Slow fermentation?

[Phil Shields]

Been in fermenter for 2 weeks. I used a liquid yeast for the 1st time . Don't have a stir plate yet so swirled it a lot for 2.5 days. Lots of activity in air lock within 24 hours, activities took about 9 days to slow down. I was going to transfer to secondary to dry hop and open up primary for another batch as other primary is busy with wine. Would it be ok to transfer or should I wait another week?

 

[IslandLizard]

Is that picture her current state? Looks like you had a ton of krausen, and there's still some left. She may still be fermenting a little, it's still foamy.

Why did you take the lid off? Did you take a gravity sample?

Be aware, air exposure (oxygen actually) is bad for beer, more so for hoppier ones. Read up on how to avoid it. In that light, secondaries are best to be avoided (they are not needed).

I'd probably add the dry hops now, giving it a very gentle stir to submerge them, then close up.
If you don't have CO2 available to flush the headspace, add some sugar too, while you're at it, to get some fermentation back up again, to help fill that headspace with CO2.

 

[Phil Shields]

Thank you for your help! About how much sugar should I add when I dry hop? And I assume corn sugar would be best? I have never had krausen left at dry hop time before.

 

[RM-MN]

if you move this beer to secondary it may not finish fermenting as you may leave too much yeast behind in the transfer, plus you always have a chance for infection if you leave too much air space above the beer. It would be a shame to get the beer infected when for about $20 you could get another fermenter and nor worry about moving the beer.

 

[IslandLizard]

Thank you for your help! About how much sugar should I add when I dry hop? And I assume corn sugar would be best? I have never had krausen left at dry hop time before.

I'd add about 3.5oz or 100 gram. Regular table sugar is fine. Dissolve in ~8 oz (microwaved) hot or boiling water, let cool some, then add with the dry hops.

If you don't have CO2 available to flush/purge the headspace, next time, it's better to leave the lid on, thus preserving the CO2-rich headspace. Add your (pellet) hops through the airlock hole in the lid, one by one.