Nervous about first fermentation tapering after 24hrs

[ed_brews_now]

I am nervous about my first fermentation. It started krausening in 8hrs. Sped up at peak about 18hrs and has settled to constant at 24hrs.
There is no fierce fermentation -- just a blip-blip about once a second. At peak it was twice a second. Krausen is thinning out.

I used 11.5g of Safale s-04 on 1.035 gravity 5 gallon wort. Air temperature is constant 68 degrees F.

I poured back and forth into the fermentor and empty fermentor to aerate twice.

Should I worry. Is it a stuck fermentation?

 

[Smokeater233]

Woah...put the fermenter down and do NOT touch it again for a week or more.

If you emptied the fermenter and aerated after pitching the yeast you will likely have completely oxidized your beer and it may come out tasting like a wet Wheaties box.

There's nothing wrong with your fermentation - air lock popping means nothing... Leave it a week - preferably longer - and then use a hydrometer to check your gravity. But above all else, put the fermenter down and leave it be for now and let your yeast soldiers do the job they do best...

 

[Grizzlybrew]

No. At an ambient air temp of 68°F, your fermentation was probably around 72°-74°F at peak. With the quantity of yeasts pitched and possibly high fermentation temperatures, I wouldn't worry about a quick fermentation.

Just forget about it and take a gravity reading in 6 or 7 days. It's probably fine.

 

[KMKsuburbannoise]

Just do what I did my first batch. I looked at it once after a day. It was ok. So, I didn't look at it again for 3 weeks.

 

[Shinglejohn]

Ed, your fermentation was going fine. and still is.

Dont worry about what smoke said about ruining it. Its fine.

That being said, aeration, for most beers, is really for before you pitch the yeast so they can get going. Its the anaerobic process where all the magical flavor proccesses happen, if there is Krausen, its on.

For now, just leave it alone for a few weeks, and then bottle and leave it alone for a few weeks.

Patience, patience, patience, patience!!!!!!! Thats the key.
"The first thing that you learn is you always have to wait." - Velvet Underground.

 

[jourelemode]

I am nervous about my first fermentation. It started krausening in 8hrs. Sped up at peak about 18hrs and has settled to constant at 24hrs.
There is no fierce fermentation -- just a blip-blip about once a second. At peak it was twice a second. Krausen is thinning out.

I used 11.5g of Safale s-04 on 1.035 gravity 5 gallon wort. Air temperature is constant 68 degrees F.

I poured back and forth into the fermentor and empty fermentor to aerate twice.

Should I worry. Is it a stuck fermentation?

let it be, let it be, let it be oooooh let it be...whispering words of wisdom, let it be

 

[Grizzlybrew]

If you emptied the fermenter and aerated after pitching the yeast you will likely have completely oxidized your beer and it may come out tasting like a wet Wheaties box.

That being said, aeration, for most beers, is really for before you pitch the yeast so they can get going.

Correct me if I'm wrong Ed Brews, but I think he aerated before pitching. I think he just listed the process out of sequence, as an "oh yeah! I also did this..."

At least I hope so.

 

[Walker]

Correct me if I'm wrong Ed Brews, but I think he aerated before pitching. I think he just listed the process out of sequence, as an "oh yeah! I also did this..."

At least I hope so.

yes, that's how I read it, too. He aerated before he pitched.

 

[Smokeater233]

Not how I read it - but would be real real happy if I was wrong!

 

[Homercidal]

I think he aerated before, it just reads like he did it after. I mean, NOBODY's that stupid, right?

Anyway, the temps were a bit high, but so much that I think the beer is going to be off. It's not uncommon for some yeasts to burn through the sugar quickly and then start the cleanup process.

I'd let it sit for 2 more weeks and then crash cool and bottle.

 

[mb2696]

With that pitch and 1035 og I wouldn't be surprised if you hit terminal in a day or two

 

[monty3777]

With that pitch and 1035 og I wouldn't be surprised if you hit terminal in a day or two

Exactly what I was thinking

 

[ed_brews_now]

Yes I aerated before I pitched. I transfered from one ferment to another several times as the aeration technique.

 

[ed_brews_now]

It is still bubbling. The thick krausen is gone, but there is a thin layer of foam on top. It is still slowly bubbling, one pop per two seconds.

There is the tan cream layer at the bottom. I am think this is lazy yeast. Would they have fallen out this quickly?

There was no vociferous "boil."

 

[VTBrewer]

Yes they could have. One common thing you'll see many many times on this board is that bubbles are not a sign of fermentation. It's just a pressure valve to let of co2. Sometimes mine bubbles like cray, sometimes i don't get a single one. I've got a better bottle going with a dry stout in it that has a big 4 inch krausen and all sorts of yeast flying around. Nothing is bubbling at all.

If you'd like to see where you are at, just be very sanitary and get yourself a gravity reading. There's no need to at this point, but I bet it will make you sleep better.

Welcome aboard.

 

[braceful]

FWIW, one bubble every second or even one bubble every two seconds is still a very active fermentation.

That being said: lack of airlock activity should not be taken as a lack of fermentation. Read on here about why you should always trust your hydrometer.

 

[ed_brews_now]

People are quoting 3 weeks. I am guess few people rack to secondary.
So I will follow that path -- I'll try in 3 weeks.
I was thinking of cold crashing in sub 20 degrees F for a day. I don't think it will freeze. Is that enough to clear?

 

[Smokeater233]

Yay! I was wrong about the aeration! Was hoping I was! Ed - the yeast cake at the bottom is not ALL of the yeast, mind you. There's still plenty in suspension and will continue to be straight through to bottle conditioning (which is why you will eventually see yeast sediment in your bottles as well). Let'er sit for now - no need for secondary, check it out in a couple weeks and I bet you'll have a wonderful beer. Beer can indeed freeze (it's mostly water) and given the low alcohol and low OG of your beer, 20 degrees may be cold enough to freeze it. It doesn't need to be that temp to cold crash - keep an eye on it because while freezing it may not destroy your beer, it certainly doesn't help it.

 

[fatmoose]

People are quoting 3 weeks. I am guess few people rack to secondary.
So I will follow that path -- I'll try in 3 weeks.
I was thinking of cold crashing in sub 20 degrees F for a day. I don't think it will freeze. Is that enough to clear?

I don't secondary any more unless I'm dry hopping, I know there are some folks who just dry hop in the primary. That seems to work pretty well for me.

I've never tried cold crashing but I'd be concerned about 20F, that's cold enough to freeze beer I'd figure. If you're going to go that route I'd keep an eye on it.

 

[VTBrewer]

Bubbles don't really mean fermentation. They usually do, but the air lock is just a valve that lets gas escape. Bubbles mean something is escaping. That being said, it's probably still fermenting. And if its not, it's probably down around 1.008 1.010. Go ahead and take a reading, it really won't hurt.

The beer will clear quite well in the next three weeks. It's one of the reasons many people now have abandoned the secondary. If you do decide to cold crash, 20 seems a little excessive. I usually do 4-7 days (i'm lazy about when i get around to bottling) at 38 ish.

 

[Grizzlybrew]

I don't secondary any more unless I'm dry hopping, I know there are some folks who just dry hop in the primary. That seems to work pretty well for me.

+1 to the secondary comment.

 

[Yooper]

People are quoting 3 weeks. I am guess few people rack to secondary.
So I will follow that path -- I'll try in 3 weeks.
I was thinking of cold crashing in sub 20 degrees F for a day. I don't think it will freeze. Is that enough to clear?

Oh, yeah, that's cold enough to clear. It's also cold enough to freeze!

If you're going to cold crash, don't go below about 32 degrees!

 

[Gated312]

Going out here on a limb, but I'm guessing ed_brews_now is from Canada, like myself, and will be planning to cold crash canuck style, by chucking it outside? I have done this on occasion (keeping an eye on it of course) and haven't had it freeze, yet!

If you're going to cold crash, don't go below about 32 degrees!

Is there another worry about going so low in temperature (aside from it freezing)? And for those of us who don't have a large enough fridge, is this do-able? I'm student, so I'm cheap. Sorry if this is jacking the thread, but I figured it was on topic enough!

 

[Homercidal]

I don't think it will really hurt the beer. Not sure about the yeast. They will have gone dormant at 33 anyway.

 

[ed_brews_now]

Going out here on a limb, but I'm guessing ed_brews_now is from Canada, like myself, and will be planning to cold crash canuck style, by chucking it outside? I have done this on occasion (keeping an eye on it of course) and haven't had it freeze, yet!
!

Yep. Your are right. I am in an apartment and don't have room for a beer fridge nor a garage(thought I a might be able to put the fermenter in my parking spot in the shared garage -- don't know what the management will say.)-- Though I do have a balcony. (I stated the temp in F to be kind to the Yanks.)

 

[anchorage42]

.

 

[ruppe]

I'm surprised how many thought ed was going to cold crash at 20 deg. I caught his drift. Free refrigeration. Ay der. That being said, I'm starting a new thread on cold crashing.

 

[GT_Jon]

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