Holy Crap, WYeast 3068!

I brewed a dunkel on Saturday, pitched my yeast in around 7 or 8PM? I used some washed Wyeast 3068. The starter went absolutely apesh*t so I expected a vigorous, mean fermentation. I woke up Sunday morning to see ZERO airlock activity and a clean airlock, no less (didn't have the right tube for a blow off, so expected the worst). I was a bit worried, "Why hasn't my fermentation even started yet? I pitched at about 75F the ENTIRE starter." There continued to be no airlock activity for the rest of the day, but what looked like the remainder of a krausen, so I decided not to worry too much.

Well, after giving it another day. This morning there was no airlock activity still, so I was a bit worried. I decided to take a gravity reading. ... 1.011!!! The fermentation is done? That means it was probably done in less than 12 hours after I pitched it. Absolutely unbelievable. OG was 1.042ish, possibly a little lower. Hydrometer sample tastes great

 

What temperature did it ferment at?

 

The ambient temp was 63, so I'm guess it got up to around 68 or so as the ferment started. It was obviously intense so it might have hit 70.

 

It's actually started bubbling I just noticed, I hope it doesn't get much dryer! GEtting a bubble a second. very strange.

 

This sounds weird. I'm suspicious about your 1.011 reading -- is there anything that could have lead to a low reading?

I've had some very vigorous yeast is yeast starters, but when I pitch its like they're shocked by the new environment and take awhile to get going again. So I wouldn't be surprised by a delay in airlock activity. But I would be surprised by a complete fermentation in 12 hrs. Even fast fermentation tapers off.

 

I was suspicious as well, but I stared at the gravity reading, checked the temp of the beer, bounced the hydrometer around and let it settle again, sure enough, 1.011, almost seemed like 1.010 at times. The starter was absolutely nuts, blew off the airlock, blew krausen all over my wall, was nutttts.

 

I wouldn't worry about the airlock bubbling again. That could just be from a change in air pressure or CO2 off gassing. Could there have been a leak between the stopper and airlock that caused it not to bubble during the ferment? I would wait another day or two before bottling or kegging.

 

I've had multiple batches ferment out in (slightly) under 24 hours.

Especially when pitching a prior batch yeast cake.

 

I'm not gonna keg for at least a week longer, it may be a weizen, but I give even weizens at least 10-12 days before kegging.

It may have been a lose lid or something, but I thought I checked pretty goodf or that. Who knows? I'm happy it's gotten down this low, I know my mash temps are working