Excessive Fermentation

I'm a novice ( 6 batches, all grain) and need help understanding what's currently happening in my fermenter. I mashed a 3 gallon batch of a very hoppy IPA recipe. OG was 1.069. I only have 3 gallon carboys so had less than optimal headspace. Pitched 3/4 of a tube of WLP001. After approx 24 hours there was violent activity in he carboy. Ten days later there is still significant bubbling, so much so that I cannot yet replace the blow off tube with an airlock.

I have not previously had this type of bubbling fermentation last for so long. Is there a problem? Should I rack to a secondary?

1.069 is a lot of sugar to chew through. If fermentation temperature is low, could take awhile. I would not rack to secondary while its still actively fermenting.

ScottG58 said:

1.069 is a lot of sugar to chew through. If fermentation temperature is low, could take awhile. I would not rack to secondary while its still actively fermenting.

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Room temp is a consistent 68 degrees.

What has the temperature of the wort been over these first ten days?

I have not checked the wort temp due to fear of contamination. What should the wort temp be?

68 is within the temperature range of wlp001. I think you are okay. I've had some bigger beers take awhile.

I have heard that the worry is wild yeast or bacteria that will ferment normally unfermentable sugars leaving a thin beer. I think you can rule that out by taking a gravity reading. I have heard that contamination like that can leave a beer at sub 1.0.

Again 1.069 is fairly big. It can take awhile. If it were mine, I'd try to forget it was there until it had been in the fermenter for three weeks from pitch and then take a gravity reading.

First, fermentation temps can be 5-10 degrees above ambient which could put you out of the good range for wlp001. However, this will normally make fermentation go faster, not slower. Second, this is why the acronym RDWHAHB was invented. Every fermentation is different. Agree with wait three weeks, take gravity over several days to make sure it is stable, then package.

I've had beers chew through a week plus, without slowing down, so RDWHAHB. Are you temp controlling the ferment or are ye just leaving it up to the whim of ye gods? I don't know where you're at but if your ambient temps are low (like here, in the upper midwest) and you're not controlling, a big beer can take a while. If it were summer and you're not, you'd probably have beer all over your ceiling.

My worrisome brew is fermenting in a dark basement in far upstate Ny. May snow tomorrow. Definately not summer.

Thanks to all for the input. I will leave it be.

IPADave,
Any update on your batch yet? Been about 10 days since you started the thread so you should be close or done I would surmise. Probably wouldn't hurt to get a gravity readin and see where you are at fermentation wise. Just a thought.
Wheelchair Bob

Is it uncommon for yeast to not start working in a few hours? Does it really take a day to get going? What about washed yeast?

Thanks for asking. FG is stable at 1.0 17, close to target. All appears good. Bottling tomorrow. My plan is to open a bottle or 2 on Memorial Day weekend.

Jbird said:

Is it uncommon for yeast to not start working in a few hours? Does it really take a day to get going? What about washed yeast?

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Very common, especially if under-pitched. The yeast will (somewhat amazingly) spend time replicating before they really attack the matter at hand. Doesn't matter whether it's dry or washed, it's the cell count vs SG that matters...

Cheers!

day_trippr said:

Very common, especially if under-pitched. The yeast will (somewhat amazingly) spend time replicating before they really attack the matter at hand. Doesn't matter whether it's dry or washed, it's the cell count vs SG that matters...

Cheers!

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Oh it's going like crazy now. It started like 12hours after pitched.