[greyghost]

I have had my stout in the secondary now for 4 weeks and it is still bubbling. I tasted and smelled it and it seemed fine. Should I just let it go? Yeast was Wyeast 1084.
 OG 1.070
 In to secondary 2 weeks later 1.021
 Checked 4 weeks in secondary 1.016

[conley]

How long was it in primary? alot of brewers have this fear that if it sits in primary to long there beer will magically go bad. i have never had a problem fully fermenting out in a carboy, and my secondary is used just to clarify the beer, not let it ferment fully (lotsa bubbles on top).

If it is still fermenting i say let it go if you have notices no problems with the batch itself, if you do like where it is at you can crash cool it so the yeast will settle out and slow down its process.

Another method is to use potassium sorbate and then cool crash it.

wyeast 1084 is a beast, but with you gravity at 1.016 is seems to be doing its job just fine, maybe a little slow though. Next time you make this batch i would raise the starting yeast cell count, either by adding in another smack pack or making a starter, that way it will get off to a better start faster and finish sooner.

[mabrungard]

Unless you are adding another fermentable, there is no such thing as secondary fermentation.  Its actually secondary clarification.  If the fermenter is kept cool enough, all clarification can be completed in that 'primary' fermentation vessel.  Do not transfer a beer off the yeast if there is fermentation activity.  If the activity has slowed and the gravity has not attenuated enough, the fermentation temperature may be too low.  This is especially a problem for brewers in the cold months.  Don't be afraid of warming the fermenter at the end of an otherwise active fermentation to achieve adequate attenuation.  Most of the esters and other flavor producers are created in the early stages of fermentation. 

When fermentation is complete and the beer temperature is cool (say under 60F), there is little chance of autolysis in the short term.  Cooling the fermenter further will aid in clarification.  When sufficiently clarified, the beer can be bottled or kegged.

[greyghost]

It was in the primary for 2 weeks. Temps have been held at 66 + or - 1 degree. Made a starter and it took off like mad. Looked like it had pretty much finished when put in the secondary. Kind of stayed quite for a week then it hasn't quite bubbling. I'll give it till next week then crash cool it if the weather stays cool. then bottle it.

[timo]

It was probably done a while back. A 1070 beer, if fed a good quantity of healthy yeast, should have finished in two weeks. Heck, brewery's can't wait as long as you did or they'd go broke ;-)

Don't bubble watch, it will drive you nuts. It's Ok if after two weeks it gurgles a bit but if you think you should wait then do so.

I don't do secondaries anymore, not for years. All beers go two weeks for me and i always overpitch. For BW's I go four weeks or more, then keg and let age.

[majorvices]

All bubbles in the airlock mean is that Co2 is coming out of solution, which is not necessarily an indication of fermentation. Rely on your hydrometer reading. When you get a constant reading separated by 3 or more days and a reasonable attenuation for that strain of yeast you are done!

[hopfenundmalz]

I have seen that when the yeast go from sugar to the VDKs, that is secondary fermentation.

We use primary and secondary fermenters.

[nateo]

I have seen that when the yeast go from sugar to the VDKs, that is secondary fermentation.

We use primary and secondary fermenters.

What's a VDK? Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge?

[erockrph]

I have seen that when the yeast go from sugar to the VDKs, that is secondary fermentation.

We use primary and secondary fermenters.

What's a VDK? Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge?

Vicinal diketone, aka Diacetyl and 2,3,-pentanedione

[nateo]

Vicinal diketone, aka Diacetyl and 2,3,-pentanedione

Cool. I thought yeast 'cleaning up' a beer might be considered fermentation, but I didn't know what it was called.