Bubbling around 12 hours

[rlqbeer]

I just started my first home brew and am slightly concerned with the active fermentation I am seeing after just 12 hours. Currently brewing Chinook IPA and temperature is right around 76 degrees. I live in the southwest and have no basement so this is the temp I have to deal with at this point, I understand being cooler would be ideal.

Anyway, is there reason to be concerned about fermentation taking off so quickly or am I still in good shape at this point?

 

[pvtschultz]

Nope. Relax, don't worry, and have a home brew (from your friends...). Yeast work on their own schedule. Sometimes they'll take off after just a few hours (proper/high pitch rates and warmer temperatures will influence this) and sometimes they'll need a couple days (under-pitched so the yeast need to do more reproduction, or cooler temperatures will slow them down).

 

[manoaction]

The bubbling in the airlock is like the sweet nothings that your girlfriend tells you. It means next to nothing, but it's still nice to hear.

Short lag times are a good sign of a healthy fermentation, and I wouldn't consider 12 hours to be very short anyhow. My stuff is usually chirping merrily away by that point. Gravity readings are what you actually want to pay attention to. Give it two weeks and then take two separate gravity readings.

 

[krispy3d]

I think it's just the temperature of the fermentation. It's amazing what an extra 10 degrees will do for those yeast to kick into high gear. You're in good shape. I've also read recently that if you let the beer sit on the yeast for a full three weeks, the yeast will do a good job cleaning up anything "off" that might have been produced from the higher fermentation temperature. If you have the patience, try it out and let us know how it turned out.

 

[Golddiggie]

Set up a swamp cooler to get the fermenting temperature under control. Fermenting too warm/hot is a BAD thing. At best it will need an extended period to become drinkable (depending on style/yeast). At worst you'll end up dumping the batch.

 

[tre9er]

Set up a swamp cooler to get the fermenting temperature under control. Fermenting too warm/hot is a BAD thing. At best it will need an extended period to become drinkable (depending on style/yeast). At worst you'll end up dumping the batch.

THIS.

A spare wash-sink, bathtub, or a rubbermaid container/trash-can. Anything that will hold enough water to cover half-to-most of your fermenter, then throw frozen water bottles in there until you can keep the water temp in the low 60's (for most ale yeasts)

 

[andycr]

Starting in 12 hours isn't a bad thing at all. The less lag time, the healthier the yeast and the less off-flavors you'll get. I've had krausen form and constant bubbling within 3 hours in the past, though I've also had it take around 24.

However, your temperature is definitely concerning.

 

[Calder]

Starting in 12 hours isn't a bad thing at all. The less lag time, the healthier the yeast and the less off-flavors you'll get. I've had krausen form and constant bubbling within 3 hours in the past, though I've also had it take around 24.

However, your temperature is definitely concerning.

I consider anything between 8 and 16 hours to be 'perfect'. If it starts too early I get concerned that the yeast has not reproduced enough and has not generated enough of the yeast flavor pre-cursers. The yeast reproduction phase is important in the development of yeast flavors.

 

[kh54s10]

I use liquid yeast, starters, ferment in the low to mid 60's and regularly get active fermentation in 4-6 hours and always by the next morning.

If everything is right a quick fermentation is nothing to worry about. All but one of my beer was well under way at 12 hours and the other one was going by 18 hours.

 

[cscbo1]

I just noticed my airlock not active anymore (48 hrs in) yesterday it was popping every 3-4 seconds. My concern is the temp when I just looked at it. 62 degrees in my basement bathroom. I just turned the heat up in the house by a few degrees. I'm using a Safebrew s-33 for a Belgian Witbier.

 

[Gameface]

If yeast cool down significantly after fermentation begins they tend to slow way down or even go dormant. It's always best to keep a consistent temp. But if they warm back up they'll usually get active again if there is still fermentables in the wort. You may need to rouse them a little to get them back in suspension, but I'd put that off until the fermenter heats back up to see if they get active without unnecessary intervention.

But I'm forgetting the most important thing. Airlock activity is not a reliable or accurate measure of fermentation or yeast activity. That's why we all got hydrometers with our beginner kits. Check your gravity to see if you're already at your target F.G.

Are you monitoring the temp of the fermenter at all?

 

[cscbo1]

If yeast cool down significantly after fermentation begins they tend to slow way down or even go dormant. It's always best to keep a consistent temp. But if they warm back up they'll usually get active again if there is still fermentables in the wort. You may need to rouse them a little to get them back in suspension, but I'd put that off until the fermenter heats back up to see if they get active without unnecessary intervention.

But I'm forgetting the most important thing. Airlock activity is not a reliable or accurate measure of fermentation or yeast activity. That's why we all got hydrometers with our beginner kits. Check your gravity to see if you're already at your target F.G.

Are you monitoring the temp of the fermenter at all?

Temp in the fermenting room is now 66, the bucket temp is 64-66. The air lock is not as aggressive as it was when it was 20 hrs in, but it is still releasing CO2

 

[Gameface]

Temp in the fermenting room is now 66, the bucket temp is 64-66. The air lock is not as aggressive as it was when it was 20 hrs in, but it is still releasing CO2

Oh, well then all is well in the world. Fermentation slows down after the first 48-72hrs for me most of the time (as judged by airlock activity, yeah despite what we preach we're all guilty of it to some extent).