still fermenting?

[krenshaw]

i'm curious if this is normal... on november 4 i brewed two batches, an oatmeal stout and a scotch ale.. the oatmeal stout had an OG of i believe 1.050 while the scotch ale has an OG of 1.070.. the oatmeal stout used s-04 yeast and i made a 750ml starter of WLP028 for the scotch.. today is november 16, 12 days after pitching and they are both still bubbling, the scotch more than the stout but that would make sense.. i've only ever tried one other "bigger" beer before which was an RIS, though that was one of my first all grains and i was nowhere the efficiency to actually make it an RIS, i was probably only at like 50%..

i'm wondering if its normal for beers above 1.050 to still be bubbling almost 2 weeks later.. i always primary for at least a month so i'm not worried about kegging/bottling too soon, but i was just curious, and a bit happy that i was able to get my efficiency so high on both of these.. next step is a grain mill to make it hopefully just a touch better

 

[eastoak]

what does the hydrometer say? that's where the real story is told.

 

[krenshaw]

yeah i know that would tell it, the bubbling is telling it too.. no reason to take off the airlock until the bubbling stops.. just was curious if that is normal, never had it happen before

 

[eastoak]

yeah i know that would tell it, the bubbling is telling it too.. no reason to take off the airlock until the bubbling stops.. just was curious if that is normal, never had it happen before

airlock activity does not really mean much, i don't have an airlock at all on the APA fermenting in my garage just a loose lid on top. CO2 can come out out solution with changes in temperature or air pressure. people wonder why their secondary is bubbling, or has a krausen or some other thing, normal is sometimes hard to quantify with homebrewing.

 

[DannPM]

Bubbles no replacement for a hydometer.

On purely visuals, which is highly variable btw, I find flocculation to be the best sign. Look at the bottom? Is there a good amount of yeast at the bottom given the average flocc rate of your yeast and growth based on og? If there is take a hydometer reading, see where you're at, is it close to your fg? Take a taste, is it green? Cloyingly sweet? Or pretty freakin awesome?

Nobody on the internet can fully assess this like you can in person. Be one with the beer, are you at your final gravity?

 

[Piratwolf]

When it comes to reliable information about fermentation, my motto is BDMA (Bubbles Don't Mean Anything)!

"All your home brew are belong to us!"

 

[frazier]

Bubbles DO mean something. This BDMA dogma is rather curious to me. Random, occasional burps of the airlock may not mean anything, but a slow, steady bubbling means you still have activity going on. I've had it last for over two weeks on occasion. It may not be common, but it's not "abnormal". Just let it sit, it's doing what it does and all is good.

 

[krenshaw]

thanks.. i never test until a month anyways, just was curious if fermentation typically lasts over 2 weeks for higher gravity beers.. one bubble ever 10 sec or so is pretty safe to say that fermentation is still quite active

 

[Piratwolf]

Bubbles DO mean something. This BDMA dogma is rather curious to me.

Well, I have to say that I'm somewhat tongue in cheek... And somewhat not. The semi-joking part is to pretend any dogma after less than 12 mos as a brewing guy... I'm a fair n00b.

On the more serious side, I *did* make the caveat, "when it comes to reliable information" and on that part I am fairly serious. You're right that it means SOMETHING. The problem is that we don't know what, exactly, without a hydrometer

"All your home brew are belong to us!"

 

[Calder]

Steady bubbles means it is still working. Lack of bubbles does not necessarily mean it has finished; could mean a leak.

I don't know what variables make a beer ferment quick or slow. I have a Belgian going right now (1.075), fermented with WLP550 at 75 F, and is still putting out bubbles at 1 per 6 seconds and still has an inch of kraeusen after 13 days. It's down to 1.010 and still going.

I have used the same yeast (an earlier generation from the same vial) that took a 1.060 down to 1.010 in 30 hours, also kept at 75 F. I think that one eventually ended at 1.006.

I'm sure pitch rate has a big effect, but I don't think anyone can accuse me of grossly under-pitching any of my beers.

 

[lumpher]

Bubbles DO mean something. This BDMA dogma is rather curious to me. Random, occasional burps of the airlock may not mean anything, but a slow, steady bubbling means you still have activity going on. I've had it last for over two weeks on occasion. It may not be common, but it's not "abnormal". Just let it sit, it's doing what it does and all is good.

i agree with this. "bubbles don't mean anything"? you need some kind of chemical interaction, like fermentation, to cause bubbles. i realize off-gassing occurs, but that won't be indicated by slow, steady bubbling over a course of days. if this is the case, it's still busy fermenting.

 

[Walker]

to the OP: what temp are you fermenting at? lower temps cause fermentation to proceed at a slower pace. Most of my beers are in the mid 1.050's, and if I ferment them at 65*F, it is not uncommon at all for them to still be gurgling away 10 days layer, so 12 days is totally reasonable. (edit: I make a scottish ale that I ferment down in the upper 50's on temp... that thing will bubble for three weeks easy.)

If I bump the temp up a few degrees, it makes a substantial impact on the length of time I get bubbles.... and yeah... bubbles absolutely mean something.

 

[Piratwolf]

To the OP: sorry for interfering with your thread. This will be my last post in here You have an interesting situation and it'll be interesting to see what comes of it.

To the pro-airlock crowd: all I'm saying is what Revvy and others have said countless times. If you want to KNOW, use a scientific test (I.e., hydrometer or the like). Otherwise, all that bubbles mean for sure is that your airlock is bubbling. That being said, it's your beer... Brew how you like.

Cheers!

"All your home brew are belong to us!"

 

[krenshaw]

walker.. the bubbles are going at about a rate of 1 per 10 seconds right now... my basmement is 64 degrees so i'm happy where its at in that aspect..

 

[Walker]

yup. you're fine.

 

[eastoak]

To the OP: sorry for interfering with your thread. This will be my last post in here You have an interesting situation and it'll be interesting to see what comes of it.

To the pro-airlock crowd: all I'm saying is what Revvy and others have said countless times. If you want to KNOW, use a scientific test (I.e., hydrometer or the like). Otherwise, all that bubbles mean for sure is that your airlock is bubbling. That being said, it's your beer... Brew how you like.

Cheers!

"All your home brew are belong to us!"

exactly. i don't think there are two different camps here at all. when a "my airlock is...." kind of question is asked it is logical to wonder what the SG vs the OG is at that point in time since we can't see the beer and know nothing about how it was made.