21 hours in, you tell me if fermentation is happening!

[ColoradoBrewMeister]

This is a picture of the bottom of the carboy. The yeast looks like it is growing...and the top of the wort has a bit of a film/foam to it. Is this good news?

P.S. I hope this picture uploads...

Chris

 

[Smokeater233]

no pic...but if the yeast looks like it is growing and you have foam on top of the wort, all should be fine.

 

[iron_city_ap]

No picture, but from your description of foam starting to form at the top, I'd say it sounds like its starting to ferment.

 

[ColoradoBrewMeister]

excellent. thanks.

 

[Hoppin_Mad]

If you took an original grav reading then just check the hydrometer

 

[Smokeater233]

If you took an original grav reading then just check the hydrometer

No - don't do this right now - let fermentation be for a couple of weeks and then check...

 

[LVBen]

Wait til the foam is gone, then measure gravity.

 

[Golddiggie]

For ColoradoBrewMeister, sounds like the yeast is post-lag phase and is getting ready to rock and roll... Let her ride for a couple of weeks (depending on style and OG) before taking any readings. When you do, finally, take a reading, taste the sample (after you get the hydrometer readings from it)... If the SG is close to the estimate, give it another couple of days and test again. If it's not changed, give it another couple of days and test again. Taste the sample each time. This will help you to learn how the flavors mature as the brew ferments. Once it's at a stable SG (the FG) give it another few days to a week on the yeast before thinking about bottling it up. Use one of the online tools to figure out how much priming sugar to add (the temperature the wort fermented at is important in figuring out the sugar amount). Make your priming solution, then rack on top of that in the bottling bucket. This will mix it up completely. Make sure all your bottles are ready to be filled (clean and sanitized) before you start. If using caps, have those soaking in sanitizer too (StarSan being my preference). Cap them up, and let them sit at 70F for at least three weeks before chilling one down (2-3 days in the fridge) before sampling one. When the carbonation is complete, you'll know it...

One thing I will recommend (something I picked up at a brew pub just today), pour your home brew into a room temperature glass/mug. Don't use frosted/frozen glasses/mugs for it. I tried this tonight on my Irish Red Ale and it really changed the flavor of it. In a good way.

Do post up what you're brewing... Include the OG of the wort as it went into the carboy. Also include what yeast you used. If you can, post up the recipe too. It usually helps for people to give proper parameters when they know WHAT you've brewed. Fermentation time can be shorter on lower OG brews, where higher OG brews will need more time. If you're brewing in the warmer range, for the yeast used, you'll also need more time to eliminate potential off flavors. So, if you have a better control over the temperature the wort is fermenting at, you could shorten the total fermentation time.

 

[Golddiggie]

Wait til the foam is gone, then measure gravity.

Foam, airlock bubbles, etc. are no indication that fermentation has stopped... Give a brew a minimum of two weeks before you even think about taking a reading. At least with ales, stouts, porters, and such (brewed with ale yeast and using the same processes)... As I already mentioned (and has been mentioned a bazillion times before) give your brew time... Lower OG/ABV brews (under 5% ABV) need at least 2-3 weeks on the yeast. Medium level brews (5-7%) typically run 3-4 weeks on the yeast. Above 7-8% it's all up in the air. Count on a minimum of a month, if not two months (the higher the ABV, the more time)... After ~2 months, you could rack from the yeast, if you really must, and continue to bulk age the brew (I've been aging an old ale on oak chips for over a month now... Planning on sampling it (was good last time) and then bottle it up... It will sit for 1-2 months at ~70F to carbonate before I think about chilling and opening up one. This one is at almost 8% ABV...

 

[Smokeater233]

Foam, airlock bubbles, etc. are no indication that fermentation has stopped...

I don't think LVBen was suggesting otherwise - but the post before him suggested a hydro reading now, and it makes no sense to do a hydro reading until the krausen has fallen...I think that was his point.

 

[Homercidal]

This is just me, but if fermentation is going, I don't do anything but peek at it until 3 weeks are up. That's a minimum. For stronger beer styles I take a gravity check at 3 weeks and then let it ride another couple, or MAYBE rouse the yeast if the gravity is not low enough.

So my advice is to let it site 3 weeks, then check gravity and bottle if it's finish (it should be).

 

[BoxofRain]

Perhaps a mod can delete the file name so creeper can't creep on ColoradoBrewMeister?