Help with Red Ale - odd fermentation!

[redshift]

Hi all, true beginner here. I'm on my second batch and I was finally ready to put it in the keg last night when something very unexpected happened! Let me start be describing what I've got. I did a very basic Red Ale kit from Williams Brewing. Goal was to get something done quicker than the Belgian Tripel I went for on my first brew - it's still sitting in secondary fermentation.

I boiled, chilled to 75, and transfered to my fermentation bucket without issue. The kit came with a smack pack of liquid yeast which i had prepped the day before. It puffed up rock solid. Put on lid, airlock and placed it in my basement stairwell which sits right at 68 degrees. My original gravity was 1.055.

Now the kicker - after 24 hours - nothing happening in the airlock! Lid was nice and tight I finally cracked the lid and found that it was indeed fermenting and there was a couple of inches of foam on the top. I don't get it, but I decided to wait a week as prescribed and then see what was what.

Yesterday had been a week and i figured it must be done. I moved the fermenter to the kitchen counter and left to run a few errands and came home a few hours later to put in the keg. I opened the lid and low and behold there is a 1/2 inch of foam on top - i didn't expect that. I took a reading and found that it was at 1.020! I gave up, put the lid back on it and set it in the corner of the kitchen where it's about 72 degrees.

Now I'm seeking advice on how to proceed. 1.020 seems too high from what I've read for a final gravity. I tasted a bit that i pipetted out of the fermenter and it seemed to taste ok - just flat beer.

Thoughts - opinions? How should I proceed?

P.S. I've got to say I think this will be my last batch in a bucket - not being able to see what is going on is beyond frustrating!

 

[Antler]

I've only done the simple kits, and don't really know much about boils, but how else can you ferment without a bucket? I can't wait to get into an all grain or even partial grain.

 

[beowulf]

Maybe you have an air leak somewhere? That may explain why fermentation is working but you're seeing no airlock activitiy. There are lots of posts here regarding fermentation issues, so a quick search would be prudent in your case. With that said, the experts here will all agree that you need to take a reading with your hydrometer for a few days and make sure there is no change before kegging/bottling. Just waiting a week is not sufficient. I sometimes have fermentations that take off quickly but then drag out over a couple weeks. If you still have a lot of kraeusen in the bucket, then I would be inclined to think that your beer is still fermenting. Give it time, check your hydrometer, make sure your gravity has stabilized and maybe wait until the kraeusen has died down....Have patience!

Oh, and before other folks chime in (and they will), observe the following mantra:

Airlock activity does not imply fermentation activity

 

[RM-MN]

Wait for another 3 days and check the gravity again, if it hadn't changed, wait another 2 weeks and then bottle it. Your beer will be ready to drink in less total time if you let it have that extra 2 weeks in the primary. Otherwise, you can bottle if the gravity hasn't changed in the 3 days but be prepared to wait for another month or more for the beer to mature and get good.

 

[jonmohno]

Let it sit 3-4 weeks check gravity,dont let temps get too low or too high during fermentation the first week, check your hydrometer making shure it doesnt change or drop(before botteling) over a few days then bottle it up.Nothing to worry about.

 

[redshift]

I kinda figured the answer would be to "just wait longer". Being patient is tough when your on your first couple batches! My biggest fear was not so much the "no activity in airlock", but rather an air leak which might spoil the batch.

 

[BigJerk]

I totally understand your impatience, I'm the king of saying screw it, I want my beer now! But you've got to let things happen over time if you want to have great beer. It's still good early, but I was always running into the problem where my last few pints tasted way better than my first 20. as hard as it is to do, leave your beer in the primary for at least 4 weeks before racking to the keg and you will be rewarded with awesome beer. I've had some that took 2 weeks for the krausen to fall. It's only your second brew, and that makes it even harder, once you have a good pipeline you'll find it's easier to wait.

 

[jonmohno]

Even then,you dont need a pipeline to drink when you can try a bunch of craft brews available.I have a pretty established pipeline yet im still buying a few sixers or sixer mixers a week.Gotta keep bottle inventory up. Cheers.

 

[superjunior]

as others have said, give it more time. even when your initial fermentation is done the yeast still have work to do. time is your friend - your beer will thank you for it. start on another batch

 

[redshift]

Thanks for the advice. I'll put it back in the stairwell and ignore it for a couple more weeks. Meanwhile Stone Brewing just became available here so I have about 8 new brews to explore in the meantime. I'll post back in a couple weeks and let everyone know how it goes.

 

[Whut]

It's only your second brew, and that makes it even harder, once you have a good pipeline you'll find it's easier to wait.

This.

time is your friend - your beer will thank you for it. start on another batch

And this. It certainly is tough when you're first starting out but go get yourself a couple of better bottles and brew another - don't wait for this one to be done. To give you an idea, I've got 3 different bottled beers carbing up that will all be ready at different times, 3 or so kegs conditioning, and 5g I'm cold crashing and another 10g fermenting. And this is nothing compared to a lot of people here.

Drink up the Stone and enjoy. Oh, and welcome to the obsession - obviouslly you're hooked!

 

[quigsnshad]

Even if you do have a leak, the CO2 creates positive pressure so no worries. O2 cannot make its way to the wort as it is lighter. BTW put that baby back to the 68 deg. spot. I have a pale ale that's been actively fermenting for 10 days now and an IPA done after 5 so just wait it out.

 

[jonmohno]

From my experinece I just want to say holy crap! In the bottle 5+ weeks and you are holy crappin! Thats what we are talkin about. MMMMM. K.

 

[Stevo2569]

I know 1.020 sounds high but most of the Williams kits finish high. I haven't done the Red Ale but the ones I've done always start low and finish high. Williams is notorious for that. Read the reviews they say it all. As everyone says check the gravity for several days before bottleing or kegging.

 

[redshift]

Hi all, I just wanted to post back that after another week all was well. FG ended up at 1.019. I think that works out to be 5.5% ABV so I think it's about right. I put it in the keg last night. I did a bit of rocking/shaking after putting the gas on the beer side - nothing too aggressive. Let it sit in the kegerator over night. I poured some out a little bit ago and I'm pretty impressed. At this point it's lightly carbonated - reminds me of some cask conditioned beers I've had. Malty, not very hoppy and maybe a bit "hot" right now - I know I'm being a bit impatient... 'Course I love Vodka martinis so "hot" doesn't bother me a bit

Looks like I need to get a second CO2 cylinder soon. The one I have was filled several years ago, but showed pretty full (middle of the green, on the regulator), now that I've had the keg on it for 24 hours, it's on the low edge of green. I have no way of knowing if that's a lot or not, heck I don't even know for sure how full the CO2 was for sure when I started.

Thanks to all who replied for the help / advice / words of incouragement!


P.S. I changed my single tower for a triple earlier today - I'm good to go!

 

[1Mainebrew]

if your tank and regulator is in the kegerator, the colder temps will make some of the co2 return to a liquid state and make the regulator indicate that the tank has less co2 in it. A 5 lb tank should be good for about twelve- fifteen 5 gal corny keg's worth. Hope that helps.