Slow fermentation?

[TarHeeledTexan]

I have noticed over the past years that sometimes I have what I would call long-lasting residual fermentations. I will have a main fermentation of 3-4 days, and then my beer will continue slowly fermenting for 2-4+ weeks. It doesn't happen with every beer, but I'd say about half.

For example, right now I have two stouts fermenting right now at ~68F using Wyeast 1056 American Ale pitched two weeks ago in worts of 1.043 OG. Both are identical except that one was also brewed with oatmeal. Both are exhibiting this residual fermentation, except that the one with the oatmeal is a bit more active than the one without.

My last brew was a weizen, also brewed with oatmeal. It's main fermentation lasted 4 days, but it continued with a slow, residual fermentation for 3 weeks.

I'm curious if oatmeal is part of the reason for this, and if there are other potential reasons for this as well.

Thanks!

 

[Revvy]

SO how are you knowing that you are having "slow residual fermentations?" What are you using as a gauge for this?

 

[BeernuT100]

*bubble bubble bloop bloop*

 

[Revvy]

*bubble bubble bloop bloop*

That's what I was thinking, then he really has NO knowledge of what is really happening to his beer.......

 

[TarHeeledTexan]

That's what I was thinking, then he really has NO knowledge of what is really happening to his beer.......

Bloopy, bloopy, bloopy is correct. And, you're right, I don't know what's happening, that's why I'm asking.

 

[Revvy]

I knew it...that's why I wqs asking..you are equating airlock bubbling with fermentation, and it's not an accurate way. You don't KNOW what your beer is doing, all you know is what your AIRLOCK is doing, and that's not the same thing.

Airlocks bubble or they don't it doesn't mean anything is wrong, or right, or anything for that matter except that the airlock is bubbling, except when it isn't.

Half my beers NEVER have a bubbling airlock, but I've never had a fermentation not happen before.

Airlock bubbling and fermentation are not the same thing. You have to separate that from your mindset. Airlock bubbling can be a sign of fermentation, but not a good one, because the airlock will often blip or not blip for various other reasons...

So it is a tenuous connection at best.

If your airlock was bubbling and stopped---It doesn't mean fermentation has stopped.

If you airlock isn't bubbling, it doesn't mean your fermentation hasn't started....

If your airlock starts bubbling, it really doesn't matter.

If your airlock NEVER bubbles, it doesn't mean anything is wrong or right.

Your airlock is not a fermentation gauge, it is a VALVE to release excess co2. If it bubbles it is because it needs to, if it doesn't, it just means it doesn't need too...

Often an airlock will bubble if the fermenter has been disturbed in some way, like a change in temperature, change in atmospheric pressure, the cat brushing against it, opening it up to take a hydro reading, any number of things. The co2 has sat in stasis for a period of time, then it was disturbed so it is not longer at equilibrium with everything else now. And therefore it is blipping in your airlock...

Or you could indeed have fermentation happening, since maybe your fermentation was laggy and a change in temp restarted fermentation.

Airlock bubbling only tells you that co2 is coming out of the airlock, it is not telling you why. And there's various reasons. That's why it's not a good idea to equate airlock bubbling with fermentation...It could be because it is fermenting, or it could not be because of fermentation...so it's not a trustworthy tool.

And airlocks sometimes bubble or they don't. And airlock is a valve, a vent to release excess co2...NOT a fermentation gauge. It's important to make that distinction, or you'll be panicking everytime a an airlock doesn't bubble, or stops bubbling.

Fermentation is not always "dynamic," just because you don't SEE anything happening, doesn't mean that any-thing's wrong,, and also doesn't mean that the yeast are still not working diligently away, doing what they've been doing for over 4,000 years.

That's why you need to take a gravity reading to know how your fermentation is going, NOT go by airlocks, or size of krausen, or a calendar, the horoscope or the phases of the moon (those things in my mind are equally accurate).

The most important tool you can use is a hydrometer. It's the only way you will truly know when your beer is ready...airlock bubbles and other things are faulty.

The only way to truly know what is going on in your fermenter is with your hydrometer. Like I said here in my blog, which I encourage you to read, Think evaluation before action you sure as HELL wouldn't want a doctor to start cutting on you unless he used the proper diagnostic instuments like x-rays first, right? You wouldn't want him to just take a look in your eyes briefly and say "I'm cutting into your chest first thing in the morning." You would want them to use the right diagnostic tools before the slice and dice, right? You'd cry malpractice, I would hope, if they didn't say they were sending you for an MRI and other things before going in....

You need to use your hydromter, not go by the airlock.

 

[TarHeeledTexan]

Revvy,

thanks for the partial, and quite snarky, answer to my question.

 

[Revvy]

Revvy,

thanks for the partial, and quite snarky, answer to my question.

I'm not being snarky, it's the same answer given on here 10-20 times a day, I just cut an pasted it. A lot of new brewers think their airlocks mean their beer is fermenting, just like you did, when it reality all you know is that your airlock is bubbling....I am simply trying to let you see that there is a difference.

The mere title of your thread indicates that you thing your beer is still fermmenting after all these weeks. When all you know is that the airlock is bubbling, which like I said, could be from any number of reasons.

But since rather than pop the hood on your beer you decided to get offended by my post, you STILL don't know what your beer is doing.

Most folks who get that answer, open up their fermenter, take a grav reading and then come back and say..."Oh Revvy, my beer is at 1.018, so it must be done fermenting by now, eh?" Or "Yeah my beer is still at 1.030, so what do you suggest I do?" But instead you decided to be offrended...

So where you would have answered your own question, you decided to post that I was snarky instead....You the ONLY ONE who can tell you what is happening to your beer right now...and that's by following the info I provided. Whish is separate the idea of airlcok bubbling and fermentation, and TAKE A GRAV READING.

You said I gave you a "partial" answer? I did, only you can provide the next part of the question/answer....and that's with the grav reading...See how different the answer to this tread is? https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/another-stalled-fermentation-thread-216455/ because he gave a gravity reading, he told us the most important clue to what was going on, that and the fact that his beer's been in primary for three weeks. That little bit of info really was all that it took to figure out for the most part what was going on.....All you gave me was "My airlock's been bubbling...." And I gave you, it could be the cat, your beer is still fermenting, you have an infection, the atmosphere has changed or your temps have risen.....there's a lot of vqriables here...

I gave you the information, not to be mean, but to point out something to you, the same thing literally dozens of folks on here as every day, and they get the SAME answer cut and pasted...Most of them learn something from it, not accuse the guy who puts a lot of work into writing the answers as being snarky.

*shrug*

 

[rawlus]

it would have been quicker to just say visible signs of fermentation are overrated.

for me, i try not to come down too hard on those who are curious or concerned about airlock bubbling, understanding the true meaning of airlock bubbling (or not bubbling) is something that comes with time and experience.. when someone is new to fermentation, it seems obvious that airlock activity would be a reliable indicator, learning otherwise only comes on the heels of an apparent concern about a problem...

i try not to get too frustrated with the new brewer questions.. if im in a mood where yet another airlock bubbling post is going to put me over the edge, i just let someone else take it and i read something else.

but thats just me.

 

[TarHeeledTexan]

Revvy,

I don't dispute your experience, or your effort in trying to educate others, but I want to point out your approach in dispensing information.

If you think filling your posts with things like "All you gave me was "My airlock's been bubbling...." And I gave you, it could be the cat, your beer is still fermenting, you have an infection, the atmosphere has changed or your temps have risen.....there's a lot of vqriables here...", or icons such as or , or extra Bolding, Underlining, and Italicization are not filled with attitude, then there's nothing else to say.

A three sentence response stating that a bubbling airlock can mean many things other than fermentation, with a link to your blog, would have been more than sufficient. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar. JMO.