Why, oh why? is my beer doing this?

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

fretman124

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2007
Messages
227
Reaction score
0
Location
River Mile 65, Columbia River
I made a pretty basic amber ale. Its the third time I have made this.

2 lbs Specialty grains

7 lbs DME

Wyeast 1056

Hops (basic schedule)

I made it two weeks ago last saturday. It spent 7 days in the primary. Yes, it was still fermenting when I transfered it to secondary.

Fermentation temps, including secondary have averaged 58-62 degrees

The day after I trasnferred it, I walk into the garage and there is beer all over the floor. It is fermenting HARD.

EIGHT days later, I'm still getting 15 bubbles a minute. It looks like it can go for another week.

One of the problems is I fill my airlocks with 160 proof alcohol. I can't smell if it seems infected. So far it looks like a normally fermenting beer, but I have never had one (out of 10 or so batches)ferment this hard for so long.

Last weekend (when I put this one in secondary) I made two other beers. A dead guy clone and a cream ale, both extract. Fermentation temps have been about the same for both beers. These two beer are acting normally and are about ready for secondary. Meaning that tey are now down to 2 or 3 bubbles a minute

Any ideas or comments?

Thanks
 
That temp is a little low for the yeast strain. A little closer to 68 would be the normal range for that yeast. By keeping the temp between 58-62 fermentation is going to take longer.
 
Sounds ok to me, I wouldn't stress about it. I've had beers bubble a month and turned out great. Let it go for another week or so and give 'er a taster. There can be lots of contributing factors to the lengthy hard fermentations. Yeast strain, amount of fermentables in wort, temperature etc. I would definitely raise your temperature a bit to over 65 degrees if possible (ideal ale temperature) which may also speed up the process.
 
ChrisS said:
Is there an advantage to doing this?

In case of suck back it reduces the chances of contamination from bugs that maybe in the water. I usually use cheap grain alcohol with 50% water to avoid rapid evaporation.
 
When you rack, you resuspend some sugars and yeast that settled at the bottom of the carboy. So it is typical that even if fermentation appears to have stopped in the primary, it will restart for a little bit in the secondary.

Typically my 1.060 brews take two weeks. My 1.084 hooch has slowed, but is still going strong at 15 days.

Using rough numbers, I'm guessing your O.G. is somewhere around 1.070. That's a lot of sugar to get through in a week. I wouldn't be surprise if the fermentation takes 2 to 3 weeks.
 
Fretman,

Like someone said, those fermentation temps are a bit on the low side for your yeast.

I'm not sure where you are, but you said you keep your fermenter in the garage and I know here it's gotten VERY warm outside in the past couple weeks. Did the temp in your garage go up between primary and secondary? The yeast may simply have found a temperature more to their liking and taken off with it.:mug:
 
Orpheus said:
Did the temp in your garage go up between primary and secondary? The yeast may simply have found a temperature more to their liking and taken off with it.:mug:

Well....Temp is now up to 64-66. Been that way for a week. Supposed to get up tomid eighties today, after a couple weeks of high 60's - low 70's.

Thanks for the input, all
 
I have heard that fluctuations in temp can do odd things to the flavor, as well as the yeast. A garage fluctuates from day to night even if daytime temps are steady. I don't mean to suggest that you buy a different house just for brewing beer(all though I am sure it has been done!) But a basement is a great thing. Even though I have a basement I ferment most of my ale upstairs where climate control keeps it around 70.
I love that yeast strain, and it is aggressive at higher temps, I would not be surprised if it was just slightly dazed in the cool temps, and then saw it's chance when the garage got a little warm. Better to brew in less than ideal conditions than not at all, but is there a spare tub inside, or a basement available? Good Luck!
 
A big starter will help reduce fermentation time, as will oxygenating your wort. Consider those steps next time.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top