SF Lager Yeast

[BmoreBrewer2112]

I brewed a honey wheat about 7-8 weeks ago that I used WLP810 San Francisco Lager yeast for. Anyone else encounter this yeast taking forever? I'll admit I'm horrible at taking gravity readings, but after 6 weeks in the primary with little airlock activity, I racked to the secondary. Checked it this evening and there is still a little bit of activity occurring. Temps started about 62, but we're up to 70 now and I feel like it should be finished by now. Is there any other reason for the airlock activity that I'm not thinking of? Thanks!

 

[sptaylor70]

Leaky seal(s)? Specific gravity readings are really the only way to know what's happening.

 

[BmoreBrewer2112]

I don't think there is anything leaking at this point, I should probably just take a reading! Las Cruces huh? I graduate from NMSU in 2004 and will be down there for a wedding next weekend. Is High Desert still open? Someone tried telling me they shut down.

 

[sptaylor70]

High Desert is prospering. They're planning on putting in some larger conical fermenters soon. The new(ish) brewer, Mateo, has put his mark on the process by installing an oxygen system, and his latest batch of pale bock is one of the best I've had. The Scotch ale this winter was everything a Scotch ale should be, and they recently had a black IPA.

Mimbres Valley Brewing (best at English and Belgian styles) has recently opened a satellite location across from campus. There are rumors that at least one other brewpub will be opening within the next year. On a sadder note, however, Jaxon's, in El Paso, recently closed its doors.

 

[StMarcos]

It's not impossible that it's just off-gassing CO2 as the beer is rising in temperature? I can't imagine a beer that still produces CO2 from fermentation that late.

As a side note I've never taken gravity readings 'during' a ferment for the last 15 years. You put a certain amount of research into a beer, make it to the best of you knowledge/ability, and you get what you get. I've never tried fermenting that yeast that hot, so I can't say for sure that it's a bad idea, but it is outside the range commonly accepted as reasonable. I can't imagine any beers, made with crappy initial conditions, poor ferments/temps/pitch rates turned from bad to good by doing during/post ferment manipulations.

 

[BmoreBrewer2112]

Thanks guys. I went ahead and just bottled it today. I really have a hard time believing it's not finished.