getting a little worry

[icebob]

I started a Blue Moon clone 10 day ago, did a starter and at first the thing was fermenting pretty hard, calmed down after 5 days, but still lot of activity in the carboy. Now at day 10 I still get a bubble in the airlock about every 10 secs. The temp was 64/66F the whole time, will that thing ever stop, and is it ok to ferment this long? Thx in advance.

 

[reinstone]

I started a Blue Moon clone 10 day ago, did a starter and at first the thing was fermenting pretty hard, calmed down after 5 days, but still lot of activity in the carboy. Now at day 10 I still get a bubble in the airlock about every 10 secs. The temp was 64/66F the whole time, will that thing ever stop, and is it ok to ferment this long? Thx in advance.

Raise the temp up a little if possible. Otherwise if you are bottling let it finish completely.

 

[beerbaker]

It is likely done fermenting, but the only way to tell is to check with a hydrometer. Bubbles in the airlock are not an indication of fermentation. It's likely just CO2 coming out of the beer. It's hard to leave it alone... but leave it alone. Leave it for another week or two.

 

[Urban_Samurai]

yes its fine, the best way to see if something is done fermenting is to take hydrometer readings over a 3-5 day period and only when you get the same value on 3 consecutive readings would it be considered complete.

 

[jbaysurfer]

It's not only OK to ferment this long, it's advisable. Let it do it's thing. The above post is accurate, although I don't know that I'd assume it's done fermenting, as bubbles CAN be an indication of fermenting. Many yeasts will continue to clean up their own byproducts for several weeks beyond when active fermentation is done, the phenomenon of lagering is exactly for this reason.

That said, heed what he said. Bubbling (I'll add: in and of itself) is not proof of fermentation.

And...like he said...leave it alone. If it starts picking up steam or forms a pellicle, then it's time to worry, but it's not going to do either of those things in all likelihood, and in another week you'll be ready to rack/bottle.

 

[icebob]

I know about hydrometer reading, usually when 2 or 3 days without bubble in the airlock, I take a reading, wait another 2 or 3 days and take another reading etc.... But my point is if I still see bubble in the airlock, it's prolly still fermenting, so that's why I don't think it worth to take a reading now, but I've been wrong before and will surely be again! Is my thinking ok?

 

[fearwig]

Eh. Sure.

You can take a reading whenever. You can also let it sit. It's not an IPA, I wouldn't be in a rush to bottle it.

 

[icebob]

was planning/hoping to keg it next sunday but willing to wait longer if needed, no rush here, already have some from my first keg!

 

[Clonefan94]

The thing is, beer will be beer and yeast will be yeast. For the most part, I use 3 yeasts. Nottingham, US-05 and S-04. In the last year, I have probably brewed at least 4 beers with each one of those (US-05) being used a lot more. And the beer I brew most with US-05 is the exact same recipe every time. Anyways, I have yet to have two identical fermentations if I were strictly going by air-lock activity. Some have finished in 3 days, some have gone 10.

My point is I guess. Yeast is a living breathing organism. They do not always work to an exact schedule. They are done when they are done. And as others have said above, airlock doesn't really mean anything as far as fermentation goes. So, don't worry, you will have beer.

 

[icebob]

gonna be 3 weeks sunday... not sure if you can see good but here's a pic of the top of the carboy

Still a lot of stuff on top of the wort, does this look normal?