MrAverage
Well-Known Member
I brewed two beers in two days - an Irish Red and an Extra Pale APA. OG's were 1.047 for the Irish Red and 1.051 for the APA. I pitched one properly rehydrated fresh packet of US-05 in each batch and placed the fermentors sided by side in my 64 degree basement. The Irish Red was in a plastic bucket. The APA was in a glass carboy.
Fermentation proceeded as usual with plenty of activity in the airlocks and a thick krausen forming on the APA and, as far as I could tell, also on the Irish Red.
Seven days later, the krausen had fallen back into the Irish red and fermentation seemed to be pretty much done, with the beer beginning to clear. I transferred it to the secondary and everything seems OK.
The APA, however, still has a very thick krausen on it and the beer is very cloudy after 6 days. it looks like it's still in high ferment. However, there is no activity in the airlock.
My question is, why are these two all-malt beers with similar OG's fermented at the same temperatures with the same yeast acting so differently? Yes, I'd expect the APA to take a little longer given its slightly higher OG, but at this point I expected that the krausen would be pretty much gone and the beer pretty close to being ready to transfer to the secondary based on how fast the Irish Red fermented. After six days, the APA seems to be about where the Irish Red was in day 3 or 4 of fermentation.
I'm not worrying, but I am puzzled....
Fermentation proceeded as usual with plenty of activity in the airlocks and a thick krausen forming on the APA and, as far as I could tell, also on the Irish Red.
Seven days later, the krausen had fallen back into the Irish red and fermentation seemed to be pretty much done, with the beer beginning to clear. I transferred it to the secondary and everything seems OK.
The APA, however, still has a very thick krausen on it and the beer is very cloudy after 6 days. it looks like it's still in high ferment. However, there is no activity in the airlock.
My question is, why are these two all-malt beers with similar OG's fermented at the same temperatures with the same yeast acting so differently? Yes, I'd expect the APA to take a little longer given its slightly higher OG, but at this point I expected that the krausen would be pretty much gone and the beer pretty close to being ready to transfer to the secondary based on how fast the Irish Red fermented. After six days, the APA seems to be about where the Irish Red was in day 3 or 4 of fermentation.
I'm not worrying, but I am puzzled....