Brewing Master

Question:

This is something I always do, not so much to see how it clears as to sneak a taste!  When I xfer to secondary, I siphon a little into a PET bottle, force carb it with a carnoator cap, and stick it in the freezer for about 20-30 min.  Half hour later, I’ve got a cold, carbonated sample!

<snip – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – During the transfer I put some beer in a single bottle. I was curious to see how cloudy the beer was, and if the second fermentation will have an impact on the clarity. http://members.surfbest.net/gregarpp%40surfbest.net/images/beera.jpg thanks!

Response:

The fermentation was complete when I transfered into the secondary. Thats when I bottled the single bottle. After I transfered to the secondary, I noticed it started to bubble again from the airlock. I checked again this morning, and it was less then a bubble per minute. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – It looks perfect.  Do NOT Fret.  Yes, taking the lid off is fine, just don’t sneeze in it. Yes, secondary fermentation will allow the beer to clear more, as will aging it in the bottles.  BUT, homebrew, especially the beginning sort, tends to be a bit cloudy.  I won’t start rambling on about chill haze… Be careful with that bottle.  If fermentation is still going on, the bottle may explode.  If there is just a tiny bit of activity though, it’ll carbonate nicely. I got my second bucket in the mail today. I cleaned and sanatized everything, and got ready to transfer to my new bucket. This is a photo of the beer when I took the lid off. (Was I supposed to take the lid off?) The white looks like mold, it is really small bubbles. http://members.surfbest.net/gregarpp%40surfbest.net/images/beer.jpg During the transfer I put some beer in a single bottle. I was curious to see how cloudy the beer was, and if the second fermentation will have an impact on the clarity. http://members.surfbest.net/gregarpp%40surfbest.net/images/beera.jpg thanks!

Response:

Racking will sometimes re-start the fermentation.  It stirs up the yeast and gets it active again.  No need to worry.  Give it a couple days and start taking SG readings.  When the reading is the same for 3 days or more, it is probably ready to bottle.

The fermentation was complete when I transfered into the secondary. Thats when I bottled the single bottle. After I transfered to the secondary, I noticed it started to bubble again from the airlock. I checked again this morning, and it was less then a bubble per minute.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – It looks perfect.  Do NOT Fret.  Yes, taking the lid off is fine, just don’t sneeze in it. Yes, secondary fermentation will allow the beer to clear more, as will aging it in the bottles.  BUT, homebrew, especially the beginning sort, tends to be a bit cloudy.  I won’t start rambling on about chill haze… Be careful with that bottle.  If fermentation is still going on, the bottle may explode.  If there is just a tiny bit of activity though, it’ll carbonate nicely. I got my second bucket in the mail today. I cleaned and sanatized everything, and got ready to transfer to my new bucket. This is a photo of the beer when I took the lid off. (Was I supposed to take the lid off?) The white looks like mold, it is really small bubbles. http://members.surfbest.net/gregarpp%40surfbest.net/images/beer.jpg During the transfer I put some beer in a single bottle. I was curious to see how cloudy the beer was, and if the second fermentation will have an impact on the clarity. http://members.surfbest.net/gregarpp%40surfbest.net/images/beera.jpg thanks!

Response:

sorry, but you can’t be sure that fermentation was complete enough not to make a bottle-bomb.  It probably was, as I believe you had it in primary for 8 days, but you can’t be sure.  Did you take a gravity reading when you transferred it?  no, probably not. This is your first batch.  If someone who’s brewed more than one offers you a caution, take it.

The fermentation was complete when I transfered into the secondary. Thats when I bottled the single bottle. After I transfered to the secondary, I noticed it started to bubble again from the airlock. I checked again this morning, and it was less then a bubble per minute.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – It looks perfect.  Do NOT Fret.  Yes, taking the lid off is fine, just don’t sneeze in it. Yes, secondary fermentation will allow the beer to clear more, as will aging it in the bottles.  BUT, homebrew, especially the beginning sort, tends to be a bit cloudy.  I won’t start rambling on about chill haze… Be careful with that bottle.  If fermentation is still going on, the bottle may explode.  If there is just a tiny bit of activity though, it’ll carbonate nicely. I got my second bucket in the mail today. I cleaned and sanatized everything, and got ready to transfer to my new bucket. This is a photo of the beer when I took the lid off. (Was I supposed to take the lid off?) The white looks like mold, it is really small bubbles. http://members.surfbest.net/gregarpp%40surfbest.net/images/beer.jpg During the transfer I put some beer in a single bottle. I was curious to see how cloudy the beer was, and if the second fermentation will have an impact on the clarity. http://members.surfbest.net/gregarpp%40surfbest.net/images/beera.jpg thanks!

Response:

Racking will sometimes re-start the fermentation.  It stirs up the yeast and gets it active again.  No need to worry.  Give it a couple days and start taking SG readings.  When the reading is the same for 3 days or more, it is probably ready to bottle.

It could also just have been the act of racking stirring some CO2 out of solution. Bubbling from the airlock does not necessarily mean fermentation is occuring. -Kevin

Response:

It looks perfect.  Do NOT Fret.  Yes, taking the lid off is fine, just don’t sneeze in it. Yes, secondary fermentation will allow the beer to clear more, as will aging it in the bottles.  BUT, homebrew, especially the beginning sort, tends to be a bit cloudy.  I won’t start rambling on about chill haze… Be careful with that bottle.  If fermentation is still going on, the bottle may explode.  If there is just a tiny bit of activity though, it’ll carbonate nicely.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I got my second bucket in the mail today. I cleaned and sanatized everything, and got ready to transfer to my new bucket. This is a photo of the beer when I took the lid off. (Was I supposed to take the lid off?) The white looks like mold, it is really small bubbles. http://members.surfbest.net/gregarpp%40surfbest.net/images/beer.jpg During the transfer I put some beer in a single bottle. I was curious to see how cloudy the beer was, and if the second fermentation will have an impact on the clarity. http://members.surfbest.net/gregarpp%40surfbest.net/images/beera.jpg thanks!

Response:

I got my second bucket in the mail today. I cleaned and sanatized everything, and got ready to transfer to my new bucket. This is a photo of the beer when I took the lid off. (Was I supposed to take the lid off?) The white looks like mold, it is really small bubbles. http://members.surfbest.net/gregarpp%40surfbest.net/images/beer.jpg During the transfer I put some beer in a single bottle. I was curious to see how cloudy the beer was, and if the second fermentation will have an impact on the clarity. http://members.surfbest.net/gregarpp%40surfbest.net/images/beera.jpg thanks!

Response:

That first picture looks pretty different to me, but then again, I only have one batch under my belt. If it looks like mold, well it might be mold. I wouldn’t drink it until someone can confirm if that is infected or not.  Does it smell bad? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I got my second bucket in the mail today. I cleaned and sanatized everything, and got ready to transfer to my new bucket. This is a photo of the beer when I took the lid off. (Was I supposed to take the lid off?) The white looks like mold, it is really small bubbles. http://members.surfbest.net/gregarpp%40surfbest.net/images/beer.jpg During the transfer I put some beer in a single bottle. I was curious to see how cloudy the beer was, and if the second fermentation will have an impact on the clarity. http://members.surfbest.net/gregarpp%40surfbest.net/images/beera.jpg thanks!

Response:

Looks fine to me.  Looks like you had a fairly high krausen and it has now fallen.  Go ahead with the secondary.  It looks fine. Les

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I got my second bucket in the mail today. I cleaned and sanatized everything, and got ready to transfer to my new bucket. This is a photo of the beer when I took the lid off. (Was I supposed to take the lid off?) The white looks like mold, it is really small bubbles. http://members.surfbest.net/gregarpp%40surfbest.net/images/beer.jpg During the transfer I put some beer in a single bottle. I was curious to see how cloudy the beer was, and if the second fermentation will have an impact on the clarity. http://members.surfbest.net/gregarpp%40surfbest.net/images/beera.jpg thanks!

Response: