Loosing Pressure in Primary

[Chip]

This is my third batch of beer and it is just being stubborn. A week ago Friday I made a batch of Stout and have kept in Primary. After one day it was perking wonderfully and a great head of Krausen had formed. On the third day the bubbles stopped. Right away the liquid in the air lock was getting sucked up in the post that the top hat sits on. I made sure that the lid was tight and the airlock sealed but it still continued. After a week it was doing the same thing.

It was not loosing liquid from the airlock, rather it would rise up about as far as it could and just stop. Being concerned that something was off and after reading multiple posts here that say just wait I replaced the airlock sanitized water with vodka and let it move on.

Today I took a gravity reading and it is at 1.024 so it still has a way to go. The beer went from a nice sweet flavor to something very bitter. It is the AHS Promotional Chocolate Raspberry Stout so I know the raspberry flavor still has to go in.

Here are my questions. First off is something going on that I should be concerned about? Of course waiting a bit longer before moving to secondary is in order. Second, can I add something as it moves to secondary to sweeten it up a bit if I determine it needs it?

Thanks for your advice and assistance.

 

[david_42]

Probably an air pressure change. No problem.

Lactose is the best sweetener. Try adding 4 ounces after adding the raspberry in the bottling bucket.

 

[Chip]

Thanks David.

I called Austin yesterday and they had the same response. I racked it to secondary today and picked up 2 4 0z bags of lactose. It still tasted horribly bitter, but that also may be in part to the fact that I am just getting over a strep throat infection. I popped a bitter that I made several months and could not get it down. So perhaps it is still a great brew and my taste buds are just off.