Fermentation taking rather a long time

Eightball · Jan 24, 2016

I brewed up a triple 5th december, OG was 1.072.
About a week or so ago it finally stopped bubbling, however it seems like it starts up again every now and then. Nothing too much, but maybe a bubble every 2 mins?

I its a high strength beer, is this normal?

I have just taken a reading and its at about 1.010, yet still I have the occasional bubble every few minutes.

Also, the recipe calls for 2 weeks secondary. Should I be alowing a lot longer, and should the conditioning in the bottle be longer than normal?

nbpicklesno2 · Jan 24, 2016

but maybe a bubble every 2 mins?

Irrelevant. Take a hydrometer reading.

I have just taken a reading and its at about 1.010

Relevant. So you've taken a reading. Take another tomorrow and the next day. If the same then it's finished. Good job.

Better to drop it into a secondary vessel for conditioning for two weeks.

The time lag could have been due to various factors, none very important now its finished fermenting.

Eightball · Jan 25, 2016

Ok, thanks. Its in a ss conical, so I have just drained the trub off rather than switch to a secondary. Is there any chance the long fermentation will affect the flavour at all?

nbpicklesno2 · Jan 25, 2016

Six weeks is a tad long but the chances are that it'll be fine. You could have run off the trub earlier with a conical if you'd have known.

TheRedDarren · Jan 26, 2016

Do you have any temperature control? I assume not as its been going for such a long time. Belgian yeast typically need temperature control to get the best from them, that obviously affects flavour.
If you can't control the temp you probably won't get quite the level of esters that you'd find in a commercial beer.
Other than that I think it'll be fine, so long as there weren't any large swings in temperature.

Airlock a don't tell you what the yeast are doing, only a hydrometer can accurately tell you that.
Air locks can tell you if co2 is evolving out of the beer which is not necessarily indicative of yeast activity.

Cwrw666 · Jan 26, 2016

I did a HBC `Olgas Oregon Stout' AG kit last year. That took about 6 weeks in the primary. It was very very nice!: cheers:

Eightball · Jan 27, 2016

No, no temperature control, I think this is the problem as we have had a cold snap in Scotland and unless the heatings on my flat drops quite quickly. I am also guessing that SS conducts heat quite readily so yes there would be large swings, from say 10 - 18 deg c. I haven't used this ss conical before, and i don't think I have brewed when its got below zero outside so I guess this is the knock on.

However, the beer even now taste quite ok, so hopefully it won't of damaged it too much.

Fermentation taking rather a long time

Help Support The Homebrew Forum:

Eightball

Active Member

nbpicklesno2

Beer First

Eightball

Active Member

nbpicklesno2

Beer First

TheRedDarren

Landlord.

Cwrw666

Landlord.

Eightball

Active Member

Similar threads

Latest posts

Fermentation taking rather a long time

Help Support The Homebrew Forum:

Active Member

Beer First

Active Member

Beer First

Landlord.

Landlord.

Active Member

Similar threads

Join the conversation!

Join today and get all the highlights of this community direct to your inbox. It's FREE!