Fermentation or Not?

[luckylogger6]

Fermentation or Not?

So my OG was 1.063 on an extract IPA im working on. I pitched a smack pack of Wyeast 1056 and had good fermentation within 12hrs. It went for a few days and slowed and stopped (based on the air lock). I gave it the remainder of 7 days in the primary and racked in to my secondary for dry hoping and took a gravity reading of 1.020. When I went to rack it I thought I herd a bubble from the airlock on the primary, but since it was just going to the secondary I was not too concerned. Sure enough the secondary has continued bubbling for the last week, but realy slow (one in every 2min). Last night it was still bubbling so I took another reading and it was still 1.020.

So I’ve herd a million times not to rely on the airlock but if fermentation has been done (based on consecutive hydrometer readings a week apart) where are the bubbles coming from? I know my hydrometer is reading correct and Im sure I am reading it with in .001. Any ideas? Thanks.

 

[brewmasterpa]

the bubbles are coming from fermentation. never rely on the air lock as a sign of active fermentation meaning if there arent bubbles, that does not mean you are not fermenting. however, if youre bubbling, youve got active fermentation. 1.020 seems a little high for an ipa, so id guess you got a little ways to go. and btw, id go 14-21 days in the primary from now on. secondary is just for conditining and clarification primarily. youll want 99.9% of youre fermentation to complete in the primary.

 

[brewmasterpa]

i also have to add cuz i know somebody is going to light it up, as long as your lid is on tight, you have no leaks, there are no massive temperature changes occuring, and you are not infected, a bubbling airlock is indication that youre still fermenting. there now i corrected myself.

 

[Yooper]

I would disagree that it's fermenting. If it's still at 1.020 after 7 days, it's done.

The airlock is bubbling because some of the dissolved co2 is coming out. It could be because it got a little warmer outside, or the barometric pressure is rising, or whatever. Airlock bubbling really doesn't correspond to the amount of (if any) fermentation taking place.

It sounds like you did move it out of primary a bit too early- 1.020 is kind of high.

 

[brewmasterpa]

like i said in my second post

 

[eljefebrewing]

I would disagree that it's fermenting. If it's still at 1.020 after 7 days, it's done.

The airlock is bubbling because some of the dissolved co2 is coming out. It could be because it got a little warmer outside, or the barometric pressure is rising, or whatever. Airlock bubbling really doesn't correspond to the amount of (if any) fermentation taking place.

It sounds like you did move it out of primary a bit too early- 1.020 is kind of high.

You're scarin' me, Yooper...

I bottled my first brew last night. OG was 1.047 (it's an extract brown ale) and I got back-to-back readings of 1.021 on Days 8 and 9. I (probably foolishly, DOH!) forgot to take a hydrometer reading before bottling last night (Day 10). That, or I figured if I had the same reading for the two previous days, I was done. Don't remember which... had to drink several bottles of beer in order to free them up for washing/filling with homebrew.

Do you think I just pulled the pin on a bunch of bottle bombs, or do you think it will be okay? How soon might they start blowing up, if they're going to? They've been placed back in the closet, which seems to be pretty steady at 65 degrees or so.

 

[luckylogger6]

Thanks for all the feedback. I agree that 1.020 is high but I assumed that if it was not done there would be enough suspended yeast to keep going in the secondary. Maybe I was wrong or maybe it was stalled for some reason before I racked. I guess I will bottle and try again.