long primary

[Joe028]

I did use the search function and found several threads, but I want to bring this up again. I brewed an altbier of gravity 1.050, 9 days ago. It currently is still bubbling about once every 5 seconds and has a krausen. There is a shiny, shimmery, silverish like material or particulate that is becoming more pronounced in the middle and base of the carboy. I've never had any serious infection, but I now wonder if it could be that dreaded infection that causes an endless fermentation.

Temp is right around 69F which is the upper limit of the wyeast 1007 yeast that I'm using, so I figured it would ferment out quick. Any one have similar slow primary's with this yeast strain. Or any other suggestions. unfortunately I have not taken a hydrometer reading, I try not to do that for risk of infection.

Obviously I don't want this brew to be a bust as I'm excited to cold condition it for quite some time. I would just like it to finish so I can get it out of my 6 1/2 gallon carboy so that I can brew this weekend!

Joe

 

[Bugeaterbrewing]

Go ahead and take a gravity reading. As long as you sanitize whatever you draw your sample with, don't cough into the fermenter, and don't pour the sample back into the fermenter you don't need to worry about infecting the batch. The fact that it is still bubbling can indicate many different things even if the batch is no longer fermenting.

Use a sanitized turkey baster or wine thief to draw a sample to put in your sample jar to measure your gravity. Take your reading, making sure to adjust for temperature and then drink the sample. Get into the habit of always tasting your hydrometer samples. They won't taste just like the finished beer (warm and flat) but you will soon learn how your brew is progressing and will give early indication of infection. Don't worry about drinking an infected beer. Nothing that will kill you will grow in beer.

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company

 

[Hemi]

It is completely normal for it to ferment as long as it has been. Feel free to taste it if concerned however this is completely normal...I wouldn't move this out of your carboy without taking a reading first. After its done bubbling and the SG hits around 1.012-1.013 its ready to move to the secondary, don't move it off the cake before then otherwise you may impair fermentation.

 

[RickWG]

My last beer, VCCA, fermented for about 1.5 weeks before it quit. I left it in the primary for a month then just bottled it.
This double choc stout took a while to take off but I'm leaving it in for 2-3 weeks. Just seems easier than futzing with the secondary. I may have to secondary as the London ale yeast is still floating. We'll see.

 

[Joe028]

here's the update. Just checked the gravity and it is at 1.014. So far it's been going for 12 days and still bubbles about once every 10-15 seconds. The smell from the sample I took scares me to taste it. It's so different than the others I've tasted at this stage. But I have never used this yeast, it's the german ale wyeast. And I've never brewed an altbier before this. But usually I enjoy the taste after primary, excited for it's finish. Now I'm not real sure.

Plan is to let it be, cold condition it anyways and see how it turns out. In the meantime, I'll dryhop my APA, and brew up my first Belgian Wit this weekend!!! whoohoo! I love this hobby:rockin:

Joe

 

[anderson0739]

Hey,

After 7 days in the primary my alt beer (WYeast 1007) is only down to 1.022! I have a fan/t-shirt/water bath going to regulate the temperature, so it is fermenting at around 74 F. So, even at these hot temps it is slow going in the primary.

I hope that this reinforces everyone's conclusion to just wait this one out for a few more days.

This particular yeast strain will leave behind even more flavor compounds than typical ale yeasts, hence the desire to cold-condition the bottles for at least one month at 40 F so the yeast can re-absorb the "green flavors".

Be preapred, your planned wit beer will be a couple weeks in the primary.

Darren, Astoria, NY