Help with yeast worries.

[keithsavage]

Hey all,
I made a dead guy clone, partial mash, four days ago and I pitched two liquid slap packs of wy1056. I had exceedingly vigorous fermentation. Now the obvious signs of ferm have fallen away, there is no more bubbling but the liquid in the Carboy is still swirling around like crazy. I had an epiphany, all my trace over sweetness in prior brews has been from under fermentation and this is what true vigorous yeast looks like!? So have I seen the promised land? I can't remember such vigor for 4 days ever. Odds I have been doing this all wrong...? When can I expect the ferm to start chilling out?
Any help appreciated.
Keith in NH


Keith in NH

 

[Rockn_M]

I'd give it another week and check your gravity then check it again a few days later. If it hasn't changed then fermentation is complete.

 

[Riot]

If you think you are consistently getting under attenuated beers, try warmingvthem up 5-10 degrees for a couple days once activity is slowing down. That will usually keep the yeast in suspension long enough to finish it out.

 

[Gameface]

Hey all,
I made a dead guy clone, partial mash, four days ago and I pitched two liquid slap packs of wy1056. I had exceedingly vigorous fermentation. Now the obvious signs of ferm have fallen away, there is no more bubbling but the liquid in the Carboy is still swirling around like crazy. I had an epiphany, all my trace over sweetness in prior brews has been from under fermentation and this is what true vigorous yeast looks like!? So have I seen the promised land? I can't remember such vigor for 4 days ever. Odds I have been doing this all wrong...? When can I expect the ferm to start chilling out?
Any help appreciated.
Keith in NH


Keith in NH

Pitching plenty of yeast definitely makes a difference. Instead of pitching multiple packs of yeast I make a starter.

Another thing that will help the yeast get off and running is really good aeration. With shaking or whisking you will max out at 8ppm but the yeast manufacturers recommend about 12-14ppm of O2, which requires injecting pure O2 through a diffusion stone.

To round out what I call the "BIG 3" rules for making great beer is controlling the temp of fermentation. When you pitch adequate yeast and provide adequate O2 the yeast are going to be very active. That produces heat. So, it's important to keep the temp at the lower end of that yeast's temp range. For most of my ales I shoot for 63-64F, then raise the temp as yeast activity slows down.

 

[keithsavage]

It was the first time I really shook the whole Carboy a great amount. Temp is 62-65F will that small flux make significant flavor issues?


Keith in NH

 

[BigFloyd]

It was the first time I really shook the whole Carboy a great amount. Temp is 62-65F will that small flux make significant flavor issues?


Keith in NH

If 62-65*F is the beer temp, that's very good. The small variance shouldn't be a factor. If you didn't do a starter, pitching two packs certainly helped get you closer to a good cell count. Aeration of the wort helped you out as well.

Now that it's been 4 days, I'd suggest slowly letting the temp rise until you get to about 68*F and leave it there to finish.

 

[keithsavage]

So at three days of 68F and its slowed to about one bubble every 90 seconds, should I wait until it stops completely or do I take a gravity measurement and cold crash it?


Keith in NH

 

[BigFloyd]

Just because it stops pushing the airlock doesn't mean it's done. Give it 14 days from brew day to take the first reading. Take another 4 days later. If they match, crash it for 5-7 days then prime/bottle.

 

[keithsavage]

Will leaving it too long make it dry and alcoholly? Took gravity today and it either is at 1.018 or very very close, so...from the recipe is the target. I am willing to let it go a few more days if that's not going to negatively impact the brew.


Keith in NH

 

[Gameface]

Will leaving it too long make it dry and alcoholly? Took gravity today and it either is at 1.018 or very very close, so...from the recipe is the target. I am willing to let it go a few more days if that's not going to negatively impact the brew.


Keith in NH

It won't hurt anything at all. Once the yeast hit their limit they hit their limit and the F.G. will stay put. What the yeast do next is to start cleaning up some of the byproducts they produced during fermentation, so leaving them to their work for a few days after you hit F.G. usually results in a cleaner tasting beer.

At that point I cold crash the fermenter for 3+ days to get the yeast to flocculate more aggressively and then I transfer to kegs.

 

[BigFloyd]

Will leaving it too long make it dry and alcoholly?

Not at all.