Bottling When Yeast Bubbles Present In Secondary

[Acuna]

Well, for my second batch my brother joined me and we made a London Porter kit from AHS that we plan on drinking over the Christmas/New Year holiday.

After 9 days in the primary I moved it to the secondary. A few days later I went by to check it and at first glance I thought "Mold!" But upon closer inspection (and after searching this forum) I am most confident it is yeast bubbles and decided to chill out and realize everything is going to be fine. After all, just like my first batch (which was perfect) I was extremely careful with the sanitization of EVERYTHING and particulary careful cleaning the secondary.

It will be time to bottle in a few days and I was wondering what, if anything, do I need to do with regard to the yeast bubbles (they have started to go away or at least decrease in number FWIW)? Disregard them and bottle as usual? Try not to get them into the bottling bucket?

Thanks in advance for your help and happy brewing to everyone!

 

[ArcaneXor]

As long as your final gravity is as expected an the beer tastes normal, go ahead and bottle.

If it tastes thin, sour, etc, wait until whatever wild yeast made its way in there has finished its work to avoid bottle bombs.

 

[Acuna]

Mmmmmmmm bottle bombs, I DEFINITELY don't want that.

Is it possible that instead of wild yeast the bubbles are because the yeast was not done fermenting due to the colder than expected temps in my part of the country? Hate to say it but I did not check the OG when transferring to the secondary because 1) it had been 9 days and things looked good 2) didnt want to increase risk of contamination at that point by sticking stuff into the wort, 3) I would be checking gravity at the end of the secondary in any event, and 4) I have an overflow just in case things get crazy in the secondary...

 

[ArcaneXor]

It could also be just CO2 coming out of solution, which is normal and harmless.

Estimate your OG with brewing software like Beersmith, and take a FG reading now. If the results show attenuation as expected for the yeast you used, you are good to go unless something else is at work in the fermenter, and a quick smell/taste test is all it takes to make that assessment.

Don't worry about introducing crap into the beer when taking samples. If the instrument is clean and bathed in StarSan, and your hands are sanitized, nothing bad will happen.

 

[Acuna]

I use the Cleanitizer from AHS.

Beer smelled great when I was transferring it. Did not smell bad at all.

I will check the FG tonight....after all it is Friday.

 

[malkore]

Never rack to secondary until primary is truly over, per your FG reading matching (or being really close to) the estimated final gravity.

I've seen airlocks do crazy things completely unrelated to fermentation activity.