I'm a fairly new home brewer working with a plastic bucket fermenter from the local homebrew shop. I'm making a 5 gal batch of an English style brown ale with honey. I finished a weeklong primary fermentation and racked to a secondary fermenter for clarification. The batch had stopped bubbling in the primary fermenter but when I carried the bucket into the kitchen to start bottling I noticed the water lock bubbling again. Is this normal or did I screw something up?
Newbie brewer with a question about secondary fermentation
- Thread starter Jhardin87
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Morrey
Well-Known Member
Very normal. You simply "roused" the yeast and it is finishing the fermentation process. Some folks choose not to rack to secondary, but give the fermenter a healthy swirl which can do the same thing. Lots of ways to skin the cat.
There are variations in fermenting times and conditions, but I typically allow 14 days from yeast pitch until the time I expect fermentation to be completed. The true test is to take a reading with your hydrometer to ensure your final gravity is down where it should be. If not, and you bottle prematurely, you run the risk of your bottles bursting from too much carbonation.
BTW...you didn't mention how long you left the beer in secondary after racking from primary??
There are variations in fermenting times and conditions, but I typically allow 14 days from yeast pitch until the time I expect fermentation to be completed. The true test is to take a reading with your hydrometer to ensure your final gravity is down where it should be. If not, and you bottle prematurely, you run the risk of your bottles bursting from too much carbonation.
BTW...you didn't mention how long you left the beer in secondary after racking from primary??
There is CO2 already is solution in the fermented beer (normal ~1.2 volumes or so) that will come out of solution with temperature changes, partial pressure changes or physical shaking.
FYI, take a look around here at advice on secondary fermentation.
FYI, take a look around here at advice on secondary fermentation.
It's been in secondary for 4 days now. I know you're usually supposed to do a full week but I drink a lot of wheat beers so I'm fine with a little cloudier beer. Plus the last batch of of beer I made was a kolsch which I let go the full week in secondary. It didn't carbonate very well in the bottles I was afraid that too much of the yeast had died off and I wanted to make sure that this batch didn't have the same problem. And I'm really excited about this recipe and got a little impatient lol
Singletrack
Because it's judgement that defeats us.
Secondaries are no longer recommended in most instances, though many old instructions call for it. You may want to do a little research and decide for yourself.
The yeast didn't die off. There was so much yeast still suspended as to be able to overcarbonate and create bottle bombs. Your lack of carbonation was due either to less than the proper amount of priming sugar or leaking lids.
Beer clears up better if you leave it in the primary. Leave it for 2 weeks and rack carefully. If you want less sediment in the bottles, leave it longer. 4 weeks will settle out a lot of yeast.
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seabrew8
Well-Known Member
Why are you using honey?
seabrew8
Well-Known Member
For all practical purposes you can be rest assured %95 of ale fermentation's are over in 7 days in the ale temp range of course.
Morrey
Well-Known Member
While I agree with this for the most part, honey may be partially responsible for retarding (slowing) the fermentation to some degree. I know you'll get full attenuation with the honey, but we are all aware that honey can take longer than typical sugars. It is always safe and advisable to let the beer go full term as the yeast has additional time to clean itself of off flavors, plus you'll ensure the fermentation has finished. Hydrometer is your friend.
Morrey
Well-Known Member
Agree 100%. While there are some examples where secondary's are beneficial such as racking beer onto fruits for flavor infusions, by and large secondary's are not needed or worth the infection risk.
This may sound jaded, but selling a novice an extra fermenter pail or carboy for a secondary makes the register ring and the profits go up.
GrogNerd
mean old man
fermentation does not follow any time schedule. it's done when it's done and the only way to determine that is by successive hydrometer readings remaining constant over several days
but I don't do it that way, I leave it alone 3 weeks for a "normal-size" beer (1.050 to 1.060) with additional time given to higher gravity beers. then take FG reading and package
reasons for not carbonating: not enough priming sugar, not given enough time to prime
but I don't do it that way, I leave it alone 3 weeks for a "normal-size" beer (1.050 to 1.060) with additional time given to higher gravity beers. then take FG reading and package
reasons for not carbonating: not enough priming sugar, not given enough time to prime
HarborTownBrewing
Well-Known Member
If a clear-ish beer is what you desire, don't worry about secondary fermentation. Instead, after you bottle and let it rest for 3+ weeks, stick some bottles in the fridge and let them sit. And sit. And sit. For weeks - you are basically lagering your beer, and when you pour it it will be nice and clear.
You're sort of asking for a debate on primary vs. secondary when you post anything about secondary ferm, but (especially for newer brewers) you are only risking infection by transferring to secondary.
You're sort of asking for a debate on primary vs. secondary when you post anything about secondary ferm, but (especially for newer brewers) you are only risking infection by transferring to secondary.
I found a recipe for it that sounded too good not to try, and we have some really good local raw honey. the recipe actually called for 6 pounds dry amber malt extract in addition to the two pounds of honey and 1/2 pound crystal malt and 1/4 pound chocolate malt grains so I guess there's alot there to ferment.
I appreciate all the help. Like I said I'm still a very new brewer. I've been hesitant to take multiple hydrometer readings for fear of infection, especially considering that with my setup that requires prying open the bucket and exposing the entire batch. AND unfortunately it won't help much with this batch because I got ahead of myself on brew day and just forgot to pull a sample for gravity reading before I pitched the yeast. At that point I figured it was too late and the yeast would only throw off the reading and I would end up scooping out a big portion of my starting yeast off the top and potentially mess up the whole batch. I was just curious about the bubbling after I thought it had finished fermenting. I went to bottle it last night after I got the kids down to sleep and it's still bubbling away now over 12 hours later. Given that brew day was last Monday I'm really surprised that it's still going.
GrogNerd
mean old man
in another post, you mentioned this was an extract batch. in that case, as long as you hit your volumes, you can be sure you hit the OG the recipe stated.
go with that
seabrew8
Well-Known Member
Take a sample everyday if you want. Your learning. You will not ruin anything.
GHBWNY
Well-Known Member
Well, at least you've got a bucket with a good seal! If there is no apparent airlock activity, then it bubbles when you lift the bucket, you are slightly distorting both the body of the bucket and the plastic lid, causing the solution to push trapped CO2 (in the bucket, not in solution) through the airlock. It is not (necessarily) an indication of incomplete fermentation.
To echo what others have said: 1.) Don't use airlock activity as an indicator of fermentation progress and 2.) use your hydrometer! Take gravity readings before pitching, 7-10 days into ferm, and a few days after that, or when the last reading is the same as the previous one. It is the ONLY true (and safe) indicator of a finished fermentation. A fermentation that is not finished and bottled may result in bottle bombs (the voice of experience). Err on the side of too much time in ferm rather than not enough. In brewing, time is your friend, friend.
HarborTownBrewing
Well-Known Member
Here's the deal - if it's bubbling, just plan to leave it alone for at least another week.
Here's something else: the next time you brew and ferment, you may not find ANY bubbling action at all because the co2 is leaking out somewhere else other than the airlock. The point is - don't go off of what bubbling action you are/aren't seeing.
That all said, take hydrometer readings for 2-3 straight days and if the number is the same, your beer is done.
Here's something else: the next time you brew and ferment, you may not find ANY bubbling action at all because the co2 is leaking out somewhere else other than the airlock. The point is - don't go off of what bubbling action you are/aren't seeing.
That all said, take hydrometer readings for 2-3 straight days and if the number is the same, your beer is done.
The recipe had a listed OG of 1.045 and I just took a gravity reading of 1.02. Not quite in the green range of my hydrometer so I don't think it's quite done fermenting yet. The recipe doesnt list a final gravity but I'll know for sure tomorrow when I take another reading. This is my first non kit batch so I don't really know what to expect lol.
MaplePaddle
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Fermentation time is influenced by temperature, OG, fermentable sugar content, pitching rate, and yeast strain. That said, time is variable. In my opinion, don't worry about how long it's taking until the 3-4 week mark. FYI- I never use a secondary and I'm very happy with the results.
HarborTownBrewing
Well-Known Member
I'm sure this is late by a week, but 1.02 is far from being ready. For a Brown Ale, you'd want to be around 1.008 - 1.013. If you bottle/keg at 1.02 you'll have some issues.
So, you didn't bottle/keg it, did you???
GrogNerd
mean old man
I'm sure this is late by a week, but 1.02 is far from being ready. For a Brown Ale, you'd want to be around 1.008 - 1.013. If you bottle/keg at 1.02 you'll have some issues.
So, you didn't bottle/keg it, did you???
it is an extract batch, so it could be the 1.020 Curse!
HarborTownBrewing
Well-Known Member
I guess in all these extract batches I did I lucked out!
GrogNerd
mean old man
same here. don't recall any batch sticking at 1.020
then again, I've been heavily self-medicated most of my life, so my memory isn't the most reliable
