Fermentation restarted?

[wordswithtim]

Hey guys,

Noob brewer with a question. I'm on to my fourth brew. Just your basic extract brew. Fermentation seemed to stop. Did consecutive gravity readings over two days and they were same. So I added some finings. And the fermenter seems to be fermenting again. Really slowly, takes ages for any gas to come through the airlock. But it's definitely producing gas again. Should I be worried? Nothing of the sort happened with my first three brews. Any feedback or advice greatly appreciated.

 

[sfgoat]

Could it just be gassing off? Was there perhaps a recent temperature change?

 

[FinchSCF]

Could it just be gassing off? Was there perhaps a recent temperature change?

This is what I would guess as well from my experience. I would try to bottle a biT later from your planned date to be able to get another gravity reading in - if it's still stable, then it should be good. Better safe then sorry IMO.

 

[unionrdr]

Adding the finings could've started it off-gassing dissolved Co2. It'd act as a nucleation point.

 

[beergolf]

All buubling means is that the pressure inside is higher than outside.

Wacth this. Is it done yet?

 

[unionrdr]

That's solar energy expanding the air inside the glass carboy. Simple.

 

[stansoid]

Are the gravity readings higher than the expected terminal gravity? Could you have roused up the yeast cake a bit? Out of curiosity, what was your OG, goal terminal gravity, batch size and which yeast did you use?

 

[wordswithtim]

Okay, had no idea it might do that. Is it possible that off gassing can go on for over 24 hours, because mine seems to be. As for the more specific questions about my batch. The batch size is 23 litres, original Gravity was about 5%, last reading (before the gas restarted) was just under 2%. Honestly I' not confident using the hydro. I'm able to use it to assess when fermentation stops. But I seriously doubt I'm using it the right way when it comes to estimating alcohol content. No idea about the yeast type. I'm using extract brews so it's just whatever comes with the kit.

 

[doug293cz]

Okay, had no idea it might do that. Is it possible that off gassing can go on for over 24 hours, because mine seems to be. As for the more specific questions about my batch. The batch size is 23 litres, original Gravity was about 5%, last reading (before the gas restarted) was just under 2%. Honestly I' not confident using the hydro. I'm able to use it to assess when fermentation stops. But I seriously doubt I'm using it the right way when it comes to estimating alcohol content. No idea about the yeast type. I'm using extract brews so it's just whatever comes with the kit.

You don't want to use the alcohol scale on the hydrometer. That scale is intended for wine makers, and is meant to indicate potential alcohol of the starting must. You should be using the scale that goes from 0.990 -> 1.000 -> 1.010 -> 1.020 ... This is the specific gravity (SG) scale. Home brewers tend to think in, and be familiar with, SG.

The way to tell if fermentation is finished is to get identical SG readings two days apart, and have the stable SG be somewhat close to or below the FG (final SG or final gravity) predicted for the recipe used. If your stable SG is significantly higher than the target FG, then you likely have a stuck fermentation.

Brew on

 

[wordswithtim]

Sorry but what does stuck fermentation mean? I've never even heard of it before.

 

[NTXBrauer]

Sorry but what does stuck fermentation mean? I've never even heard of it before.

A stuck fermentation is a fermentation that has stopped before the yeast has consumed all of the available sugars and converted them to alcohol.

 

[wordswithtim]

Okay. One last question for the collected brains trust on this issue. It would seem the off gassing explanation was right. I've be been following the gravity throughout and it's not changed even as the gas was being released. So, technically, I've had a steady gravity reading for about four days now.. Since the gassing has stopped, am I right to bottle? Or do I still need another 48 hours of steady gravity reading?

 

[sfgoat]

More time doesn't hurt but if it were me I'd just bottle it. Off gassing can take forever.

 

[wordswithtim]

Thanks. Appreciate it.