On 17 December I brewed the NB Bavarian Hefeweizen extract kit. Yeast was the WY3068 strain. I pitched at 65 degrees, and fermentation took right off, sending a steady stream of gas and crud through the blowoff tube. Fermentation stayed between 62 and 66 throughout.
Then I went away for the next week, expecting the fermentation to be finished by the time I returned. Here’s what I found:
–From an O.G. of 1.050, gravity had dropped to 1.011 by 12/27/13 and 1.010 by 1/1/14. There was a little bit of a head on the sample, though, so I can’t really be sure the gravity changed any.
–There’s still a 1/8"-1/4" layer of krausen on top of the beer, and sporadic bubbling from the airlock (every 45 seconds or so).
Is it really possible that fermentation is still underway, a full two weeks after brew day? The consensus here seems to be that WY3068 finishes fast. Also, will that last bit of krausen ever finally drop or is that just a side effect of a low-flocculating yeast?
The beer tastes great, so I’m eager to bottle it–but I don’t want to invite the dreaded bottle bombs.
