Quick ferment....like 2 days

[hilljack13]

I just did a brew kit on Monday. Pitched yeast about 1500 local time. Maybe a bit later. As of this posting (1620 local) my gravity went from 1.042 to 1.012 and the bubbly coolness has slowed way down. I did pitch 14g (from bulk pack) because this was supposed to be a bit higher OG but that didn't go to well. Is this just a case of overpitching and should I worry about anything? I plan to let it go a few more days anyway.

 

[day_trippr]

I'd say that progression is roughly on target so far. Stay the course!

Cheers!

 

[AlexKay]

I'm certainly not alarmed by 2 days for sugar-to-ethanol conversion. It really depends on the yeast; there are even some (I'm looking at you, English ale yeasts) where this would be slow.

Also, bubbling is a pretty dicey measure of fermentation activity. It's possible that you'll drop quite a few more gravity points even without noticeable bubbling, as you wait more.

Remember that even if the yeast have eaten all the sugar, over the next days or weeks they'll still be metabolizing, and in particular can get rid of things you don't want, like diacetyl or acetaldehyde. Don't be in a hurry to take the beer out of the fermenter! I very rarely pull a beer off the yeast before two weeks. Two weeks will almost never hurt anything, and it certainly can help.

 

[hilljack13]

(I'm looking at you, English ale yeasts) where this would be slow.

I used S-04

I'm not in any hurry. I still have to order my CO2 tank! I may plan on putting it in the keg to condition but that's as far as I can get for now.

 

[hotbeer]

Is your question more about why it didn't take almost 14 days like many instructions say?

 

[day_trippr]

I used S-04

S04 can be rather beastly to start
Then comes the tail of the fermentation dragon...

Cheers!

 

[hilljack13]

Is your question more about why it didn't take almost 14 days like many instructions say?

No. I have never had anything go that quickly. Usually 5-7 days.

 

[tdf]

An appropriate sized pitch of many English yeasts (s-04 included) will ferment out a < 1.050 beer in 4 days no problem. And, as you are experiencing, much of that will happen in the first 48 hours. The same is true for a lot of the Chico-adjacent American ale yeasts, too. Commercial brewers commonly take a beer from yeast pitch to brite tank in a week.

Lots of homebrewers underpitch, and lots of kits recommend an underpitch (1 pack of liquid yeast). Because of this the instructions will err on the safe side. Nothing wrong with letting your beer go for 2 weeks even if it actually finishes much more quickly.

 

[hotbeer]

No. I have never had anything go that quickly. Usually 5-7 days.

Since getting a raptPill to monitor what's happening in the FV, I see 2 to 3 days is more common than I would have thought. Most all the fermenting is over by day 2 maybe sometime on day 3 at the latest. A few might get another point lower during the remaining 2 or 3 weeks I leave it in the FV for them to clear up and everything go to the bottom.

I still wonder what was going on with those kits and unknown yeast they gave me. Some of them bubbled vigorously off and on for up to six weeks. I didn't have a raptPill nor did I sample for SG till it looked clear of everything suspended in it. So I've wondered what was going on then. What was that yeast, bread yeast maybe? One day I might try some and see. I don't think they were infected. They tasted great and the FG was reasonable, around 1.010 for them.

 

[odie]

temp? that will be a huge factor in how fast that yeast rips

 

[hilljack13]

temp? that will be a huge factor in how fast that yeast rips

Started @65F and went up to 70F. Sitting at 69.8 now. I'm also using Tilt.