Fermentation activity question!!

It's common for particles like hops to act as nucleation sites for co2 to come out of solution. Assuming it is finished due to accurate gravity readings and it is cleaned up enough to your liking and you are satisfied with the dry hops contribution, I'd say it's time to package.

So 1 week ferment and a few extra days with the dry hops?

 

Last night I bottled an IPA brewed with two stages of dry hopping. I saw bubbles even after the second dry hop addition. The FG had been constant for several days, which is the true measure that fermentation is complete. I sampled the beer from the "final" final gravity measurement and it was definitely ready.

Scurvy311's explanation about the nucleation sites is my understanding about why you can see bubbles at the dry hopping stage, so it's really just a question of how long you want to extract from the dry hops before bottling.

 

It's probably like Scurvy311 says, but I'll also ask if the gravity readings are close to what you expected for your recipe? If, not, there is always the chance that you have a stuck fermentation, especially if you have a high alcohol beer.

 

Just got done with a couple dry hopped pale ales. It's normal. I experience the phenomenon more with 1056 though.

 

You say bubbling again, but how many bubbles for min?. If there is a high number of bubbles it could be due an infection , hope this is not the case.

 

Definitely normal to have airlock activity after dry hopping or even after multiple weeks of fermentation. It's not a good predictor of fermentation, so you're correct in measuring for stable gravity. However, 1 week in the primary is pretty quick for even the most simple of ales. You'll have people jumping on here saying that it's possible to totally ferment out in 3-4 days, but I like to let it sit for at least 2 weeks before dry hopping or bottling. What temperature were you fermenting at? I tend to keep mine at the low end of the yeast strain's range, which can make fermentation take a bit longer.

 

CO2 will come out of solution on Tuesdays during a full moon...and every other time, also
This...is why they say, "bubbling is not a good indicator of fermentation (or lack thereof). For myself, if it's bubbling < every 5 seconds it's making alcohol!

 

I think it needs an exorcism

 

No need to rack if you are talking about secondary. keg after @7 days after dry hopping.

 

Question - If your gravity is the same for that long in a row, wouldn't that mean you're done fermenting? Can a brew be "stuck" that long?

Also - If the gravity was not where you wanted it, what steps could be taken to adjust? Either more alcohol or less?

 

ramp up the heat if your fermenting colder than the yeast requires. recheck your starting and target final gravities and the type/amount of yeast you pitched. If making a high ABV beer some yeasts will not go as low as you want.
most of the time, for me, it has been a heat issue.

 

Have any suggestions on heating (if you need), and measuring temp when in fermentation?

 

http://www.amazon.com/Brew-Belt-Fermentation-Heating-1-Count/dp/B001D6IUB6


http://www.amazon.com/Fermometer-863043-Ferrometer-Adhesive-Thermometer/dp/B004B4TS1S