Average time to complete fermentation

[Brewdogbrew]

Hi All,

I would apperciate some advice on what your average times to complete fermentation for all grain brewing an IPA. I know there are several variables involved.

I am currently fermenting a SMASH IPA and here is some key items:

• Grain bill was 14 lb. of Ireks Pale Ale Malt
• 2 oz of LupuLN2 Cryo Hop Pellets (AA 23) - Boil: .25 oz hops at 60 min. and .25 oz hops at 10 minutes. Post boil: 1.5 oz hops @ 140 degrees
• Final volume of wort into fermenter was 6 gallons
• OG 1.064 and that is what the recipe called for. Target final SG is 1.011
• day 6 of fermenting and SG is 1.027. Still showing signs of fermenting, not as robust at this point
• Safale US-05 Dry Yeast - I did a starter using the product Proper Starter and 2 packets of yeast (amount of yeast based on Brewers friend app)
• Visible signs of Fermentation within 4 hours of adding yeast to fermenter. Robust fermentation when I checked in the next morning
• I have a chiller and the ambient air is stable at 70 degrees both day and night (use AC/Heater to accomplish it). The temperatures within the fermenter have been:
  • Day 1-3 - 64 degrees
  • Day 4 - 65 degrees
  • Day 5-6 - 66 degrees
  • The change in temperature is because I am changing it. I read somewhere that doing this can help restart any dormant yeast cells
• pH of both mash and post boil were at 5.4 - this was also what the recipe called for
• I oxygenate the wort immediately after adding it to the fermenter using bottled oxygen
• Water treatment - The water I use is Ozarka Spring water (thinking of trying RO water with adjustments in the future) and I have tested it. It was too low in pH and soft water so I added 2 tsp. Gypsum to bring up pH. I'm just beginning to learn about water adjustments so I may have missed something.

I hope that fermentation will hit target SG of 1.011 within next day or two.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Cheers!

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

What are you using to measure your gravity?

 

[Brewdogbrew]

I am using a refractometer.

Cheers!

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

Your reading could be off due to alchohol present in the sample, if you can check with a hydrometer I'd bet your reading will be lower. . To answer your question I typically see fermentation for my ipas done in 5 to 7 days, again variables are present. I let them go for another week after that then dry hop if that's in the cards then 2 or 3 days later package it.

 

[hotbeer]

If you only wait for the fermentation to finish, then your beer might have a lot of cloudiness to it and some flavor that some of us don't care for. I usually wind up giving it at least two weeks if not three. Sometimes more, even though the FG was hit in the first week.

If you are in a hurry or just prefer to cold crash and use something like gelatin, then that's an option.

However your fermentation is complete when the SG quits getting lower. Usually a sample three days apart reading the same is considered good practice. Though you also have to have some idea whether your fermentation may have stalled for some reason.

I know people like the ease of a refractometer. But a cheap hydrometer will give a more trusted reading, IMO. I use to want one myself, but all the different reasons why they might be wrong dissuaded me.

 

[Brewdogbrew]

Thank you Bailey and Hotbeer. I appreciate the help.

Cheers!

 

[bracconiere]

if that helps....

 

[Brewdogbrew]

Thank you bracconiere!

Cheers!

 

[marc1]

• Water treatment - The water I use is Ozarka Spring water (thinking of trying RO water with adjustments in the future) and I have tested it. It was too low in pH and soft water so I added 2 tsp. Gypsum to bring up pH. I'm just beginning to learn about water adjustments so I may have missed something.

The pH of the water itself isn't really relevant on its own, and if it has little alkalinity to buffer then it matters even less. Gypsum won't affect water pH, but it will lower mash pH some. It shouldn't be bringing the pH up.

Were you measuring or estimating mash pH, or is this all water pH that you were paying attention to?

 

[Brewdogbrew]

Thanks for the information Marc1.

I was using a pH meter - maybe the water was high pH than I thought. I have what they say is a good pH meter but it is hard to calc to be accurate.

cheers!

 

[Brewdogbrew]

Well I measured SG using the Hydrometer and it came out as 1.011 which is target FG and the beer tastes as a SMASH should - alot of Simcoe flavors, lighter on malt flavor and nice bitterness without being sweet.
I will continue to check for another couple of days to make sure SG is stable and then cold crash for several days prior to kegging.

Thanks everyone for the help!

Cheers!

 

[marc1]

Thanks for the information Marc1.

I was using a pH meter - maybe the water was high pH than I thought. I have what they say is a good pH meter but it is hard to calc to be accurate.

cheers!

The water pH isn't what's relevant for the mash. The mash pH is. Did you measure the mash pH?

The water pH can be relevant for the sparge, if it has a lot of alkalinity.

Measuring the pH of water that has very little buffering capacity is also tricky - it can take a long time for the meter settle on something, and it will change over time.

I don't want to derail the thread here, it sounds like you found the answers you were looking for. Check out the brew science subforum here to learn more if you want.

 

[jtgoral]

I wait most of the time until the beer is clear. Wheat beers I keg after 3 weeks of fermentation.
Lagers ferment 3 days at 50F, 3 days at 55F, 3 days at 60F, 3+ days with no temperature control until I have time to keg. Lagers are always clear after that.
No secondary any more.
Works for me.

 

[Golddiggie]

For my sub 7% ABV brews, they're typically done fermenting in less than 10 days (often a week). I then cold crash and carbonate (in conical). Even when I add dry hops, the batches are ready to drink in three weeks. Or they've been packaged by the three week mark. This is using high flocculation rated yeast, which settles out fast. Lower flocculation yeast will take a bit longer to settle out, depending on how far you can chill the batch in fermenter.

I use Wyeast 1335 for the majority of my ales, fermenting at ~70F. That's about the middle of it's temperature range. Gives me what I want from the yeast.

I've not pulled gravity readings on a batch in ages. I've used other methods to determine when something is done fermenting. Even with using conicals, with sampling valves, I don't pull the samples typically. I do have a digital refractometer that I most often use to take OG readings. Otherwise, I just use the Tilt Pro to tell me what's going on. Once I see the SG flat for a few days, I call it "done". That's typically about the 10 day mark. With it starting in the 6-8 day range.

IME, using one (or only a few) yeast strains lets you learn how it reacts to different grain bills. I only use a different yeast strain when the recipe will 100% benefit from it. Either for the ABV% target, or something the yeast will contribute.

 

[Quentin Nelson]

Plus one on comments about refactometer. As you see by your hydrometer reading, your FG is fine. Based on many years experience with variety of ale styles (that do well in competition) just brew it WARMER. I chill to about 68-69F, oxygenate, pitch a big 16oz+ harvested jar of yeast slurry, put a lid on it, not even worrying about an airlock and voila, it’s fermenting like crazy next morning. I have to keep temp of wort (not room) DOWN to about 70F for 48 hrs, and by then MOST of fermentation is done. Only then I might transfer into a second carboy, or directly into a corny. If wort needs to drop a little more to FG, WARM it up to 71-72F for another 2-3 days with an airlock. Perfectly good fermentation can be done in 5 days. Big Commercial brewers never take longer than that.

 

[ncbrewer]

I have a chiller and the ambient air is stable at 70 degrees both day and night (use AC/Heater to accomplish it). The temperatures within the fermenter have been:

• Day 1-3 - 64 degrees
• Day 4 - 65 degrees
• Day 5-6 - 66 degrees
• The change in temperature is because I am changing it. I read somewhere that doing this can help restart any dormant yeast cells

If you're measuring temperature in the space of the fermenter, the beer will be warmer, probably by 5 - 10 degrees while fermentation is active. you need to use a themowell or have the probe attached to the side of the fermenter with insulation over it. (Or maybe I misread it.)

 

[BrewingWisdom]

All depends on your gravity. The higher the gravity the longer it takes.

 

[jtgoral]

Not an ale, not an IPA, but my last Dark Czech Lager:

2022-May-06: started at noon with 2nd day 1QT starter at 65F. Starter from yeast banked in the freezer. It took 2 days to get it well running. Set BrewJacket at 55F.
2022-May-07: A buble/1sec in the morning. Set BrewJacket at 50F.
2022-May-09: A buble/1sec in the morning. Set BrewJacket at 55F.
2022-May-12: Set BrewJacket at 60F.
2022-May-15: Set BrewJacket at 65F.
2022-May-23: Kegged clear beer

 

[Panderson1]

4 days ferment, then another 4 slow raise in temp (cleanup), then cold crash for 2 before kegging. 10 days total, but sometimes i am lazy and don't keg until i feel like it. I dry hop in the keg w mesh hopper

For IPAs