Do higher gravity worts ferment faster?

[hotbeer]

I've been using the 1 gallon grain kits from Brooklyn Brew Shop. Different mix each time, but the first took 4 weeks till activity in the fermenter ceased and the second is into it's third week and just starting to slow. Both fermented in the primary only, a glass gallon jug.

My third, I left in the boil kettle for the primary ferment and moved it to a glass jug yesterday after 1 week. It looks as if activity is almost nothing and ready to bottle. So I'm letting it settle since I had let a bit of yeast and trub muddy up the beer when I transferred it.

This last batch had an OG of 1.080 and now is 1.025, measured with hydrometer. Will wait till Monday or Tuesday to see if that is the final.

I didn't do gravity readings on the first batch. But it was likely high too as it's recipe called for sugar at flame out. The second went in the fermenter at 1.054 and I won't know till I pull it for bottling what it's final is.

The grain packs for all the recipes I've used appear to be the same. And from a number on the yeast packet, googling suggests it is saccharomyces cerevisiae. The yeast weighed 3.1 grams. I think that's a common top fermenting yeast used for many things.

So any thoughts on why this would be ready to bottle so much sooner than the others? They've all been in a fairly stable 69°F to 70°F temps during the ferment.

The higher gravity? Fermenting in the boil kettle with probably more than twice the surface area of the jug?

 

[Brewbuzzard]

I've been using the 1 gallon grain kits from Brooklyn Brew Shop. Different mix each time, but the first took 4 weeks till activity in the fermenter ceased and the second is into it's third week and just starting to slow. Both fermented in the primary only, a glass gallon jug.

My third, I left in the boil kettle for the primary ferment and moved it to a glass jug yesterday after 1 week. It looks as if activity is almost nothing and ready to bottle. So I'm letting it settle since I had let a bit of yeast and trub muddy up the beer when I transferred it.

This last batch had an OG of 1.080 and now is 1.025, measured with hydrometer. Will wait till Monday or Tuesday to see if that is the final.

I didn't do gravity readings on the first batch. But it was likely high too as it's recipe called for sugar at flame out. The second went in the fermenter at 1.054 and I won't know till I pull it for bottling what it's final is.

The grain packs for all the recipes I've used appear to be the same. And from a number on the yeast packet, googling suggests it is saccharomyces cerevisiae. The yeast weighed 3.1 grams. I think that's a common top fermenting yeast used for many things.

So any thoughts on why this would be ready to bottle so much sooner than the others? They've all been in a fairly stable 69°F to 70°F temps during the ferment.

The higher gravity? Fermenting in the boil kettle with probably more than twice the surface area of the jug?

All things other than OG being equal the higher gravity should take longer. Questions; are you sure the temp was the same, did you oxygenate more, did you use more yeast or a different yeast?

 

[hotbeer]

I'm reasonably certain the ferment temps were stable within a degree or two. Both were in the same cabinet to ferment.

When I use the glass jug for a primary, I fill with cooled wort about 70°F pitch the yeast and shake the jug pretty hard for about 3 to 4 minutes. With the kettle as the primary, I whisk pretty hard for the same amount of time.

The kits I get don't say specifically what the dry yeast is, but I think it was saccharomyces cerevisiae, based on a number on the packets and a google search. I didn't weigh the yeast in the other kits, but I remember them being the same size. As are all the yeast packets in the kits I haven't brewed yet.

I'm tending to think that maybe the bigger surface area in the kettle might have allowed the top fermenting yeast to work faster. Maybe not. But my other batch put in the glass jug as a primary is 18 days older and still bubbling away. It is looking like it might get bottled the end of the week as it's finally slowing activity and ever so slightly clearing up.

I just bottled the kettle fermented beer this morning after only 8 full days fermenting. I forgot to take a FG before mixing with the priming solution, but with the 50 grams of Agave nectar and 1/2 cup water added, it was 1.021. Tastes good to me, the alcohol is very evident.