Intermittent bubbling in Ale

[yodar]

First brew (partial mash) in new digs. Thermo (digital) reads 71-73 for temp in carboy and it is right in front of AC which blows upward past top of carboy. Temp. is working at the upper end of the Specs for the yeast

(It is 8 days after pitching a smaller than normal culture)

Typically these ales ferment out in 4-7 days and this one is still bubbling slowly,occasionally. I normally dont "theif"-it untill the bubbling stops

OG 1.052 est. FG probably to be 1.010

Wondering if the onset of the slow bubbling could be connected with the cycling of the AC ..Is this just outgassing dissolved C02, or slooow fermentation?

I WANTED to rack out today.

Yodar
in the land of HOT groundwater

[marketfixr]

I doubt the A/C is causing the problem, most residential a/c systems will get about a 25 degree split on a good day, meaning supply air is up to 25 lower than return air and you can maintain a house 25 degrees cooler than outside temps. the air blowing over the carboy might drop the temp 1 degree or so but not much more. I would think the beer is still degassing or the yeasties are slow due to under pitching.

Kevin

[Bugeater]

You will hear this piece of advise all the time: "let the yeast work on it's schedule, not yours." 8 days is not all that long. You can leave the beer in primary for 4-6 weeks with no ill effects. Go ahead and check your gravity. If it is within a couple points of your expected final gravity, go ahead and rack to secondary. If not, let it go another couple of days.

Do not rely on the bubbles to tell you a whole lot. Lots of things can be happening besides active fermentation such as a drop in barometric pressure. If the bubbles have slowed way down, the beer is simply telling you to get out the hydrometer and start checking gravity.

[Lufah]

Ditto the other guys. Take a reading. I had one batch that never stopped bubbling. Hell if I know why. Turned out great and all the gravity readings checked out.

Travis

[pvignola]

What yeast did you use? Wheat yeasts seem to bubble forever, and certian other yeasts also. I would just take a reading and see what the gravity tells ya.