5 gallon Fermentation

[kyle6357]

My first brew is a 5 gallon "Fat Tire clone" recipe from the LBS. How long can fermentation take to start in a 5 gallon? Can it be 72 hours?

Granted I lost a little of the yeast from the overflow I got on the WhiteLabs tube (wasnt ready for that).

Going to brew a second brew (Pale Ale) on Thurs and plan to do a yeast starter on Wed night.

 

[freisste]

Yes, it can take 72 hours. Especially without a starter.

 

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

Yeah fermentation can take up to 72 hrs before you see visible signs of fermentation. If you haven't seen any activity by then. I'd start to worry and consider repitching another dose. Until then not much to do but have a brew and plan the next one.

 

[Leadgolem]

Yup, 72 hours. It's possible for you to not see any airlock activity and still have fermentation though. If your cap isn't sealed perfectly the resistance to pressure from the water in the airlock will keep the co2 from going out of it. IE: Your co2 will be going out around the cap instead of through the airlock.

In any event, relax. The yeast knows what it's doing.

 

[helibrewer]

My first brew is a 5 gallon "Fat Tire clone" recipe from the LBS. How long can fermentation take to start in a 5 gallon? Can it be 72 hours?

Granted I lost a little of the yeast from the overflow I got on the WhiteLabs tube (wasnt ready for that).

Going to brew a second brew (Pale Ale) on Thurs and plan to do a yeast starter on Wed night.

Crack those White Labs tubes while they are still cold, right out of the fridge BEFORE shaking them.

 

[kyle6357]

I won't be using WL again probably. When I go get my supplies for next brew I'm getting stuff for doing Yeast starter.

So in 72 hrs if no signs of fermentation what do you suggest? Repitch or check the SG? If SG is headed right direction let it keep going?

How much yeast is really needed? It does duplicate and such....

 

[Hackwood]

http://yeastcalc.com/

 

[Leadgolem]

I won't be using WL again probably. When I go get my supplies for next brew I'm getting stuff for doing Yeast starter.

So in 72 hrs if no signs of fermentation what do you suggest? Repitch or check the SG? If SG is headed right direction let it keep going?

How much yeast is really needed? It does duplicate and such....

Take a gravity reading. If the gravity has gone down your fermenter just isn't air tight.

I like the calculator on mrmalty for pitch rates. The idea is, generally speaking, to have enough yeast in the brew that a small amount of contamination by wild yeast or other nasties isn't really a problem. Either the pitched yeast will out compete the wild yeast, or the alcohol will kill the nasties off before they can generate off flavors. That gives you a reasonable margin of error in the event something snuck into the brew.

 

[freisste]

Yes, yeast does multiply, but under pitching can stress the yeast and cause off flavors.

This is in addition to what others have said.

 

[toxdoc49]

I moved up to 5 gallon batches. I used a NB Chinook IPA kit. Fermentation in the primary has slowed as expected after 8 days. Should I wait longer to move to the secondary or does it matter? I've read that leaving it on the yeast does no harm, that is, there can be variability in when it is transferred to the secondary. Thank you. Yes I am new to this.