1 day fermentation?

[zephaniahsw]

Hello, I started a batch of beer yesterday, 1/16/14, and it appears to have stopped fermenting. I used Windsor British style beer yeast (top fermenting). My batch is in a glass carboy. OG of 1.062.

The batch started to foam through my airlock around 4:30 this morning so I gave the batch a shake to reduce the head/krausen away from the airlock which worked. This happened again at 6:30, and I shook it again.

Now the airlock shows no activity whatsoever (for the last ten hours), it is still airtight and everything is in working order. There is also almost no head on the batch anymore. I am wondering if the batch is ruined (yeast dead from shaking), or possibly that most of the yeast got expelled through my airlock when it foamed over, thus showing minimum activity. Could the batch be done in primary fermentation in ~15 hours?

Any tips for what I should do to revive my run? Pitch more yeast?

Thanks

 

[NTXBrauer]

Now the aggressive phase of fermentation may be over, but the yeast should still be at work, doing what they do best. What is the current temp you are fermenting at? If it was on the high side, you normally see aggressive activity up front.

I doubt you need to repitch, as the yeast lost to blow off through the airlock will be minimal.

 

[andhou27]

Sounds like you had an aggressive active fermentation. However, try not to shake or move the carboy. If it looks like it's going to leak, then add a blow off hose. Remember, just because there is no airlock activity, it doesn't mean that fermentation is finished. Airlocks aren't controlling your fermentation, the yeast is. The best way to determine if your yeast is working is to sample the gravity and see where it's at. After a week, test it again. Even if the gravity is where you would like, let it sit anyway to allow the solids to settle and the byproducts to get cleaned up by the yeast. Patience is a brewing virtue!

 

[zephaniahsw]

Temp is 71.5, it is a little high for the range suggested for fermentation, which is why it is curious to me, it should still be vigorous one would think. I will let it sit and check the gravity in a while.

 

[andhou27]

Temp is 71.5, it is a little high for the range suggested for fermentation, which is why it is curious to me, it should still be vigorous one would think. I will let it sit and check the gravity in a while.

Yea at 71.5 F it could be a little faster. Sounds good!

 

[NTXBrauer]

Agreed, 71.5 is a little on the warm side. Is this the temp of your FV, or the ambient temp?

Also, you can hold a small flashlight up to the FV to see if there is any activity still going on.

 

[khawk95]

I'm assuming you used danstar Windsor ale. This has always been a quick starter for me. It's not done yet. Leave it at least 2 weeks. In the future I would try to keep the fermenter cooler. It can get 5-10 degrees hotter than ambient inside the fermenter during an active ferment. Leave it be and don't shake it anymore. RDWHAHB.

 

[zephaniahsw]

Its vessel temp. There are no bubbles at all

 

[khawk95]

Don't worry. It will be fine. The yeast is still working microscopically. Give it time...

 

[NTXBrauer]

Its vessel temp. There are no bubbles at all

Lack of airlock bubbling does not mean fermentation is not occurring.
Also, being that your fermentation temp was above 70 degrees, you had aggressive yeast activity early on. It has just slowed now, as a large amount of the available sugar in the wort has been consumed.

 

[RM-MN]

http://www.brewgeeks.com/the-life-cycle-of-yeast.html