I have an Imperial IPA that I have had in primary for almost a month now, this weekend will be a month. My other batches all were done in way less time. I only have 5 batches under my belt, so patience is the hardest part, but I'm determined to see this one thru. It is still active visually. The airlock bubbles are at 55 seconds. Smells like hoppy heaven. Do I wait for it to floc and settle? I wasn't planning on 2ndary but should I? If so how long? If not how long? I'm relaxed, not worried, had a few homebrews, but what the hell next!?!
Never ready IIPA?!
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BrewKnurd
Well-Known Member
Have you checked the specific gravity? Cuz otherwise you really don't know what's going on.
kegdawg
Well-Known Member
A IIPA would seem to me to need more than a month...never made one but that seems like a young brew to be concerned about already.
Does anyone else twitch a little when they read a post measuring fermentation by airlock activity? I guess I'm nervous about getting clipped by Revvy's reply as it comes blasting in 
To the OP: I feel your pain regarding patience. I'm not quite to 20 batches in 9 months of brewing, so I still get antsy. That being said, a big IIPA is going to take time and even my I/PAs sometimes release trapped gas from all the trub & hops at the bottom. So if you're really worried, break out the hydrometer and check your FG... Otherwise, do what I do--brew up another recipe to occupy your mind! that's a win-win!
To the OP: I feel your pain regarding patience. I'm not quite to 20 batches in 9 months of brewing, so I still get antsy. That being said, a big IIPA is going to take time and even my I/PAs sometimes release trapped gas from all the trub & hops at the bottom. So if you're really worried, break out the hydrometer and check your FG... Otherwise, do what I do--brew up another recipe to occupy your mind!
that's a win-win!
LandoLincoln
Well-Known Member
Does anyone else twitch a little when they read a post measuring fermentation by airlock activity? I guess I'm nervous about getting clipped by Revvy's reply as it comes blasting in
I feel the same way. We need to come up with an acronym similar to RDWHAHB for the "bubbles don't mean anything - buy a hydrometer and use it" sentiment.
Or maybe just BDMA would be enough to get the point across.
Thanks for all the replies first of all!
I have been taking gravity readings, it is still steadily dropping. I have pushed it aside. This is my 2nd batch, I've done 3 others since then. I've bottled batches 1, 3, and 4, been drinking batches 1 and 3, and am trying to decide what to brew this weekend. I guess the general consensus is keep doing what I'm doing? So my refined question is now this. Should I expect it clear? Or once the gravity stops dropping, should I not even be concerned with the physical appearance?
I have been taking gravity readings, it is still steadily dropping. I have pushed it aside. This is my 2nd batch, I've done 3 others since then. I've bottled batches 1, 3, and 4, been drinking batches 1 and 3, and am trying to decide what to brew this weekend. I guess the general consensus is keep doing what I'm doing? So my refined question is now this. Should I expect it clear? Or once the gravity stops dropping, should I not even be concerned with the physical appearance?
BrewKnurd
Well-Known Member
I've brewed 2 IIPAs, and going into it, I had the same expectation... that they would take a while. Both were at a steady FG in 7-10 days. After bottling, they were both carbed in a week. And while many beers, even if they are carbed at a week, still aren't at their best at that point, I have to say that the very first bottle of my first IIPA was the best of the batch, because the dry hops aroma and flavor were at their strongest. It was heaven.
Anyways, moral of the story I guess is that there's lots of general rules in brewing and there's even more exceptions to those rules.
BrewKnurd
Well-Known Member
Did you dry hop? My experience with dry-hopped IIPAs is that they're going to be cloudy. I assume its a function of how much hop material gets crammed in there.
It sounds like it's going slow, for sure! Mine are always finished fermenting in about 5-7 days, no matter what ales I make. Lagers may take 10 days.
I'd have to guess that the yeast was underpitched in this case.
I'd have to guess that the yeast was underpitched in this case.
Yes I did dry hop, she's a cloudy one alright!
5-7 days is what I'm used to seeing also yooper, that's why I'm questioning. I'm going to wait until I get the same gravity 2 times in a row, then bottle... I guess.
It may have been underpitched, I used a vial of white labs, but this recipe had a huge amount of DME, 11 lbs! Maybe next time I should pitch twice as much? Or just RDWHAH? Thnx again all
5-7 days is what I'm used to seeing also yooper, that's why I'm questioning. I'm going to wait until I get the same gravity 2 times in a row, then bottle... I guess.
It may have been underpitched, I used a vial of white labs, but this recipe had a huge amount of DME, 11 lbs! Maybe next time I should pitch twice as much? Or just RDWHAH? Thnx again all
IIPA are best fresh, for pure hoppiness. Sure they smooth out with age, but they are interesting beasts and change a lot. I wouldn't say fresh or older is "better."
That said, I go grain to keg dryhopped and primed in 12-14 days.
Ferment: 7 days
Keg: 4-8oz dry hops / 3oz corn sugar 5-7 days
In kegerator: tasty.
Cheers
That said, I go grain to keg dryhopped and primed in 12-14 days.
Ferment: 7 days
Keg: 4-8oz dry hops / 3oz corn sugar 5-7 days
In kegerator: tasty.
Cheers
What was the OG? If you look at mrmalty.com and go to his "yeast pitching calculator" you can see the ideal amount of yeast to pitch. For an IIPA, I would think that even two vials would be underpitching- perhaps 4 vials without a starter would be more in the correct area of pitching rates.
terrapinj
Well-Known Member
what temp is it at right now?
OG was 1.130, now being my 2nd batch ever, I assumed that I must've done something wrong in taking the first reading. I cooled wort to 70, then took gravity reading, afterwards I read in recipe to let sit 15 min after reaching 70 to take reading. Didn't do that, took it right away.
So I don't know if thats accurate. Right now it's at 1.054 (and tasty), last week 1.060.
It's been at a steady 71 degrees the whole time.
So I don't know if thats accurate. Right now it's at 1.054 (and tasty), last week 1.060.
It's been at a steady 71 degrees the whole time.
1.130 is huge man, and warmer than sixty usually gives an artificially low reading. I'm not surprised its taking that long especially if it was under pitched. I have an IIPA going now that started at 1.096 and has been going strong for two weeks, with a mr. Malty prescribed giant starter. I may have missed this, but what yeast did you use?
broadbill
Well-Known Member
uh, wow...that's quite the OG....I'm not sure you are going to get that puppy down to FG, especially if you underpitched.
I've never heard of letting it sit...what was the reason for that?
If those numbers are right, something is definitely screwy with this batch. Even with underpitching, eventually the yeast should grow to a stage where they begin to really ferment and drop the gravity.
Yeah 1.130 is huge, the hydrometer almost fell out if the tube it floated so damn high! The yeast is WL051. I dont know what the reason is behind waiting before taking reading.
Oh yeah, I do have another possible clue I forgot to mention. When I started the batch, I had (without getting into detail) an emergency and had to stop before I started. I put my grains in the bag, bag in the water, but didn't get to light the flame for almost a whole hour. Could that soak time have done anything to the gravity?
Oh yeah, I do have another possible clue I forgot to mention. When I started the batch, I had (without getting into detail) an emergency and had to stop before I started. I put my grains in the bag, bag in the water, but didn't get to light the flame for almost a whole hour. Could that soak time have done anything to the gravity?
BulldogBrewer
Well-Known Member
Recipe?
BrewKnurd
Well-Known Member
holy schnikes. that's huge. that's like an iiipa
1.130? I was wrong, then- you'd need more like 7 packages of fresh yeast, 10 or 12 if the package was older. You're probably going to want to read up on starters, and make one any time you use liquid yeast but especially if the OG is over 1.050. For monster high gravity beers, extra aeration is needed as well as bigger starters, and sometimes high gravity yeast strains are the only thing to use.
However- if you only used 11 pounds of DME in a 5 gallon batch, there is no way you got 1.130. The max sugars in the DME would give you 1.095. Your reading is wrong, or you used far more ingredients than 11 pounds of DME.
That's still a big beer, but not nearly as wild as 1.130!
BrewKnurd
Well-Known Member
Jakemo said:In fact, that's almost an ivpa
I'm dork enough to be amused by that. Well played.
BrewKnurd
Well-Known Member
daksin said:So would it be a 4PA? Or an Imperial VERY Pale Ale?
Roman numerals FTW!
So would it be a 4PA? Or an Imperial VERY Pale Ale?
1.130 is still an IIPA , but the first I stands for Insane.
1.116 with wine will result in 17% alcohol.
broadbill
Well-Known Member
Thanks to Yooper for doing the math on this one! Maybe your hydrometer is wrong? It should read 1.000 in water (or thereabouts).
The GOOD news about this is if it reading high erronously, then it will be reading high for your other readings too. In other words, it has fermented down farther than 1.050 in a month (which it should have).
If your OG was actually that high, your yeast could be dying off from the alcohol level if you didn't use a high alcohol tolerant strain. Even at 80% attenuation, this beer will only finish up around 1.020 or so, which would give you something like 14-15% ABV. I use wlp 001 in my double ipa, even it is only labeled for up to 12% I think though. Just a thought...hope it turns out...wnc
I think a starter is a good Idea for any beer !! Buying 2-6 yeast vile gets expensive .. I try to reuse yeast for several beers ... From your primary take a small sample of beer / wort and put it in a vile ... You'll have free yeast for ever!!!! Clean tools make clean beer!!!
HB on IPhone
HB on IPhone
Should I think about racking and pitching more yeast? It'd be like a 2nd primary, instead of a true secondary. Checked gravity today 1.052, lower than 2 days ago.
I've been harvesting yeast from my primary's so more yeast doesn't mean more $$
Also I have nothing but time and a few extra carboys, so this one can sit for as long as it needs to.
I've been harvesting yeast from my primary's so more yeast doesn't mean more $$
Also I have nothing but time and a few extra carboys, so this one can sit for as long as it needs to.
If gravity is still falling, and you are confident your hydrometer readings are good, I think I would leave it be for now and let it do its thing. It may take a while. Like I said, I currently have a double going that is three weeks in as of today and still has a fat krausen.
No, if the gravity is dropping, that means the yeast has reproduced. I can't see any benefit in adding more yeast.
Finally bottled this yesterday. Gravity still 1.050, still seems super high, but it stayed at that reading for 7 days so I guess it's done. There was about 2 1/2 inches of spent yeast on the bottom, so I'd say it reproduced alright. Beautiful golden/orange color, and the sample taste like barleywine. Thanks to all who gave me the patience to wait! I'll know in a couple weeks if it was a grand waste of time, or a pleasant surprise.
dlaramie08
Well-Known Member
No one commented about the IKE-pa comment? I thought it was grand!
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