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rtbrews · 05-27-2010, 03:48 PM

Four days ago I brewed a rye IPA with an OG about 1.075. I know I used enough yeast because I used two vials of the White Labs California Ale with a starter, but the fermentation came to a complete halt last night.

After pitching, it starting fermenting nicely after about 5-6 hrs then after two days, started to slow and after about 3-3.5 days, it has almost stopped completely. I am pretty certain this was due to the fact that despite my best cooling efforts, I could only keep the fermentor at 80 degrees.

I was doing research and found that my earlier, quicker fermentation will likely result in tastes of diacetyl and fusel alcohols. Is there anything I can do to prevent or eliminate the off tastes in my beer? or am I just being pessimistic?

it just seems strange to me because every other beer I have made has had activity for 7-10 days. This is my first time using the California Ale yeast though so maybe it is a faster acting yeast as well.

TipsyDragon · 05-27-2010, 03:52 PM

take an SG reading. you may be done. letting it sit on the yeast for a while will help with some of the off flavors.

how are you cooling your brew?

Sedge · 05-27-2010, 04:19 PM

Yeah at that temp its probably finished. Take some gravity readings if you can to be sure or just let it do its thing for a couple more days to clean everything up and taste it. Let your palette be the judge of off flavors instead of paranoia

Typically I find the Cal Ale yeast to be a moderately fast yeast. It attenuates pretty well, usually around 80-85% for me even on the bigger beers. Just had an 1.081 red ale go down to 1.011 with no fusels or diacetyl, but I did a rigorously controlled ferment @68 with a three day diacetyl rest in the 70's.

If when you taste it you find that it is hot and unpleasant, unfortunately there is no good way to remove fusels other than distillation. Even blending won't mask it completely. I say choke it down or cook with it.