Airlock started bubbling again after 11 days....infection?

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by ghostinthemachine, Sep 10, 2015.

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  1. ghostinthemachine

    ghostinthemachine Initiate (0) Aug 14, 2015 Louisiana

    I put a brown ale (1.07 og) in a fermenter 2 Saturdays ago. twice the sanitizer in the airlock has gotten pretty low and i've added more. it wasn't noticeably bubbling yesterday and when i opened my fermentation chamber today it was bubbling ever 5 seconds or so. it's slowed down to where i havent seen it bubble in about 5 minutes (it stopped bubbling in about 4 minutes or so) could this have just been a pressure change when i opened the chamber? there is a pretty good seal on the door.

    Sheesh i'm nervous

    I sanitized the crap out of everything that came in contact with the wort and it was clean. im worried that the water in the airlock got low and something got in
     
    #1 ghostinthemachine, Sep 10, 2015
  2. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    Bubble counts are not a good quantitative indicator of fermentation activity.
    Stay Calm, stop counting bubbles, and take a gravity reading. Repeat the last step in three days.
     
    #2 VikeMan, Sep 10, 2015
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  3. ghostinthemachine

    ghostinthemachine Initiate (0) Aug 14, 2015 Louisiana

    thanks. i'm just worried at how it stopped then started again.
     
    #3 ghostinthemachine, Sep 10, 2015
  4. CurtFromHershey

    CurtFromHershey Initiate (0) Oct 4, 2012 Minnesota

    Has the temperature changed by more than a degree or two by any chance? Changes in temp will cause changes in pressure. It sounds like the temp dipped, lowering pressure in the carboy and sucking the starsan in, and now it has warmed up a bit reversing the process. But as Vike mentioned, gravity readings are really the only way to know at this point.
     
    #4 CurtFromHershey, Sep 10, 2015
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  5. NickTheGreat

    NickTheGreat Maven (1,470) Oct 28, 2010 Iowa
    Trader

    It's most likely fine. RDWHAHB :slight_smile:
     
    #5 NickTheGreat, Sep 10, 2015
  6. ghostinthemachine

    ghostinthemachine Initiate (0) Aug 14, 2015 Louisiana

    It swings swings between 18.5 and 19.5 degrees Celsius. I have the temp sensor in a gallon jug of water
     
    #6 ghostinthemachine, Sep 10, 2015
  7. corbmoster

    corbmoster Pundit (848) Dec 15, 2014 Texas
    Trader

    As said above, don't stress over it. This very same thing happened on 2 previous batches I brewed. The beers turned out great.

    It's been sitting for about 2.5 weeks? As Vikeman mentioned, you should take a gravity or refractometer reading soon, and take another in 2-3 days after that to see if fermentation is finished.
     
    #7 corbmoster, Sep 10, 2015
  8. ghostinthemachine

    ghostinthemachine Initiate (0) Aug 14, 2015 Louisiana

    itll make two weeks this saturday. I haven't opened the bucket yet so idk what the SG is doing
     
    #8 ghostinthemachine, Sep 10, 2015
  9. corbmoster

    corbmoster Pundit (848) Dec 15, 2014 Texas
    Trader

    Might as well wait till Saturday.
     
    #9 corbmoster, Sep 10, 2015
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  10. ghostinthemachine

    ghostinthemachine Initiate (0) Aug 14, 2015 Louisiana

    I was planning on bottling on saturday. I only have room for one beer at a time in my ferm chamber and i'm itching to brew an apa
     
    #10 ghostinthemachine, Sep 10, 2015
  11. CADETS3

    CADETS3 Initiate (0) Dec 3, 2014 Texas

    Take the beer out of the chamber to room temp. The vital stages of the temp control are done. Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
     
    #11 CADETS3, Sep 10, 2015
  12. ghostinthemachine

    ghostinthemachine Initiate (0) Aug 14, 2015 Louisiana

    my house rarely gets below 75 degrees. that wont mess it up?
     
    #12 ghostinthemachine, Sep 10, 2015
  13. GetMeAnIPA

    GetMeAnIPA Pooh-Bah (2,559) Mar 28, 2009 California
    Pooh-Bah

    Cheap fix is a swamp cooler without a fan. Since you don't need to have the temp perfect at this time put the carboy in a big bucket or bath tub of cool water and change out ice packs every time you come home, go to bed and wake up. I used one of those big red buckets the ones you get at bevmo to put ice and beer in for party's. It works great.
     
    #13 GetMeAnIPA, Sep 10, 2015
  14. minderbender

    minderbender Initiate (0) Jan 18, 2009 New York

    If the beer is actively fermenting, that's too warm. If the fermentation is mostly or entirely over, then I think 75°F is acceptable.
     
    #14 minderbender, Sep 10, 2015
  15. corbmoster

    corbmoster Pundit (848) Dec 15, 2014 Texas
    Trader


    If you want to bottle Saturday, go ahead and take a gravity reading now. Take another gravity reading first thing Saturday. If the gravity has not changed between today and Saturday, fermentation is finished. If it has changed, fermentation is not finished. If you bottle beer that is not finished fermenting, you will discover what we call "bottle bombs".
     
    #15 corbmoster, Sep 10, 2015
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  16. ghostinthemachine

    ghostinthemachine Initiate (0) Aug 14, 2015 Louisiana

    I'm going to check the temp of the closet my air conditioner intake is in and see what the temp is. if its below 75 i am going to rack to beer to a carboy and leave it in secondary for a week or two. i'll check the gravity either way
     
    #16 ghostinthemachine, Sep 10, 2015
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  17. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    Please note that racking to secondary may get some more CO2 coming out of solution, thus more bubbling. (Don't panic.)
     
    #17 VikeMan, Sep 10, 2015
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  18. ghostinthemachine

    ghostinthemachine Initiate (0) Aug 14, 2015 Louisiana

    I figured that. i just didnt expect to see bubbles when i opened the fridge today lol. thanks
     
    #18 ghostinthemachine, Sep 10, 2015
  19. corbmoster

    corbmoster Pundit (848) Dec 15, 2014 Texas
    Trader

    If you are planning on bottling Saturday, I wouldn't bother racking to secondary. It wont benefit and you run risk of oxidizing your beer.
     
    #19 corbmoster, Sep 10, 2015
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  20. ghostinthemachine

    ghostinthemachine Initiate (0) Aug 14, 2015 Louisiana

    If the closet i was talking about stays cool enough i was going to leave it for a week or two. i was only planning on bottling early from primary to free up my chamber. i'm itching to brew a APA
     
    #20 ghostinthemachine, Sep 10, 2015
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