Is it possible for a 1.090 OG Imperial IPA to ferment to completion in 4 days?

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.

Tipharet

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2012
Messages
51
Reaction score
0
Location
Eugene
I brewed a Grapefuit Imperial IPA last Wednesday the 9th and as the title states OG was 1.090. Beginning Saturday (day 3) I noticed no airlock activity and krausen began to sink. I took a gravity today and yesterday. The gravity is currently sitting at 1.012! How is this possible? I have never had a beer ferment that quickly?

Temps sat at 64-68.
I pitched directly from pouch two wyeast 1056.
Wort was 72 degrees when pitched.
 
If you pitch enough yeast and run 'em warm enough it's amazing how quickly the li'l bastids get their work done. That said, be careful about the "warm" part, lest you have a batch of fusels and esters you weren't looking for...

Cheers!
 
Not unheard of. I had a Barleywine drop from 1.092 to 1.014 in the same period. I find most of my fermentations (not conditioning) are done by day 4, perhaps b/c I re-pitch and use starters to get healthy yeast.

Oh, and that's at 66-68F, btw. Fast + Hot (70F+) = off flavors and/or fusels.
 
Ok, so now I am curious about dry hopping. Should I wait for a few days to make sure the yeast clean up after themselves to prevent diacetyl or go ahead and dry hop then raise temps a couple of days before I bottle? My last IPA had a pretty bad diacetyl issue and I waited a month to bottle on that one. I currently trying to warm those bottles up in hope it cleans itself up.
 
Until you get control of the diacetyl (switch yeasts? I'm assuming you're using British, so maybe 001 or Pacman?), I think you'll be wasting hops to dry hop before it the diacetyl clears.

Once you've figured that issue out, though, I think that big dry hopping pro brewers are moving in the direction of dryhopping on the last day of primary fermentation, then dropping a second (sometimes 3rd or 4th!!) after 3 days.
 
Until you get control of the diacetyl (switch yeasts? I'm assuming you're using British, so maybe 001 or Pacman?), I think you'll be wasting hops to dry hop before it the diacetyl clears.

Once you've figured that issue out, though, I think that big dry hopping pro brewers are moving in the direction of dryhopping on the last day of primary fermentation, then dropping a second (sometimes 3rd or 4th!!) after 3 days.

American ale 1056 in these last two batches.
 
Tipharet said:
American ale 1056 in these last two batches.

Man, that's interesting. There've been a few posts here in the last month or two about diacetyl in S-051056/001--maybe you got hold of that batch? Was it two different vials or did you re-pitch?

Regardless, I'd make my next batch with a different yeast--Pacman or perhaps 002/1968 to see if that helps. I hope I'm not being pushy. It's just that I HATE diacetyl, and it's weird this rash of it in a normally clean yeast strain!
 
Ok, so now I am curious about dry hopping. Should I wait for a few days to make sure the yeast clean up after themselves to prevent diacetyl or go ahead and dry hop then raise temps a couple of days before I bottle? My last IPA had a pretty bad diacetyl issue and I waited a month to bottle on that one. I currently trying to warm those bottles up in hope it cleans itself up.

Yes. WAIT.

Active fermentation may be complete, but the flavor profile of the beer is incomplete until the yeast have thoroughly cleaned up their own byproducts (diacetyl).

I'd say a minimum of two weeks in the primary. I like to secondary my big IPA's because the amount of trub increases the likelihood (in my experience) of some slight yeast mutation. Plus, adding dry hops on top of primary trub will leave you with a LOT of sludge.
 
Yes. WAIT.

Active fermentation may be complete, but the flavor profile of the beer is incomplete until the yeast have thoroughly cleaned up their own byproducts (diacetyl).

I'd say a minimum of two weeks in the primary. I like to secondary my big IPA's because the amount of trub increases the likelihood (in my experience) of some slight yeast mutation. Plus, adding dry hops on top of primary trub will leave you with a LOT of sludge.

Cool! Get this bunch straitened out!
 
Back
Top