Fermentation too fast?

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jrakich87

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So I brewed up my first batch two nights ago, its an Amber ale, but I think I may have let the fermentor get a little hot during krausen. Within 3 or so hours the airlock was going nuts, and bubbled vigorously overnight (a little bit of head even got up in the airlock) and through the next day. When I returned home from class later in the evening, the bubbling had slowed very significantly, and at this point I also got my act together and brought the temp down to about 72 with a cold water tub. Now its bubbling about every minute and a half. I know airlock activity isnt an accurate indication of fermentation, but is it possible the yeast sputtered out early? The temp on the fermometer was reading 78 (couldve been higher) during the vigorous bubbling, is this temperature high enough to affect fermentation negatively and perhaps produce off-flavors? What (if any) action should I take now other than to try to keep the temp constant? Should I try to reinvigorate the yeast in any way, or stop worrying and just let it sit for a week?

sorry for the long post, this is my first batch and im probably way overthinking things
 
78 isnt too high, and lots of people here (myself included) have had fermentations go higher. You may get some off flavors, but its your first batch and you are learning. It will still be drinkable and better than Keystone or Bud or any of that garbage. Get a hydrometer and go by that to determine how far along in the fermentation process you are.
 
78 is too high, and probably the reason for the quick ferment. It is very likely that it may be done, or near done already.

The high temps are going to produce some off-flavors. I get a lot of ester production at around even 72, so I always ferment ales around 66-68 degrees to minimize this. At 78, you will get TONS of ester production, and likely some fusel alcohol (hangover/headache alcohol) production as well.

Also, dropping down the temps that much after slowing down, could easily have shocked the yeast, giving you a stuck fermentation. The only way you will be able to tell at this point is with a hydrometer reading.

The first part of fermentation is the most critical, and it is imperative that the temperatures are kept at least in the lower 70s to get a clean beer without any fermentation off flavors.

Your next step should be to take a gravity reading, and dependant on that, determine your course of action. If it is high, try gently swirling the yeast back into suspension. Either way, you will probably want to let it sit on the yeast for at least another week, and try to let them clean up some of those byproducts, if they are still awake.

This beer will probably turn out good still, but if you want it to turn out great, you need to control fermentation temperatures.
 
1) Your airlock activity time sounds completely normal to me, I've had it last as little as 24 hours.

2) 78 degrees is a bit high, so is 72 imo. I try to keep my fermentations around 65 for ales. That said, it won't wreck your beer. You may get just a touch of esther production leading to a little banana flavor, but not much if at all. Going forward remember that constant temp is just as important as keeping the temp in the right range.

Sounds to me like you'll be fine. Congrats on your first brew!
 
So would you suggest trying to lower it to 66-68 for the rest of the week, or leave it so as not to shock them further? I got a hydrometer but not before I brewed, so I have no idea of OG. If I do take a reading now to gauge whether the fermentation is stuck, what numbers should I look for? Would I do a reading now and one tomorrow and check for a difference to see if fermentation is moving along? What final gravity should I shoot for if i dont know OG?
 
Do you have the recipe handy, because we could figure out your target FG given the grain bill/extract and yeast used.
 
I would leave your temperature where it is. While 72 may be a bit high to start, it isn't too high to finish. Besides, the great bulk of your fermentation is done, so there would be little, if any effect. You also do not want your yeast to floccuate and go to sleep too early.

On the fermenting time, I would expect a typical Amber to get through nearly all its fermentation within the first three days and just sputter along for a couple or few days after that. What you described sounds quite normal.

In the end, here, you may not have a perfect beer, due to the higher fermenting temperature early on, but it should not be ruined in any way. Upper 70s aren't great, but it's nothing to wring your hands about. RDWHAHB (in about six weeks, when it's good and ready!)


TL
 
I used the kit that came with my fermentor/airlock/etc, it was:

1 can hopped amber liquid ME (3.3 lbs?)
2 lbs muntons dry light extract
1 oz cascade hops
muntons yeast (6 grams) --- it said not to but I re-hydrated it anyways

I filled to 5 gallon line almost exactly. How could I guesstimate what FG should be?

thanks for the help
 
My first batch was an amber that sounds pretty similar to yours. I also fermented at room temp (about 78 degrees). It went hard and fast and finished quickly.

I'm sure it could have been better if it fermented at lower temperatures, but I thought it tasted great and so did everybody I gave some to, so I wouldn't worry about that too much.
 
I used the kit that came with my fermentor/airlock/etc, it was:

1 can hopped amber liquid ME (3.3 lbs?)
2 lbs muntons dry light extract
1 oz cascade hops
muntons yeast (6 grams) --- it said not to but I re-hydrated it anyways

I filled to 5 gallon line almost exactly. How could I guesstimate what FG should be?

thanks for the help

That will give you an OG of 1.041 and you should expect to be in the 1.011 - 1.013 range before it is finished, giving you just a touch under 4% ABV.

If your hydrometer reads much above 1.011 - 1.013, then your fermentation isn't quite done, if not just let it sit a while and bottle.

Leave it at the temp it is for now, lowering any further won't really help. I actually usually keep mine in the 70 range once fementation is done, helps the yeast stay awake to clean things up.

Give it a hydrometer test, see where it is. If it is still bubbling at all, then it probably still has something going on and won't be quite done. Just give it some time and it will be good beer.
 
On my first batch a short while ago, I pitched the yeast while the wort was too hot. My beer spent the first 24 hours or so fermenting at 80+ degrees. This resulted in lots of action and then a huge drop off. I kept it cool in a water bath for the rest of the time in the primary (1 week) and secondary (2 weeks). It is now 3 weeks post bottling and I'm enjoying my first batch as I type. I have clear signs of a "hot" taste which, it seems, is the result of fermentation at high temps. But, it is still very drinkable.
 
I used the kit that came with my fermentor/airlock/etc, it was:

1 can hopped amber liquid ME (3.3 lbs?)
2 lbs muntons dry light extract
1 oz cascade hops
muntons yeast (6 grams) --- it said not to but I re-hydrated it anyways

I filled to 5 gallon line almost exactly. How could I guesstimate what FG should be?

thanks for the help

That sounds just like the "Red Amber Ale" kit I'm going to cook up this weekend. I want my first batch in about 15 years to go right, so I am going easy.

I may put my Ale Pale in a cooler with some water and a frozen water-filled coke bottle or two for a few days, try to knock the temp down to about 70.

I wonder how long I should keep it cool?

Due to being gone the next couple of weekends, it will probably stay in the pail for three weeks, then move to a Better Bottle (gotta remember to order one) until I get a chance to keg it.
 
I have the same problem with my brew. My OG was 1.065 and in two days it dropped to 1.012. My airlock was running so fast you could have hooked it up to a generator and powered your house.
HOWEVER, when I pitched the yeast the temp of the wort was 71 deg. The brew takes on it's own temp once the yeast gets going. It reached 78 deg for the first day and there was little I could do about it. Room temp never rose above 71. how can I control it if it has a mind of its own? any suggestions?
 
I would not really worry about it. The first few batches of Ale that I brewed up fermented just as you describe and they turned out to be VERY GOOD beer. Better than OTC. I have since cooled down my fermentations a little..but not greatly. As a matter of fact I have an American Ale bubbling right now that I just brewed yesterday. It is 66 degrees in the room...and with the heat generated from the fermentation process the thermometer attached on the lid reads right at 70 degrees. I don't have any fancy temperature control equipment so the temp probably was a couple degrees lower last night. ( it is fall here in Ohio right now ) This morning the airlock was bubbling every second and a half and the room is filled with such an awesome hop and wort aroma that I had to bring the laptop in here just to answer your question. It is heavenly. I expect in 24 hours more it will slow a bunch.

btw I will leave it in there for a total of 10 days, and then dry hop it in a secondary for 2 weeks or more. Once bottled I will not refrigerate for another 3 weeks. It will be something along the line of Sam Adams Boston lager in strength and flavor...but better in my opinion.

So I brewed up my first batch two nights ago, its an Amber ale, but I think I may have let the fermentor get a little hot during krausen. Within 3 or so hours the airlock was going nuts, and bubbled vigorously overnight (a little bit of head even got up in the airlock) and through the next day. When I returned home from class later in the evening, the bubbling had slowed very significantly, and at this point I also got my act together and brought the temp down to about 72 with a cold water tub. Now its bubbling about every minute and a half. I know airlock activity isnt an accurate indication of fermentation, but is it possible the yeast sputtered out early? The temp on the fermometer was reading 78 (couldve been higher) during the vigorous bubbling, is this temperature high enough to affect fermentation negatively and perhaps produce off-flavors? What (if any) action should I take now other than to try to keep the temp constant? Should I try to reinvigorate the yeast in any way, or stop worrying and just let it sit for a week?

sorry for the long post, this is my first batch and im probably way overthinking things
 
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