My current batch has been in primary for 4 days and has caught its second wind. Is the cause different sugars the yeast is working on? It has a nice head on it again and is bubbling fairly steady. I have been able to maintain the temp at 68 degrees.
I know I have read this before but I can’t seem to find it.
It’s very possible, as yeast metabolize in different phases based upon conditions. I suspect that they may have just hit the “high-krausen” phase. Enjoy watching your beasties thrive! 
It’'s equally possible that it’s dissolved CO2 coming out of solution.
That was my first thought. Did the room temp up go up a few degrees?
Paul
It was a bit warmer the first three days. I put it in a water bath and it has been at 68 ever since. By warmer, it was at 70 degrees at most. It was put in the fermenter last Wed, and now, on Tue, it is still bubbling and there is still a fair but of movement in the fermenter.
I think Denny is right.
If it was CO2, how long would it continue at an aggressive rate? I know they say to measure OG but the beer is in a carboy and I am not all that keen about opening it up to measure. Someday, a conical will fix that.
Open it and measure…it’s no big deal. I’ve done it for years using a sanitized turkey baster. As I’ve often said, if you can’t take a gravity sample without screwing up your beer, maybe you should consider taking up knitting for a hobby!
particularly if it is actively off gassing. nothing is going to get in there as long as you are reasonably careful
Pretty sure I just laugh-sharted after the knitting comment!
I’ll do that. Gotta Get a turkey vaster but my siphon should work.
OG 1.060
FG currently at 1.013
I don’t think it is going to do much more but it is sealed back up just in case.
Thanks for the help guys!
+1. Turkey basters are the way to go, Hit it with some StarSan and you are good to go. I usually give it a little swirl when I put the airlock back on to purge any O2 that may have snuck in there.
I got a wine thief for this purpose. Is a turkey baster better?
What about the idea of putting in an additional plug in the top of the bucket lid to facilitate sampling without taking off the entire lid?
I’m pretty new at this, just brainstorming a little here.
Wine thief is just fine. turkey baster is cheaper is all. and not that much if you compare SS baster with three piece plastic wine thief. I pull the airlock out of my bucket and sample through that hole but I do not know if that would work for you.
Yeah I have a small grommeted airlock hole, so I would definitely need to make another hole (and a good plug) to make a sampling port. I’m sure I can figure out the necessary hardware to do this without much issue. I would just re-sanitize the plug after sampling before putting it back in, of course.
The wine thief fits into a carboy just fine, of course. My first batch was brewed away from where I live and had to be transported right after brewing (long story, read my blog if you want the whole story), which is why I am using the bucket on this batch. Although I’m kind of up in the air as to whether it really matters if I use the carboy or bucket. I think the carboy is only 5 gallons and the bucket is 6.5, and this batch of wort was 5.5 gallons, so there would be zero possibility of using the carboy here anyway.
Also, the high kreusen actually overflowed a little into the airlock of the bucket. I don’t have an overflow hose for the carboy (will probably get one soon though). The interesting part will be bottling. I may wind up getting either another bucket or another carboy soon (also, I can have secondary space or space to do two batches at a time if I get another container, lol, so expect that to happen).
My first batch is not going to be secondarily fermented (it’s an all grain IPA).
Anyway, I’ve successfully derailed this thread here, so enough about that!
I just open the lid and take a sample.
oh yeah and of course I cleaned and re-sanitized the airlock after the overflow
I find it easier to pull the lock because the lid is kind of hard to get off (that sounds super dirty sorry ::))
but if the theif didn’t fit in the hole (again… sorry) I would also pull the lid. Not a safety or sanitation issue just being pragmatic!
Good on ya! I tried pulling the airlock to take a sample but found it was more hassle than opening the lid. Whatever works for ya!