Baffled

[Jacktar]

My IPA has been in the carboy for three weeks. Summer temperatures kept things warm and the activity started off fiercely and then petered out about 5 days later. There has been no visible activity for 2 weeks and my beer was nice and clear. I let it sit and today I was planning on bottling the beer.

Now, Im in my basement and my airlock is bubbling every 30 seconds. My beer is cloudy again. Wtf?! It has been cool for the last week but has warmed up in the last two days. However, the temp on my carboy reader has been at a constant 22 for weeks. What is happening? I don't understand. Can I still bottle my beer? I have not taken a gravity reading because I assume 3 weeks is enough for a partial mash fermentation.

 

[Tubba]

Maybe a tough wild yeast has taken residence in it? Though one would assume that your yeast had finished fermenting fermentables, had it finished.

 

[ChshreCat]

I have not taken a gravity reading because I assume 3 weeks is enough for a partial mash fermentation.

This is the cause of your confusion. You can't know what it's doing unless you check the gravity. It may have just stalled out and something restarted the ferment. Or it could just be a temp change causing CO2 to come out of solution. Check the SG and see!

 

[Germelli1]

My guess is something caused C02 to be off gassed. It could be caused by MANY things: as a change in room temp, a change in atmospheric pressure, a pet brushing up against the carboy, you moving the carboy, vibrations in the floor, a freak east coast earthquake, etc.

Like others have said a gravity reading will tell you for sure!

And what I do is this: When airlock activity stops (usually in the next few days since I am lazy/busy/lazy) I take a gravity reading. If it is a beer I plan to let condition in the fermenter I now have a reading to compare to the final gravity when I bottle. It also can help tell if it is stuck or nay!

 

[Jacktar]

Ok. Off to take a gravity reading.

 

[Jacktar]

Hahaha. Can't fit turkey baster down the carboy. Will try another method later.

 

[ChshreCat]

Next time you're at your LHBS....

 

[Jacktar]

OG: 1052 (aug 22)
Today's gravity:1020 (sept 11)

Is this thing finished?

Recipe:
5 1/2 lbs DME
1lb crystal malt
1/2lb pilsner malt.
+ hops and safbrew s-32

 

[Shaneoco1981]

Unclear. Take a gravity reading in 2 or 3 days and if it's the same, odds are it's finished. That looks high with out doing some math though.

I just checked using a 75% attenuation and that tells me it should be down around 1.013. That is a BASIC average for yeast, so take it as such, but yea, you maybe a bit high.

 

[Jacktar]

I don't understand how it could possibly not be finished. Can fermentation really take 3 weeks at these temperatures?

 

[ChshreCat]

Yeast don't care about your schedule. Sometimes they work fast. Sometimes they're slow. Sometimes they take a break halfway through.