Day 3 No Krausen?

[zerotwofour]

i brewed everything perfect cooled it down in about an hour and added the yeast(Wyeast #3942XL Belgian Wheat Yeast) at 72-75 degrees and shook it up for about 30 seconds. and ive been keeping it at a constant of 68-70 degrees room temperature.

the airlock was bubbling at a good rate 12 hours after i added the yeast and kept it up for 24 hours day 2 it started to seem to slow down and by 48 hours it only seem to bubble every 30 seconds so i decided to open it up and check out if my Krausen had form and well there was nothing just a tiny bit of residue on the sides now its day 3 ,still bubbling every 30 seconds, waiting for the 72 hour mark before i start to really worry.

any advice?

not aerated enough?

lack of yeast due to 1 packet of liquid yeast? (the pack didnt swell up as big as i thought it should)

 

[pabloj13]

i brewed everything perfect cooled it down in about an hour and added the yeast(Wyeast #3942XL Belgian Wheat Yeast) at 72-75 degrees and shook it up for about 30 seconds. and ive been keeping it at a constant of 68-70 degrees room temperature.

the airlock was bubbling at a good rate 12 hours after i added the yeast and kept it up for 24 hours day 2 it started to seem to slow down and by 48 hours it only seem to bubble every 30 seconds so i decided to open it up and check out if my Krausen had form and well there was nothing just a tiny bit of residue on the sides now its day 3 ,still bubbling every 30 seconds, waiting for the 72 hour mark before i start to really worry.

any advice?

not aerated enough?

lack of yeast due to 1 packet of liquid yeast? (the pack didnt swell up as big as i thought it should)

Though you probably underpitched, without a hydrometer reading all of the above means nothing.

 

[zerotwofour]

Though you probably underpitched, without a hydrometer reading all of the above means nothing.

im getting the hydrometer either by today or tomorrow

 

[dmfa200]

The only way to know for sure if fermentation is complete or occuring is to take a reading with a hydrometer.

And yes to not enough yeast. One vial or smack pack is not enough.

A starter should be made from a vial or smack pack.

 

[rhamilton]

My 3%-4% brews drop in about 4-5 days. Was this a high or low abv brew?

 

[zerotwofour]

should i buy another pack of yeast to pitch in?

 

[zerotwofour]

My 3%-4% brews drop in about 4-5 days. Was this a high or low abv brew?

it was supposed to be 6.5% to 7% a Belgian Blonde Ale Blue Moon clone

 

[dmfa200]

If brewing is a hobby you think you might get into, than this book is my recommendation.

http://www.howtobrew.com/

You can also access all the same info from the book on the website.

 

[dmfa200]

should i buy another pack of yeast to pitch in?

No, I would not pitch more yeast.

The hydrometer is what you need.

 

[rhamilton]

it was supposed to be 6.5% to 7% a Belgian Blonde Ale Blue Moon clone

Yea I doubt it is done then, unless you have some insane yeast strain :cross:
+1 on the hydrometer.

 

[TopherM]

You did have krausen, as evidenced by the residue ring, and it already dropped. That process happens pretty quickly, especially with that yeast that likes higher temps....it probably formed and dropped on night #1 while you were sleeping.

 

[zerotwofour]

the hydrometer test read 1.030-31 on day 3

i also tasted it and well it tastes like beer who woulda thought?

and i woke up durring the middle of the night durring the 1st night and it was pushing out some serious co2 cause it was gushing out the water in my airlock

 

[zerotwofour]

You did have krausen, as evidenced by the residue ring, and it already dropped. That process happens pretty quickly, especially with that yeast that likes higher temps....it probably formed and dropped on night #1 while you were sleeping.

there was a tiny amount

 

[zerotwofour]

i hope it turns out well

 

[zerotwofour]

alright its been 72 ours now and there are no more bubbles coming out the airlock

is it done fermenting?
should i move to secondary?

 

[pabloj13]

alright its been 72 ours now and there are no more bubbles coming out the airlock

is it done fermenting?
should i move to secondary?

Bubbles mean nothing. Leave it for two more weeks (at least) and then bottle. Skip the secondary.

 

[mccabedoug]

Sanitize the hydrometer. Drop it into the beer (in the bucket) and leave it there. Take a peek every few days when you are curious. Ignore bubbles - although they are comforting to see - they tell you very little.

You should have more than one hydrometer on hand at all times since they break. I wouldn't brew without one.

 

[lou2row]

Belgian yeasts can fall out before the job is done. Try to gently swirl your fermentor without aerating it to rouse the yeast up. At 1.030, it shouldn't be done yet.

 

[zerotwofour]

i just realized i probably havnt been keeping my deer at a constant 70 degrees

how badly will it effect the beer if its been fermenting between 70-75 degrees

 

[TarheelBrew13]

Krausen is typically formed at the start of the anaerobic respiration cycle of the yeast. Because your wort is now populated by billions and billions of happy (hopefully) yeast cells, they start their sugar feast and as a result fart up a storm of CO2. That CO2 bubbles out of the beer at a high rate (especially in the beginning) and makes its way to the surface. When it hits the surface you get a blurp and that CO2 becomes part of the head space of your fermentor. However, because your wort has lots of protein in it, it also makes bubbles. When you get lots of these beautiful bubbles, you have a glorious bubble bath lying on top of your beer that we call Krausen.

If you underpitch your yeast or its just not healthy for some reason, the fermentation may not be rigorous enough to produce a Krausen. I have had this happen on occasion when I'm been to rushed to make a starter and just needed some beer. Pitching more yeast now won't solve the problem. But what is the problem? Because you underpitched you will get higher production of esters and phenols produced by the yeast as well as the possibility of some less desirable components like H2S. Likely you will not be able to notice the less desirable components but you will notice the former components. Fluctuations in the fermentation temperature as well as warmer fermentation temperatures will also increase a yeasts tendency to produce esters and phenols as well as fusel alcohols (sometimes). You probably won't have the fusel problem though considering you underpitched.

 

[zerotwofour]

Krausen is typically formed at the start of the anaerobic respiration cycle of the yeast. Because your wort is now populated by billions and billions of happy (hopefully) yeast cells, they start their sugar feast and as a result fart up a storm of CO2. That CO2 bubbles out of the beer at a high rate (especially in the beginning) and makes its way to the surface. When it hits the surface you get a blurp and that CO2 becomes part of the head space of your fermentor. However, because your wort has lots of protein in it, it also makes bubbles. When you get lots of these beautiful bubbles, you have a glorious bubble bath lying on top of your beer that we call Krausen.

If you underpitch your yeast or its just not healthy for some reason, the fermentation may not be rigorous enough to produce a Krausen. I have had this happen on occasion when I'm been to rushed to make a starter and just needed some beer. Pitching more yeast now won't solve the problem. But what is the problem? Because you underpitched you will get higher production of esters and phenols produced by the yeast as well as the possibility of some less desirable components like H2S. Likely you will not be able to notice the less desirable components but you will notice the former components. Fluctuations in the fermentation temperature as well as warmer fermentation temperatures will also increase a yeasts tendency to produce esters and phenols as well as fusel alcohols (sometimes). You probably won't have the fusel problem though considering you underpitched.

would the esters and phenols be the cause of the "beer fart" like smell being produced?

 

[TarheelBrew13]

No my use of the word fart was purely poetic and not to be confused with the smell of human farts.

The fart smell is probably from dihydrogen sulfide which is produced in varying quantities by different yeasts. It is an extremely volatile chemical with a low perception threshold so it's very noticeable.

 

[zerotwofour]

No my use of the word fart was purely poetic and not to be confused with the smell of human farts.

The fart smell is probably from dihydrogen sulfide which is produced in varying quantities by different yeasts. It is an extremely volatile chemical with a low perception threshold so it's very noticeable.

thanks i was just curious of to the smell

 

[zerotwofour]

I just took my second hydrometer reading on day 4 24 hours after the first (day 3)

and well it read the same 1.031

so i gave the yeast a stir with a sterilized large spoon and there is a cake at the bottom

i think i just need to leave it alone lol

ohh and not to mention it taste just like blue moon!

 

[Waterboy42]

i think i just need to leave it alone lol

This.