again.
This happened to me once. I put a beer in the ferment chamber and set it to 62 degrees. About 2 wks later I noticed that my temp controller was set at 42 degrees and was not sure how long it had been that way. I assume that my son adjusted it while he was playing in the garage.
I bumped it back up to 66 and it started bubbling away again for another 4-5 days and then it was finished.

In your case, I think it just may have been off gassing, which is a way more common occurrence.