I dryhopped my UK IPA with 3oz of Northdown pellets one week ago.
Prior to this, it was pitched at 68* with the Fullers yeast and held at 70* for three weeks.
I racked it to secondary for 2 more weeks before this last week of dryhopping before I bottle it. 6 weeks since pitching.
Initially there was an expected small amout of off-gassing from the added plant material.
I had not been paying much attention as to when the off-gassing really perked up,
But by tonight, it’s just getting rediculous. Enough to form a mini Co2 head under the raft,
And I’m concerned that there is something else going on in there.
Is there any way that this is common with using that large an amout of dryhops, it’s just pulling more Co2 out?
It’s really churning itself up like theres a fermentation going on, but theres no yeast visible, just hop bits whirling about.
[attachment=0]IMG_20120323_222801-1.jpg[/attachment]
Am I screwed?
What does your nose tell you?
To add, when I had an old beer turn to vinegar, there was a full blown fermentation. Kaursen to the top of the carboy.
That looks normal (and sort of beautiful).
Boy its hard to get a non-cryptic photo of a carboy.
It really just reeks of Northdown hops right now.
Its enough gas to push a bubble out every 6 seconds.
I did’nt figure there could be all that much still in solution after a 70* ferment and a rack to secondary.
It’s sitting at a steady 68* right now, bubbles coming up from everywhere.
Maybe it will settle down. Maybe it will push hops out the airlock.
:oops:
As you know time will tell.
I can say I have never had this issue with dry hopping. I guess you may have to wait it out.
Try a sample in a week and see how its going.
The clean white frothy layer seems like a good healthy yeast krausen and I am guessing the massive plant material is adding tons of nucleation sites for the fermented beers CO2 in solution to now offgass. If it doesnt smell and/ or taste sour/acidic I would think your Aok.
Well, I’m assuming you grabbed a stable FG before you transferred. Take another gravity reading. Has it dropped considerably?
edit: nevermind.
What ITs possible said.
Well, I know I mashed this at 155*, it started at 1.070 and F.G.'d at 1.020.
I can let this ride for another week before bottling/ dumping it.
Should show gravity change by then I suspect.
It is still pushing gas at the same seemingly excessive rate.
Stfuhahb??
Even with an original SG of 1.070, You should be dropping under 1.015 final SG if mashed around 155f.
You would have to mash much higher or had a much higher OSG to see a beer stop at 1.020. I suspect you are still fermenting a few final points here unless you had tons of Carapils or other unfermentables as a large percentage of your grain bill then maybe 1.020 and still just offgassing due to the CO2 being released from solution.
I am leaning towards a little of both now that you state the 1.020.
Edit* Nice touch on the stfuhahb I got a good chuckle out of that.
No dumping nessecary I think your still rolling primo with this one. That clean white layer of yeast is reassuring on this end anyway. Again if it has a sour/ acid taste sure shes toast, but I think chances are you will be tasting clean beer here.
Hydrometers don’t lie, and mine says I dropped to 1.018.
Suppose I could give a little/lot more information, just thought someone would say this was perfectly normal.
This was 10# maris otter, 1.5# blend of english crystal (light,med,dark), 1# munich. Beersmith predicted a 1.018 FG.
Bittered with Challenger, flavored with EKG, finished with First Gold, Northdown dry hops. 67 IBU. Good stuff.
On this I built distilled water to very bitter levels, and used a small amount of sourmalt to get my predicted Ph into range.
CA 154 - MG 16 - NA 17 - SO4 298 - CL 98 - HCO3 47
My Ph came in low ~5 IIRC, I left it alone having plenty of minerals in there already, called it a learning experience.
This was impressively murky looking right from the get go. Thought either the low Ph or somehow my braid screwed me.
2 previous beers, one 100% pils and one 100% munich, and one after was 75% 6-row 25% flaked corn are sparkling clear.
I checked the Ph of this IPA this morning and its at 4 on a Colorphast strip.
Could this have gotten so acidic that it inhibited the yeast?
I pitched this with a 1 liter stepped to 2 liters, both spun on a stirplate, and made with a fresh smack pack,
And fermenting at 70* to get monster fruit, they seemed very happy.
1.070 to 1.020 in 4 days, and I still left it on the yeast for another ~2.5 weeks.
I did’nt rouse, never had that problem with this strain, and being that close to predicted FG.
Could that low Ph give me that murkiness and stall my yeast?
What did it taste/smell like?
So far, so good on both senses.
I’ll forget about it for a week or two and check it again.
