Refermenting? I'm not sure what to think.

[Hambone]

I tried using the search but couldn't find anything really like this. For my 11th batch I went back to basics and brewed a True Brew Kit Continental Dark Beer. I brewed this beer on 7/14 at night and by the next morning it was fermenting away just fine. The airlock stopped bubbling on 7/16 but I know that doesn't mean that fermentation has stopped. The krausen however, did die down and form a nice yeast cake on the bottom. As a general rule, I leave my beer in my primary for 1 month and don't use a secondary, so it's sitting pretty in my dark, cool closet. A couple of days ago I brew up a pale ale and stick it in the closet next to the dunkle. When I get home yesterday, 7/30, and go check on my beers, the dunkle seems to have started fermenting again after a 14 day hiatus. Not nearly as aggressively, but it formed a good 1/4" of krausen again on top of the beer. Now, I was still planning on leaving it in for the duration of the month, but am wondering if I should leave it in longer because of the new fermentation, if in fact that is what it is? Sorry for the lenthy explanation, but I've never had this happen on any of my previous batches. Thanks in advance to all you fine experts out there who have helped my along the way.

 

[Edcculus]

The newly formed Krausen is strange. If it was just a bubbling airlock, I would have suggested that it was just CO2 coming out of solution.

Did the temperature warm up? Did you move or disturb the carboy? Raising the temp a few degrees is often a cure for stuck fermentation.

What was your OG and FG? I'd at least suggest taking a hydrometer reading now, then another one in 3 days. If the SG is the same, go ahead with bottling. If not, just wait until its stable.

 

[mstamm]

Wow strange. This same thing happened to me last night. Never saw it before. Healthy fermentation for a few days. Never really subsided significantly between days 3-5, and then took off again like it was the initial fermentation. The only process change was Irish Moss. The temperature outside spiked a little but not a lot. Sanitation is next to godliness. I actually had to put a blow off back on.

Any one else ever had this happen before?

 

[Hambone]

Funny thing is the airlock didn't start bubbling again, just a new krausen layer. I didn't disturb the vessel and the temp strip had the same reading of between 68-70 when I checked it, however the power went out while I was at work, so maybe there was a rise in temp before it got back to normal temp. I also forgot to take an original reading. I'm going play rugby in Memphis this weekend anyway, so I'm going to ride this one out and let it sit for the full month.

 

[HokieBrewer]

Sure it's krausen?

 

[Hambone]

Sure it's krausen?

No, I'm just hoping it is

 

[mikefranciotti]

Weird fermentation recently. I've got two extracts in primaries side-by-side and they both had great fermentation for 2 days, then completely stopped. One had a vigorous enough fermentation that for the first time, I needed a blow off tube. 7/22 I pitched yeast to both right after the other, started fermenting at the same time & stopped fermenting 7/25.

I haven't popped the lid off yet but it's been almost a full week since the activity stopped and nothing's changed. I'm going to take a gravity reading today and another probably on Monday and see what's up.

 

[double_e5]

Weird fermentation recently. I've got two extracts in primaries side-by-side and they both had great fermentation for 2 days, then completely stopped. One had a vigorous enough fermentation that for the first time, I needed a blow off tube. 7/22 I pitched yeast to both right after the other, started fermenting at the same time & stopped fermenting 7/25.

I haven't popped the lid off yet but it's been almost a full week since the activity stopped and nothing's changed. I'm going to take a gravity reading today and another probably on Monday and see what's up.

Depending on yeast and temperature, fermentation being complete in a couple days is fairly common.

 

[wendelgee2]

Did you take any pics?

 

[malkore]

none of this means anything without hydrometer readings.

if its not dropping gravity, its not fermenting, and some other witchery is afoot.