I brewed my second batch using a home brew kit with the two 6.5 gallon buckets. I used a True Brew Irish Stout kit and everything went well. For the first two to three days it bubbled away through the airlock and then slowed to about one bubble every one to two minutes. I could not bottle it at the suggested 7 day fermentation period, but when I went back to bottle it on day 9 it's bubbling away again at a rate of about every 10 to 15 seconds. Needless to say, I did not bottle it since it seems it has started to aggressively bubble again. Is this normal and do I just let it continue until it slows again before I bottle it?
Fermenting began AGAIN!
- Thread starter xoramn
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Jiin
Member
First, welcome.
Second, I'm not positive, but that sounds like you may have an infection on your hands or it could have been a large temperature fluctuation. But regardless, I'd suggest you let it sit in the fermented for at least 2 weeks.
Second, I'm not positive, but that sounds like you may have an infection on your hands or it could have been a large temperature fluctuation. But regardless, I'd suggest you let it sit in the fermented for at least 2 weeks.
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Generally over a 6er.
My beginning gravity was a 1.042 and it fermented at a temperature of about 65 to 72 degrees. I have not taken another gravity reading since i'm trying to minimize any unnecessary exposure. It was kept in the dining room which doesn't usually get used but the temperature isn't constant either. Also, when I initially boiled it the first time I didn't stop it in time and I had some boil-over losing some of the hops. I don't know how much this will affect the brew.
Darker beers in general will take more time for the grains to blend.Was it all extract?Extract may be differnet in the sense of partial that the grains were already in a can or something, for an all extract kit I think it wouldnt take as long if it was a can.
Nothing to worry with the small boil over -those hops rage,huh?They are cool my last brew i seen them wirlpool.
Nothing to worry with the small boil over -those hops rage,huh?They are cool my last brew i seen them wirlpool.
Phew! Well, i hope that is the case. I just though it odd that it would seem like it was ready for bottling and then pick back up again. My thought was that it had some sort of infection too. The kit consisted of a combination of a can of dark malt extract and powdered extracts as well as crystal and roast barley which were steeped for 30 minutes. I'll just have to be more diligent about keeping my eye on the boiling process to prevent the mess I made. This is my second brew, and my Oktoberfest was bottled exactly on day 7 so I expected to see something similar on day 9 of my Irish Stout. Thanks for all ya'lls help.
Shinglejohn
Well-Known Member
First and foremost, 7 days is NOT a satisfactory time period for fermenting. If this is from a kit, do yourself a favor and throw the directions away and listen to me.
A few basics. Your beer @ 1.042 will need a minimum of two weeks, more is better.
The airlock is NEVER an indication of the activity of the yeast, the only way to know that it is safe to bottle is by checking the gravity.When the gravity is stable for two consecutive days, its safe to bottle.
Checking the gravity is not unnecessary expose, it is fundamental!
The airlock can start bubbling if the temperature changes and the beer begins to release dissolved gas.
Welcome to the addiction, now your screwed!
A few basics. Your beer @ 1.042 will need a minimum of two weeks, more is better.
The airlock is NEVER an indication of the activity of the yeast, the only way to know that it is safe to bottle is by checking the gravity.When the gravity is stable for two consecutive days, its safe to bottle.
Checking the gravity is not unnecessary expose, it is fundamental!
The airlock can start bubbling if the temperature changes and the beer begins to release dissolved gas.
Welcome to the addiction, now your screwed!
Shinglejohn
Well-Known Member
Yikes!
Did you check for stable gravity? If not, keep your eye on them and as soon as they taste carbonated, put them in the fridge!!!!
or... BOOM!
Bottle Bomb.
Just dont bottle yet. It may be done fermenting and just off gassing. give it a hydro in another week if you want and when you decide to bottle like after 3 weeks which is what im giving mine (4 would be even better)take another hydro. You want to bottle when the hydro dosent go down anymore.I basically only take my hydro reading at botteling 3 weeks because by then im most certain it has been finished.Beers usually finish within a week but you want to conditon them on the yeast cake a week or two or 3 +more.
gunner65
Well-Known Member
WTF? No! It is not an organism fighting his yeast
It is called active fermentation. There is no formula for an airlock to tell us when the beer is complete. The airlock has one purpose and that is to allow the CO2 to escape while keeping the fermenter sealed. A gravity reading is the only trustworthy tool for that. RDWHAHB
If a bubbling airlock is not proof of new fermentation, what else could it be? Infection? Have you seen re-bubbling happen in brews?
Shinglejohn
Well-Known Member
Its probobly dissolved gas coming out of solution, but after nine days morethan likely it is still fermenting.
It is NOT infected. 99% sure of that.
It is NOT infected. 99% sure of that.
Bruce_W
Member
Hi, I did the same kit last Saturday. I screwed up getting a good OG but right now it is at 1.014. I am wondering about the color. Is yours black like a Guinness Extra Stout? Mine is more brown but seems to be getting darker.
Shinglejohn
Well-Known Member
The proccess of fermenting and clearing changes color slighlty, also the color in a glass will be lighter than in the carboy or bucket.
Sorry, you just answered my question in the previous post. I will take your advice on doing a gravity reading now and then doing another once the bubbling slows to between one to two minutes and getting a couple of consecutive stable readings before I bottle.
Shinglejohn
Well-Known Member
Wait a week before taking a reading. No need to do it now.
Dont use the airlock as an absolute indicator is all. Everyone goes through the airlock paradox!
Dont use the airlock as an absolute indicator is all. Everyone goes through the airlock paradox!
good advice is to let it sit bubbles or not. In fact you need to just forget about your bubbeler and let it sit a few weeks.Take the advice that i took of experienced brewers your airlock dosent mean ****.
I haven't checked mine yet, but will look at it in a couple of minutes and get a gravity reading to see where it's at. One question, I have the C-Brite that you have to rinse and I hate mixing it especially if i'm only cleaning something small like a hydrometer. Is there an easier way of cleaning my hydrometer, maybe by hand with some dish soap and warm water, and then can I use it while it's clean to take a hydrometer reading? Or would it still be considered dirty.
I've moved my fermenters into my kitchen from my fermenting area (hallway
) after 3 weeks and had it start bubbling again anew. Sometimes just moving the fermenter causes agitation and fresh airlock bubbling, it doesn't mean a brew isn't done fermenting by any means. It's just rousing the yeast, the sediment, the gasses, etc. It's going to have some form of noticeable effect as the brew is still alive - if it weren't our beer wouldn't carb up in the bottles.
*Edit - btw, just responding to this one post. Not saying the he should look to bottle now or anything. I always wait 2-3 weeks depending on the styles I've been doing. Just addressing the comment quoted.
Rev.
Shinglejohn
Well-Known Member
you need to steilize anything that touches your beer. But why take a gravity reading now?
Just relax, wait it out and dont touch it for another week!
Just relax, wait it out and dont touch it for another week!
Put your sanitizer you preveiously used in a spray bottle or better yet let your beer sit primary 2-4 weeks then you almost dont even need to use the hydro. I know mine is finished after 3 weeks for a normal gravity ale if i dont like the finished gravity i would let it sit another 3 days and check but since doing 3 weeks i have yet to have a gravity reading that isnt finished.
OK, I'll wait another week to take a reading. Thank you guys for all your help. Would a solution of clorox and water be suitable for sterilizing so I don't have to go through mixing? At least until I get some no-rinse C-Brite.
Yes, it would work, but requires a long rinse - bleach always takes a longer rinse than you think or your nose would realize. To be honest, just get some StarSan ordered. I started with the bleach thing but after only one batch moved to StarSan and am glad I did - no rinse sanitizer. Just follow their amount instructions.
Rev.
D0ug
Well-Known Member
You've got time go to an LHBS or an on line HB site and get some StarSan, then get a spray bottle the next time you're at the grocery store. Mix up according to directions (I think it's 1/4 oz StarSan to 1 gallon H2O) and fill the spray bottle.
The next time you want to take a reading just clean your hydrometer, etc... and spray everything down well with your solution. I think it takes 30-90 seconds of contact to sanitize, and you can use it wet. No rinsing required.
Easy peasey, lemon squeezy.
The next time you want to take a reading just clean your hydrometer, etc... and spray everything down well with your solution. I think it takes 30-90 seconds of contact to sanitize, and you can use it wet. No rinsing required.
Easy peasey, lemon squeezy.
Yes just rinse with sterile water. Tap if your confident but i always use previously boiled or distilled water.
Sorry to beat the "wait longer" statements to death but it is what it takes for a good beer otherwise i would be botteling under 2 weeks all the time.
Sorry to beat the "wait longer" statements to death but it is what it takes for a good beer otherwise i would be botteling under 2 weeks all the time.
Shinglejohn
Well-Known Member
+1
I use my water from the tap, if your curious, you can get a water profile from your local water company.
Also if you want all you would have to sanitize is a baster,just dont touch the hydro vessel when putting the beer in it with a baster. Then just drink the sample and rinse out your hydro.The only thing that touches the beer is a sanitized baster.
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