Last 3 batches only, low activity fermentations

[Wyobrew22]

Hey guys, I have been brewing in a new apartment and some of my recent brews have looked very inactive and seem to have fermented very quickly. 1/4-1/2 inch of krausen at peak within 24 hours of pitching the yeast, little to no airlock activity and this visible activity is gone by day 4.
The last couple brews were 2 different NEIPA’s and a honey brown ale. All were fermented at 60-62 degrees using a rehydrated packet of us-05 or us-04. I do a full volume BIAB mash temperature controlled by an immersion circulator. I splash oxygenate the wort by filtering through a sanitized grain sock suspended over the fermenter. I place my fermenter in the brew kettle and fill with water at or just below the desired fermentation temperature and this keeps temps very close as the room is cool at 62 degrees. I have tried raising temps after seeing the little activity subside but nothing seems different.

The only things I have changed in my process are:

1.) broke my hydrometer so I cant give gravity specifics. I ordered a refractometer to try out, not here yet
2.) I was mashing with the same circulator in a cooler rather than the brew kettle previously
3.) 5 yeast packets were all ordered at the same time, the first 2 beers I brewed in December were very active (room was a bit warmer) the last 3 were not, manufacture date in August 2017

Is this too cool of fermentation? It’s in the yeasts range. Older ingredients? Something else?

 

[waldoar15]

So you don't know if the beer is finished or not? Just guessing, it's probably on the cool side for a vigorous fermentation with 05. If it's done, it's done. Doesn't have to look like a volcano.

Get a new hydrometer for FG readings or you'll have to mess with the alcohol correction tables.

I use my refractometer for the pre-fermentation side of brewing and the hydro for FG, but that's just me.

 

[Wyobrew22]

I do not....slow activity after about 12 hours and then declines from a very minimal amount of krausen to a total stop at the 4 day mark. The wort looks to have a good recirculating type of movement just no krausen or airlock activity. The refractometer should be here Wednesday so I can at least get an idea of what’s happening in there. To be more specific...of these five batches brewed to the same process/ingredients one was a stout with s-04 that fermented violently and was probably the best beer, an amber, with s-05 had a medium ferment and was ok, one neipa was really slow looking with s-04 and then the brown and newer neipa were s-05, quite slow looking and not ready to sample yet.

 

[mirthfuldragon]

Airlock activity and krausen are not good indicators of fermentation activity. After getting my Tilt hydrometer, I have been surprised by how fast beer ferments. S-05 took my faux-Pilsner from 1.048 to 1.001 in less than six days, and it hit 1.010 in three days. I have had S-04 krausen rise and fall in a day and a half. My last quad when from 1.090 to 1.008 in less than seven days. My point is that unless you are measuring SG regularly and reliably, visible signs of fermentation activity won't tell you much. You might be a tad on the low side for fermentation temperatures, but S-05 and S-04 are both reliable dry yeasts, so I would look at your recipes first.

 

[Wyobrew22]

If you are fermenting out mostly that fast then I feel better. I might be getting in the 1.010 area in 4 days. Recipe wise these are all the 1.055 to 1.060 area and mashing from 150-154 depending on style so they should be plenty fermentable. I bought a pump and stone today to see if more oxygenation will help my next batch and that refractometer will be here as well.