airlock activity has restarted

[zx7rtas]

I have had a brew fermenting for 12 days.After 5 days airlock activity had ceased,so i thought i would leave it an extra day or so to make sure the yeast had done its thing.I didnt take an sg reading,but on day 7 there was airlock activity again,say 1 bubble every 30-45 seconds.It is now day 13 and the bubbling is about every minute or so.I have taken an sg reading which reads 1010,which is normal for this type of mix.Will i be safe to bottle or should i wait until all airlock activity has ceased?

[Bum]

If your FG is stable (3 consecutive readings) and it is where your experience tells you is normal for that brew then I'd definitely bottle. The airlock can restart due to c02 coming out of solution in your beer (or so I am led to believe by much more experienced brewers than myself anyway).

[drsmurto]

Agree with what Bum has said.

As i have mentioned in another recent thread, CO2, like all gases, doesn't like being dissolved in a liquid and will come out of solution at the first chance it gets.

What you are seeing is just that.

As fermentation takes place, CO2 is produced. Some of it dissolves, the vast majority escapes through the airlock.

Another reason why racking isn't quite the infection risk some people make it out to be. The act of racking stirs up the beer which allows the CO2 that is dissolved to come out of solution, which creates a nice CO2 layer.

Cheers
DrSmurto

[billybushcook]

Doc,
Iv'e been adding 50g of dextrose when I rack my grain beers to get that Co2 layer back, so not nescessary !!
Does any one else add sugar when racking??

Mick.

[warra48]

I don't rack very often, as I'm personally not a fan of doing it.
I only do it for Pils or Lagers, when I'm ready to lager them.
I don't add dex, and don't have any issues from not doing it.
So I'm with DrS, it's not necessary, in my view.

[billybushcook]

Yeh,
I'm racking my AG Lagers just after they settled down from the first big burst of fermentation, to get them off of most of the cold break & crud, so they still have a week or so to finish & need a protective layer.

Cheers, Mick.