Please help this confused first timer

[vvans]

Hello all!

I am in the process of brewing my first ever beer, a Belgian Blond. I have already been tempted to write on a forum, but after reading a couple of posts I started to draw some conclusions. What I saw today however, has totally made me question everything, so here goes: I need some guidance.

Wednesday 5th of August: I ran through all the brewing process, and at around 10 pm I pitched the yeast into the jug with the wort being around 21 degrees C.

The next morning, (not even 12 hours after pitching), I was pleasantly surprised when the wort was bubbling through the airlock at what to me seemed incredible speed (one bubble per second or maybe even quicker). I had read it could take between 24 and 48 hours for this to happen, so I took it as a good sign.

After that, every day the bubbling became less vigorous, until finally, after something like 4 or 5 days, it had almost completely stopped (the wort is supposed to stay in the jug for 2 weeks before bottling). Within a week, the wort had cleared with no foam on top and so to me this meant that it was done fermenting.

This I had based on everything I had read on the internet. All the fermenting problems I had read was from people who hadn’t even gotten one bubble, or people whose bubbles stopped right after it started. Knowing that my room temperature was a bit higher that the range specified in the recipe (I estimate around 24 degrees Instead of 21), I had read that this could cause fermentation to accelerate and be done earlier. So while not ideal, I concluded that my beer was still fine so I decided to leave it in the jug until the 2 weeks were over and then bottle.

Today, (2 weeks after pitching), I proceeded to sanitize my bottles. When I walked to my jug, at first glance it didn’t seem at all clear. When I got a bit closer I saw that it was once again vigorously fermenting, at around a huge bubble every ten seconds in the airlock and with a healthy layer of foam on top. I could swear that two days ago it was clear as can be.

What could this be? My plan is to let it ferment further in the jug until it clears and then bottle. But how come it stopped for so long and now is picking up where it left off.

The only thing that has changed is the fact that my room temperature has decreased, but to me it doesn’t make sense that apparently there were still all these sugars in the wort and only now it restarted, especially after having fermented before.

Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

 

[Rhumbline]

Changes in temp can restart fermentation, as can disturbing the fermenter. If you have the ability to measure gravity, it is a much more accurate indication of fermentation completeness than airlock activity.

You don't say what yeast you used but some Saison yeasts are notorious slow fermenters. I think six weeks was the record for one of mine, and that was at very high ambient temps.

Give it time. It will be fine.

 

[Shawn_Brewin]

What Kind of Yeast you using. Best guess i can come up with is there is some Belgian strains (Saison For sure) that do what we call "Stall" during the fermentation process. I am sure you heard the term through your readings. It sounds like you just experienced it for the first time. Sometimes a temp shift can trigger the fermentation to star up again after a stall but usually that is a up swing in temp. Also some light rocking to rouse the yeast back into suspension. Looks like you lucked out and it just came back to life on its own.
Never use visuals to make assumptions on if your fermentation is done. Obviously it helps but always take a hydrameter reading before bottling. imagine if you bottled the day before and it still had tons of sugars plus the ones you added. thats what we call "bottle Bombs" or SWMBO turn Rambo hahahaha
keep fighting the good fight.

 

[Shawn_Brewin]

Changes in temp can restart fermentation, as can disturbing the fermenter. If you have the ability to measure gravity, it is a much more accurate indication of fermentation completeness than airlock activity.

You don't say what yeast you used but some Saison yeasts are notorious slow fermenters. I think six weeks was the record for one of mine, and that was at very high ambient temps.

Give it time. It will be fine.

hahaha sorry man, didnt read your post fully awake and pretty much just said the exact same thing you did... my bad. good advice though!

 

[JonM]

Something as simple as changes in barometric pressure can do that. A lot of new brewers get caught up in the belief that airlock activity = fermentation; it really doesn't.

 

[vvans]

Thank you all for the quick response!

I don't own an hydrometer yet. I was going to buy one for my second batch since I was under the impression that the measurement is useless unless you compare it to an initial reading of the wort before pitching (which I don't have). Am I wrong?

Any tips for deciding when to bottle without hydrometer? Is waiting for it the beer clear again not enough? I don't want my bottles exploding .

 

[Komodo]

When yeast ferment, they create CO2 as they do during the carbing process, except your fermenter is not sealed so the CO2 escapes creating the bubble activity. There is still carbonation in solution, as well as in the yeast cake. Even when fermentation is done, it can still off gas and create airlock activity.

 

[Rhumbline]

Thank you all for the quick response!

I don't own an hydrometer yet. I was going to buy one for my second batch since I was under the impression that the measurement is useless unless you compare it to an initial reading of the wort before pitching (which I don't have). Am I wrong?

Any tips for deciding when to bottle without hydrometer? Is waiting for it the beer clear again not enough? I don't want my bottles exploding .

A hydrometer helps in two ways, it will tell you if fermentation is finished by letting you compare the final gravity to the expected final gravity. Also, if it looks like fermentation has stopped you measure two-three days in a row and if you get the same readings, you are good to proceed with bottling.

...and Shawn said it better!

 

[Puddlethumper]

+1 to above. Remember one thing .... airlocks lie. Hydrometers don't.

 

[vvans]

Unfortunately for this batch it might be too late anyway, so a hydrometer reading will not help anything other than maybe preventing my bottles from exploding. And since I only have a 1 gallon jug, taking 100 ml. to do the test is a HUGE waste for me .

The most important thing I have learned for next time though is: take sanitation and aeration of the wort seriously (which I already did), and most importantly, temperature control during fermentation. Haven't quite figured out yet how to do it, but at least that will limit the variables that may affect my beer.

 

[vvans]

The one comforting thought is that to me the beer doesn't smell bad at all through the airlock (whatever that is worth). As long as it is still drinkable it will be a success to me!

 

[Puddlethumper]

The most important thing I have learned for next time though is: take sanitation and aeration of the wort seriously (which I already did), and most importantly, temperature control during fermentation. Haven't quite figured out yet how to do it, but at least that will limit the variables that may affect my beer.

You are definitely on the right track. Good temperature control will do more to improve your beer quality than almost anything else you can do. Good luck and best wishes!

Cheers!