Please check this picture and advise me

[Bartman]

[/IMG]

I brewed this IPA and fermented in the primary for 25 days. OG 1.084 and 2 FG readings taken at days 21 and 25 with both results 1.030. S-33 yeast.
I racked it to the secondary on day 25 which was 4 days ago. Temp has been steady at 69F. Tonight I come home from work and see the mild bubbling and the airlock is now under pressure.
My question is, did the fermentation process resume enough to bring down the SG? I would like to dry hop this beer but wanted to wait till the fermentation was complete.

 

[Jolly McStanson]

At 1.030 it probably wasn't done yet. Looks like the yeast kicked back in for you. I bet it will ferment down to the teens for the final gravity.

 

[carnevoodoo]

I agree. You want that to be around 1.012-1.016. There's more fermentation to be done.

 

[Bartman]

The estimated fg was to be 1.020.
Would it help to pitch some fresh yeast or leave those single celled guys to do their own thing?

 

[ifishsum]

Don't pitch more yeast, the ones in there are doing what they're supposed to. Definitely wait until activity has stopped completely before dry hopping, you don't want all that great hop aroma to be carried out the airlock. It may take a bit longer than normal because you racked too early, but they should get the job done. I'd probably give them at least another week before doing anything else.

 

[Jolly McStanson]

ifishsum you must like Yooper's Dead Guy clone. I see your drinking it and you have it in a ferment too. I'm currently trying to figure out what to brew after I brew Kona, Fire Rock Pale Ale (AG Clone).

 

[Bartman]

Update on Fermentation progress:
After day 5 the airlock was bubbling about once every 10 seconds and there was a nice half inch foam on top of the beer.
Now 11 days in the secondary and the SG is down from 1.030 to 1.025. It tastes quite nice, smooth, strong and only slightly hoppy. This is going to be 1 kick ass brew in a few months. Just need to relax and drink some of my homebrews that are ready!

 

[tndave]

I am wondering why after 25 days it started back up. Did this get cold while it was in primary and then warm to the stated 69 after it was in the carboy? Two hydro readings 4 days apart should have meant that fermentation was complete...from all I have read. Could it be that some sugar was in the sediment and racking to carboy stirred it up and caused a second fermentation? Did you add anything when you racked it to the carboy?

I am not being accusatory, I am a rookie and I'm just wondering what is going on here. I had planned to bottle at 21 days and I don't want bottle bombs...

 

[ifishsum]

ifishsum you must like Yooper's Dead Guy clone. I see your drinking it and you have it in a ferment too. I'm currently trying to figure out what to brew after I brew Kona, Fire Rock Pale Ale (AG Clone).

I like the original DGA and Yooper's clone is darn close. I always like to have it available. BierMuncher's Fire Rock Pale Ale clone is another one of my faves.

 

[tndave]

any ideas?

 

[ajf]

Some yeasts occasionally just go to sleep before they have finished fermenting. If this happens, a good rousing wakes them up again and lets them finish there job. This is more likely with high gravity beers, if you underpitch, or if you don't oxygenate enough.

-a.

 

[Bartman]

Here it is 6 days later and I took another FG reading at 1.025. I feel confident it is time to bottle. Funny thing is that the airlock( yes I know it is not a fermentation gauge) has been bubbling about 1 per minute for the last few days with no drop in SG. Is this just trapped co2? I did do a dry hop with pelllets 5 days ago. Thanks for everyone's help and input.
This is a great forum.