First batch fermentation problems?

Hi,

I just brewed my first batch (Klosterbräu) on Sunday and am slightly concerned about the fermentation process.

I'm probably just being an over-paranoid dad, but...

I believe that I followed the instructions pretty faithfully. I rehydrated the yeast but didn't proof it. It's from a reputable seller and was recently ordered. I was careful with temperatures throughout process and didn't use any chemicals except starsan for equipment.

I put everything in the fermenter at about 11pm on Sunday and the next morning when I woke up there was only a tiny bit of krausen. The fermenter airlock was bubbling about once every 20 seconds (though my girlfriend who wakes up earlier said it was bubbling more often before). After work I checked again and it was bubbling about once very 40 seconds and the krausen was gone. Yesterday, it looked pretty still so I gently rocked it back and forth to get things moving. I got a few more bubbles out of the airlock. Today, it looks like this and is not bubbling any more:



Any ideas if this is how it is supposed to look? I realize that the blobs around the top level of the beer mean are supposed to be a sign that it fermented but I've seen all of those palmer photos of big, lovely, foamy krausen and am paranoid that mine never had that!

Any tips would be welcome... Thanks!

To me, the ring around the bottle is an indicator that the active fermentation already happened. The yeast is now slowing down and settling out. The only way to tell for sure, however, is to take a hydrometer reading. Hopefully you know the batch's OG, or original gravity. If so, you can take another reading and see if the new gravity reading is lower. If it is, then you have had some fermentation. If the reading is the same over a 2-3 day window, then fermentation is complete. To measure your ABV, you then take your OG-FG x 131.5 = ABV.

Thanks very much for the advice.

No, I'm a moron and didn't take an OG reading (d'oh -lesson learned!). At least I'll take a couple readings over the next few days and see if there's any change!

How warm was it? What yeast?

sasharh said:

Thanks very much for the advice.

No, I'm a moron and didn't take an OG reading (d'oh -lesson learned!). At least I'll take a couple readings over the next few days and see if there's any change!

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If you made this beer from a kit, often the kit will specify the expected OG. If the beer was made from extract or premade wort, this expected OG will be pretty accurate if you used the correct amount of water with it.

Your beer looks great to me. Not every batch will have a large krausen as it will depend on a number of factors. Give this beer some more time before you take a hydrometer sample as the yeast really do need some more time to complete their process and settle out. I'd suggest 2 weeks at a minimum before you take the sample and most of my beers go 3 to 4 as I like to have more yeast left in the fermenter instead of at the bottom of each bottle.

You don't really need the OG unless you like to estimate the percentage of alcohol in your beer. You do need an idea of what to expect for a FG as sometimes the yeast may stall and need to be restarted. Most of the time though, all you need is 2 hydrometer readings a couple days apart and if they match you can bottle the beer.

Ah ok great thanks - I'll check the kit instructions. They were in German so I (and Google Translate) may have missed the OG.

Not sure what yeast, unfortunately. I looked on the website and it doesn't say and I already threw out the package. I pitched at around 26'C and the fermentation room (basement, dark) is around 20'C.

Very helpful advice for a new brewer!



St

sasharh said:

Ah ok great thanks - I'll check the kit instructions. They were in German so I (and Google Translate) may have missed the OG.

Not sure what yeast, unfortunately. I looked on the website and it doesn't say and I already threw out the package. I pitched at around 26'C and the fermentation room (basement, dark) is around 20'C.

Very helpful advice for a new brewer!



St

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Congratulations on the first brew. Looks and sounds like a success. Also welcome to HBT.

Pretty warm at 20+°C. It probably fermented out quickly overnight when you weren't watching.

Give it some more time and package it up. I would't bother with hydrometer readings. Looks like a small batch and you will lose some beer that way.

I would bottle it 2 weeks after you pitched yeast and would take a pass on hydrometer readings. The beer looks to be done. Once it drops clear, yeast cake on the bottom of the demijohn and no consistent bubbles it's ready to be packaged.

2 weeks should be ample on this one by the looks and sounds of things.

The warm ferment (ambient + heat generated by the exothermic nature of fermentation) will result in rapid fermentation with the possibilities of some less than ideal flavor compounds being produced. Shoot for a bit cooler on the next batch would be one suggestion..

Thanks for the comments, all. Unfortunately I finally did do a gravity reading and got about 2.2 Plato, which I think translates to about 1.010 or something--way too low, I think? Also, the beer tastes quite watery - quite far from the Kloesterbier that I'm used to!

Given that it's my first batch I don't want to dump it, so I'll give it another week and then bottle it anyway but I guess it's probably a failed first try...

Not sure exactly what went wrong along the way - I brewed in an electric canner with digital temp control and was very careful about timing and quantities, batch sparged (forgot to take an OG reading which, yes, was stupid), boiled as directed and then immersion chilled, and then pitched using a thermometer to gauge correct temp.

Oh well, practice makes perfect!

1.01 is entirely consistent with a well attenuated finished beer.

If activity has ceased, beer is dropping clear, krausen gone you are in all likelihood good to go on bottling.

I'd bottle that bad boy up and plan the next creation.

Sounds like success to me.