Pacman Yeast -- Could it work too fast?

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

prjectmayhem

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2010
Messages
62
Reaction score
5
Location
San Francisco
i tried my first pacman yeast batch of beer last night. Everything looks fine and well, but it appears as if the krausen has already fallen back into the beer after only 12hrs after pitching (i can see the ring from where the krausen would have been if still going). I've never used pacman before so maybe there is zero lag time from an activator pouch? Has anyone ever noticed this before? Or does the pacman yeast just plow wort that well? thanks!

--note -- fermented at 62F during this time...
 
That is pretty fast even for Pacman. Did you properly aerate the wort? Any gravity readings? For a 1.052 wort the Pacman krausen usually falls in 36 to 48 hours from pitching. It hits final gravity usually on day 3. I typically can bottle just one week from pitching if I want/have time to.
 
Need to know some more info. There is indeed a possibility it could've worked that fast but it would be unusual. It sounds like you didn't use a starter and only smacked the pack which would also be strange for a quick ferment.

What was the OG?
What is the current SG?
You sure the temp was only 62? A higher temp such as 70+ could possibly result in a real quick ferment.

I use Pacman quite regularly, and the typical ferment is about 3-4 days but I have had ones that finish in closer to 2, particularly lighter gravity ones. My ferm temps are usually between 60-65.
 
Fermentation will continue long after your krausen has fallen. Krausen usually only sticks around for the most vigorous portion of your ferment, unless you have a large proportion of Proteinaceous grain like wheat or rye.
 
The weather warmed up a little right after my original post -- getting to ~64F and the yeast took off and seems to be behaving normally now...thanks for the help y'all, always something new when doing a first try on a recipe...
 
Back
Top