Fast fermentation.

I did a Christmas Ale from Extract 3.3lb for a 2 gallon batch.
Sg of 1048, I was worried after 3 days of not seeing any activity so I checked the gravity today and itis 1010 so I guess I just missed the ferment. I tasted it and it seems fine, no sweetness.

Can a fast ferment damage the beer? Or is a 2 or 3 day ferment okay?

If the fast frement was due to too high a temperature (over 75F), then you might have a problem. BUT, if it seems fine, it is! That's the great thing about homebrew, it's all about flavor. My fastest ferment ever was an English Mild, went from 1034 to 1008 in less than 36 hours at 74F. The slowest is my 2003 barley wine, that is still fermenting after 27 months. Started drinking it at 8 months & it just keeps getting better.

Thanks, sorry should of said it's sat at around 62 to 67f.

david_42 said:

If the fast frement was due to too high a temperature (over 75F), then you might have a problem. BUT, if it seems fine, it is! That's the great thing about homebrew, it's all about flavor. My fastest ferment ever was an English Mild, went from 1034 to 1008 in less than 36 hours at 74F. The slowest is my 2003 barley wine, that is still fermenting after 27 months. Started drinking it at 8 months & it just keeps getting better.

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Am I right in thinking it's fermenting in bottles?




Edit: my fingers don't do what I want after that much beer!

I've been told fast fermentations don't cause any harm, once it's done in primary and you're sure of the readings/airlock movements you've taken then it's time to move to the next stage.

I found this more interesting though:-

david_42 said:

The slowest is my 2003 barley wine, that is still fermenting after 27 months. Started drinking it at 8 months & it just keeps getting better.

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orfy said:

I'm I right in thinking it fermenting in bottles?

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David_42 Do you mean you've racked the barley wine off every now and then to rid sediment and then airlocked it again (tasting at this point) or do you mean it's bottled and maturing?

Edit - I'll try English this time as it's supposed to be my first language!

when i did my imperial stout(it was 10%abv) it fermented in about 24 hours(with dry yeast, edme i think), i left it in there for the rest of the week. it was super!!!! i'll brew that again for sure!!!

i have the recipe here, its called grandma's robust imperial stout! if you like stout, try it

A modest O.G. beer of only two gallons can easily be done in a fairly short time. If it tastes o k you are good to go.

Caplan - It lives in a cornie keg in a cool spot. I kegged from the primary and moved it to a fresh keg at 3 months. When I moved it, I drew off about a liter that was cloudy and then transfered the rest. Most of that first liter clearer up and was consumed.

At this point, the fermentation is just enough to keep pressure on the keg. I get a little sediment, now and then, but not much.

justbrewit said:

when i did my imperial stout(it was 10%abv) it fermented in about 24 hours(with dry yeast, edme i think), i left it in there for the rest of the week. it was super!!!! i'll brew that again for sure!!!

i have the recipe here, its called grandma's robust imperial stout! if you like stout, try it

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I'm very very interested.. Could you post it in recipe's or something?

i already posted it duvel, but heres the link

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2853

enjoy! i did, ALOT!!!

let me know what you think

david_42 said:

It lives in a cornie keg in a cool spot. I kegged from the primary and moved it to a fresh keg at 3 months. When I moved it, I drew off about a liter that was cloudy and then transfered the rest. Most of that first liter clearer up and was consumed.

At this point, the fermentation is just enough to keep pressure on the keg. I get a little sediment, now and then, but not much.

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Cheers david_42! - Cleared that one up for me - Great idea!

I'm pleased you also kept the first Litre to let clear and drink. I hate to waste things and i'm sure you got at least a couple of extra glasses of your effort from just having the sense to save it

I had the same issue with a red ale, i.e. noticeable bubbling ended after 48 hours. It was in a room with temperatures between 72 and 77 degrees.

My homebrew store guru told me not to be a bubble watcher. He said that higher temperatures can impact the taste, but if it smelled and tasted good when I checked it, all was well. Often times, active (noticeable) fermentation is done within 2-5 days. As others note, if the SG continues to move down, it is still fermenting, and if it tastes or smells fine, it is.

When SG doesn't change for three straight days, it is done fermenting. So, if it's done and not at a sufficiently low SG for your recipe, you might consider adding more yeast or several other tricks noted on these boards.

it can be done fermenting super fast and thats all good, but you should still wait to bottle it for a few days, or better yet put it in a secondary for a couple weeks just to let it clear and develop its flavor. ive had full fermentations happen that i didnt even see cause they were so fast, it just means the yeast was happy.

drengel said:

it can be done fermenting super fast and thats all good, but you should still wait to bottle it for a few days, or better yet put it in a secondary for a couple weeks just to let it clear and develop its flavor. ive had full fermentations happen that i didnt even see cause they were so fast, it just means the yeast was happy.

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Agreed. Even if it ferments in a couple days, it's best to let it sit for a while. The yeast are still active, and working on compounds they produced during the fermentation process - diacetyl comes to mind.

Since I am only on my first batch, what would be considered a good fermentation? I didn't have the chance to watch the bubbling often but at one point 36 hours after pitchingI could count about one bubble a second. Would this be considered a decent fermentation? 48 hours after adding yeast I am see no bubbles.