Fermenting stopped/2ndary or not?

What went wrong? Was this supposed to happen? Should I throw it out? What do I do now?

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theashman661
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Fermenting stopped/2ndary or not?

Post by theashman661 »

I did a brew last Sunday. I think it was a Colorado Pale Ale… I did everything per recipe. Pitched yeast at 68 degrees and stored in a closet that’s around 68-70. After 12 hours it was fermenting like crazy. After about 3 days It stopped bubbling in my airlock. It looks like activity is still going on in my glass carboy. I was wondering should I rack to 2ndary? Also, what are your guys thoughts about racking to 2ndary for off flavors and clearness? Should I rack or should I not? I hope that this fermentation action is just standard. It has been many years since I last brewed and was just curious. Thank you for any info and advise!

Ashton
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slothrob
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Re: Fermenting stopped/2ndary or not?

Post by slothrob »

I'd leave it alone after only a few days. Let it go a week or two, with 2 probably being better in many cases. If you are using a bucket, the fermentation can sometimes continue without bubbling because the seal is not always complete on the bucket lid. Beers can also complete fermentation in a few days, with a healthy pitch of yeast, but the yeast will continue to act on the wort, cleaning up off flavors produced during the vigorous ferment.

The secondary container is really just to promote clearing of the beer. It can help by knocking some of the CO2 out of solution, helping particles and yeast settle, and making it easier to transfer the beer to the final container without carrying over trub, but it is an unnecessary step, in most cases. It's also a potential opportunity to contaminate and oxidize the beer I rarely secondary my beers anymore.
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