Does my fermentation look good after 24 hours? With picture

[RookieBrewer55]

Looking to see if my fermentation is coming along and if anyone has thoughts on it. Here's a picture.

 

[BigFloyd]

That looks quite normal. Now, if you can bring yourself to do so, leave that bucket sealed and alone for another ten days then check gravity.

Hopefully, you're controlling your temps and keeping it in the low-mid 60's (assuming it's an ale). Temp control and yeast are much more significant than what it looks like.

 

[ChefRex]

that looks quite normal. Now, if you can bring yourself to do so, leave that bucket sealed and alone for another ten days then check gravity.

Hopefully, you're controlling your temps and keeping it in the low-mid 60's (assuming it's an ale). Temp control and yeast are much more significant than what it looks like.

+100

 

[RookieBrewer55]

The temp is staying between 60-65. It doesn't look good for the temp did you mean?

 

[BigFloyd]

The temp is staying between 60-65. It doesn't look good for the temp did you mean?

That temp is fine for many ale yeast strains. It looks like it's fermenting. Leave it alone and in the dark.

 

[RookieBrewer55]

Thank you!

 

[RookieBrewer55]

So after 72 hours the fermentation pretty much stayed the same as shown in the picture. It didn't rise very much is that bad? It's now going down or something and is more "soupy"

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Looking to see if my fermentation is coming along and if anyone has thoughts on it. Here's a picture.View attachment 205269

Okay, I've looked at the picture for 24 hours and I don't see any difference.

 

[peterj]

So after 72 hours the fermentation pretty much stayed the same as shown in the picture. It didn't rise very much is that bad? It's now going down or something and is more "soupy"

Leave that poor beer alone!!!!!!

Your fermentation is just fine! But seriously, you need to stop opening the fermenter and looking at it. Once it stops producing so much CO2 (which I think is happening now because it sounds like the vigorous part of the fermentation is dying down) it won't be able to purge all of that oxygen you're introducing out of the headspace. Oxygen is terrible for fermented beer and will cause oxidation reactions to occur leading to sherry-like or cardboard flavors. You need to leave the lid on until you're ready to bottle it in order to keep a closed system with only CO2 in the headspace.

 

[RookieBrewer55]

The fermentation is supposed to die down though right? I apologize for all my messages. I'll be opening the lid up in a couple of days to rack it to my secondary tho so I can have the airlock and stuff

 

[kh54s10]

It is supposed to die down. The krausen (foam on top) will sink back into the wort. Leave the beer alone for at least 5 days from brew day. Then if you are really in a hurry to do a secondary take a gravity reading, skip a day then take another gravity reading. If the readings are the same you can transfer to secondary. If they are not the same you should wait another few days.

Or better yet get another fermenter and airlock and leave the beer alone for 2-4 weeks then check the gravity and bottle it.

 

[peterj]

The fermentation is supposed to die down though right? I apologize for all my messages. I'll be opening the lid up in a couple of days to rack it to my secondary tho so I can have the airlock and stuff

What kind of beer is it? I probably wouldn't rack it to a secondary if I were you. That will only open it up to even more oxidation and possible contamination with no real benefit to the beer. Not sure what you mean by so you can have the airlock and stuff, but if you are wanting to do another beer I would just use your "secondary" vessel as the fermentation vessel for your next brew. You may have to use a blow off tube if you don't have enough headspace in your secondary, but that's a pretty simple rig.

And yes, the active part of fermentation should only last for about 3-5 days. You will see (or hopefully not see because you shouldn't take the lid off) the krausen rise over the first couple days then start to go down and finally sink back into the beer.

 

[RookieBrewer55]

This one is a pale ale. I don't really understand why they say rack it to a secondary if there is issues with contamination and oxidation

 

[BigFloyd]

This one is a pale ale. I don't really understand why they say rack it to a secondary if there is issues with contamination and oxidation

Often, kit instructions are based on outdated brew knowledge. Unless you're going to be doing long-term aging or adding fruit, transferring to a secondary provides little to no benefit.

 

[balrog]

Small OG Pale Ale just needs time. DON'T LOOK YET! Let it do all the phases that yeast require for complete fermentation, not just the lag, then the active part where krausen forms, but also the clean up and dropping out, known to us noob brewers as the "It's killing me not to futz with it!" phase.

Let it be. 2-3 weeks. Seriously. Walk away.

 

[WayFrae]

Let it be. 2-3 weeks. Seriously. Walk away.

+1! OP, If you are really wanting to brew another batch just buy another fermentor and airlock. A new bucket, lid, and airlock is cheap.

 

[tagz]

You need to buy a carboy. Then you can watch it all you want. You can tell a lot about the progress by looking at the wort/beer but you don't want to introduce a ton of oxygen. That said, I disagree with the 2-3 week timeframe. If you've done everything right it should be done in 10 days max.

 

[balrog]

If you've done everything right it should be done in 10 days max.

All yeasts?

All temperatures?

All OG's?

 

[tagz]

Well of course not all yeasts and temps. But with most ale yeasts, if you pitch the right amount from a healthy starter, aerate your wort sufficiently, and run it at the proper temp, it should be done with the majority of fermentation after 5 days. Sure you can come up with examples like 3724, but generally the 2-3 week thing is overboard, especially for something like the hoppy pale example above .

 

[j1n]

idk about leaving it alone for 2-3 weeks at this point. Maybe 1-2 weeks since its at the tail end of fermentation.

Also, i also agree you need a carboy (plastic). then you can look at it all you want without having to open it.

 

[kh54s10]

You need to buy a carboy. Then you can watch it all you want. You can tell a lot about the progress by looking at the wort/beer but you don't want to introduce a ton of oxygen. That said, I disagree with the 2-3 week timeframe. If you've done everything right it should be done in 10 days max.

This type of advise to a new brewer creates threads about bad tastes or worse - BOTTLE BOMBS.

A new brewer using the crappy instructions that come with kits are very unlikely to have "done everything right"....

To the OP A secondary fermentation is a misnomer. There should be no fermentation happening. It is just a step that you can do that might make the beer a little more clear. In the olden days it was thought that the dead yeast on the bottom would give off flavors. Unless you are leaving the beer on the yeast cake for many months it just does not happen.

The more you mess with your beer (transfers) the more risk of infection or oxidation. That is why many will advise against a secondary. Others want their beer very clear and will do the secondary.

 

[tagz]

This type of advise to a new brewer creates threads about bad tastes or worse - BOTTLE BOMBS.



A new brewer using the crappy instructions that come with kits are very unlikely to have "done everything right"....



To the OP A secondary fermentation is a misnomer. There should be no fermentation happening. It is just a step that you can do that might make the beer a little more clear. In the olden days it was thought that the dead yeast on the bottom would give off flavors. Unless you are leaving the beer on the yeast cake for many months it just does not happen.



The more you mess with your beer (transfers) the more risk of infection or oxidation. That is why many will advise against a secondary. Others want their beer very clear and will do the secondary.

Please. I say treat em like a big boy. If he gets a little shrapnel in the neck, he's going to learn that much faster.

 

[kh54s10]

Please. I say treat em like a big boy. If he gets a little shrapnel in the neck, he's going to learn that much faster.

Then we get the thread of broken glass and beer everywhere, or worst pictures of stitches.

 

[tagz]

True. Nevermind. Give it three weeks.