Wyeast 1968 fermentation completed in a day?

[lhd7osc]

So I pitched a 1ML starter of Wyeast 1968 (London ESB Ale) in a Fuller's London Pride clone I'm making.

I had a wonderful kraeusen foam....for a day. Now nothing. I mean, there's no foam to be found...anywhere. It's as if nothing really happened.

-- Can a yeast be THAT active?

I'll take a reading to see if it's near Gravity, but WOW. Is that possible?

Normally, in past receipts it takes a few days. This is my first time with this particular strand of yeast.

I'm assuming let it clear up. Rack it into a secondary for another week to clean up some more then POW...force carb it.

 

[daksin]

I can get odd krausen behavior with 1968, as well as fast ferments too, but there is no way your beer is done after 24 hours. If it's really down to gravity already, I would imagine you fermented way hot. I like 64F for this yeast. Keeps the esters in check (but still prominent) and is just barely warm enough to not floc out the yeast. It can also throw a ton of diacetyl (unusual for ales, more common for english strains), as I found out to my chagrin on my most recent ESB, which also fermented very quickly.

Regardless, no need to take a gravity reading, make sure it's between 64 and 68, and let it ride for AT LEAST three weeks to clean itself up. If you pull it in a week, you're going to have a butter bomb. Mine was still pretty movie-theater at 2 weeks. I had to pull a couple quarts of my fermenting ordinary bitter to krausen it in hops that it would clean up- here's hoping.

 

[lhd7osc]

Awesome, thank-you. No it's NOT at 64 and 68 degrees. So, I'll move it to my cooler. Thanks.

But from the Wyeast site is says: Attenuation: 67-71%
Temperature Range: 64-72F, 18-22C

I had it at about 72...

 

[KingBrianI]

With all due respect to daksin, 1968 doesn't always produce a butter bomb, and in some cases, a little diacetyl may be good for a beer. My suggestion is to take a gravity sample to see where the gravity is, but also taste it. I've had a lot of experience with 1968 and I like the results much better when I don't leave it at fermentation temps in the primary for three weeks. It cleans up after itself too well in those circumstances, and it destroys much of the character that I'm using that yeast to create. If you taste it and you're happy with the gravity and flavor, cold crash the sucker.

 

[Misplaced_Canuck]

1968 has a few trick up its sleeves. It often starts refermenting when I transfer from primary to secondary.

MC

 

[TarheelBrew13]

Yea I've had really different experiences from Daksin. I have yet to experience a butter bomb from that strain and I ferment at 72F. I usually ferment for 2 weeks with that strain with most fermentation complete in a week. It's one of my favorite yeasts and if I could have only one strain it would be that one.... Probably.

It does have a nasty habit of dropping out just before it's finished... Lazy yeast. To combat this I like to rouse the yeast by swirling the carboy once or twice a day as fermentation slows.

My advice, take a gravity reading and be sure to adjust for temperature. If its at terminal gravity then it's at terminal gravity. No one can argue with a hydrometer.

 

[lhd7osc]

It tasted ‘different’. Not sure how to explain it....

OG: 1.040
After two day: 1.020

Strange...I’ll let it age a bit and mature.

 

[daksin]

I didn't mean to say it always throws up a lot of diacetyl, but I have had them turn out that way, especially when I've racked early. My personal preference is having this yeast under 68, but that's just personal preference- I always think yeast temperature ratings on the package are high.

The takeaway is that you really should give this yeast plenty of time to clean up after itself at any temperature. I too typically start rousing the yeast daily once the krausen drops.

 

[Donner]

With all due respect to daksin, 1968 doesn't always produce a butter bomb, and in some cases, a little diacetyl may be good for a beer. My suggestion is to take a gravity sample to see where the gravity is, but also taste it. I've had a lot of experience with 1968 and I like the results much better when I don't leave it at fermentation temps in the primary for three weeks. It cleans up after itself too well in those circumstances, and it destroys much of the character that I'm using that yeast to create. If you taste it and you're happy with the gravity and flavor, cold crash the sucker.

I agree. I used 1968 on my last batch and was aware of the possible 'butter bomb' going in. I kept it at 64° for the first few days and let it rise to 70° for the last three of the first week and it had dropped to 1.014 and no butter.

Also, i'm usually a 'set it and forget it' kind of guy with my beer, but i've never noticed a beer that has dropped this clear after just a week. I'm trying to figure out if it's ready to send to the keg or if i should give it the usual 4 weeks in primary. 1968 is quickly becoming my new favorite yeast!