Bubble Airlock Question

[pr0cess]

So I don't use airlock activity as anything but a general indicator. If it is bubbling I don't bother worrying about it. I brewed a fairly beefy stout about a month ago and promptly blew my knee out playing hockey to where I couldn't lift anything over 20lbs, stoop, bend, yadda yadda. So the beer sat in primary for now over a month and I was looking at the airlock and wondering. It is a three piece bubbler and the floater thing is elevated so it rests against the cap. If I push on the lid (I am using plastic buckets) it bubbles a little and sinks back down main shaft but within a day it is back up to the top. My logic tells me that the yeast is still chewing out the sugars and making a wee bit of gas, not enough to bubble (at least while I am watching) but gassing all the same. Does that make sense or is there another explanation as to why the floater floats?

-dylan.

 

[Yooper]

I'm sure that it's finished fermenting. The reason the airlock is up is probably because of a bit of co2 coming out of solution occasionally. Weather changes, especially if it gets suddenly very warm, can even cause it to bubble. There is a blanket of co2 over the beer, and sometimes it's not much but it's enough to cause some pressure in the airlock but not enough to bubble the airlock.

That's often the case with wines- sometimes wines need to be "degassed" before bottling. Even though fermentation is long over, the airlock means that some co2 is still inside the carboy. Most of my wines are over 6 months old, but most of the airlocks aren't completely flat.

 

[802VermontHomebrew]

dude 3 weeks is all you need your ready for bottles!

 

[802VermontHomebrew]

my stout tastes deeeeelish... hope yours turns out good too!

 

[iron_city_ap]

Wow, I'm in before the 'check your hydrometer reading' crowd....If its still bubbling, but slowly, I'd start looking at your readings

About how long until you can start to lift it? That will be an issue too. It won't hurt it to let it sit for an extra week or month or so... granted, if you could bottle soon, then by the time you can hoist 12oz., it'll be ready...:rockin:

Hope you get better soon.

 

[Revvy]

If you haven't opened fermenter in the 3-4 weeks, since you brewed then the vessel is full of co2, so of course when you push down on it, it's going to bubble, just like it may bubble due to changes in atmospheric pressure or temp. And it's even going to push the airlock up. It's a good thing. It means there plenty of co2 protecting your beer.

 

[marubozo]

Look at the bright side. Being unable to mess with your beer and leaving it sit in the primary for the right amount of time is probably going to give you the best beer you've made yet.