Done fermenting in 2 days?

[AaronGPB]

Hi HBT,

I am new to this forum and this is my first post (besides my introduction).

I apologize in advance if this has already been answered, but I tried my best to find something similar with the search function but unfortunately I couldn't find something quite close enough to my issue.

I am using a 1 gallon carboy, brewing a Bavarian Wheat Beer. It is my first brew, and I am using the Craft-A-Brew kit, along with a few additions from my LHBS.

The fermentation for a great start, taking about 4 hours to start getting light bubbling, and about 10 hours to get a bubble per second, also developing about a 3 inch krausen. It stayed constantly bubbling for about 24-36 hours before the bubbling subsided, and the krausen dropped. Now it is barely bubbling (72 hours after being put in the fermentor)), and by barely, I mean about twice a minute.

I am going to buy a Hydrometer today (I didn't have one on brew day so I don't know my SG). But can anyone help me out here?

Keep in mind I am in a 1 GALLON fermentor.

Thanks a lot, and sorry for the long post.

EDIT: Fermentation temp is about 65-69 F

Thanks,
Aaron G.

 

[hunter_le five]

Sure, it's possible that it could be done fermenting already.

However: please remember that the airlock is a poor indicator when determining whether something has finished fermenting or not. Always use a hydrometer for this. Take a reading, wait two days, and then take another reading. If both readings are the same, then you can be reasonably sure fermentation has completed.

 

[NTXBrauer]

It sounds like your beer is progressing well. While fermentation may not fully be completed, the "active phase" can be quick and easily finish in a couple days. Since the krausen has already fallen, fermentation should be coming to completion soon. You have the right idea, to take a SG reading to understand how close you are to your target gravity. This is the only way to know for sure. Cheers!

 

[unionrdr]

Yeah, usually after a couple days, only initial fermentation is done. It'll then slowly, uneventfully creep down to a stable FG. The quickest ferment I've had from start to finish was an ESB with S-04 yeast. Done & clearing at 10 days. So two weeks to 3 weeks till it's done & clearing isn't unusual.

 

[AaronGPB]

Thanks a lot for all of your input. This is the beer after 72 hours. I know it's supposed to be cloudy but it looks VERY cloudy. Maybe with time it'll clear a bit?

 

[hunter_le five]

Looks perfectly normal. Give it time. It can take a while for all the yeast, hop particulate, etc to drop out of suspension. The less you disturb it the faster it will clear up.

 

[unionrdr]

Oh yeah. It'll get a lot clearer than that.

 

[RM-MN]

Thanks a lot for all of your input. This is the beer after 72 hours. I know it's supposed to be cloudy but it looks VERY cloudy. Maybe with time it'll clear a bit? View attachment 232072

That much cloudiness tells me your beer is still fermenting as the yeast is keeping things stirred up. When the yeast is done the beer will start getting darker at the top as the yeast starts to settle out and by the time it is complete the beer will be fairly dark all the way to the bottom.

Here's a nice article that explains the life cycle of the yeast in beer.

http://www.brewgeeks.com/the-life-cycle-of-yeast.html

 

[WayFrae]

Looking good! Just wait until it clears before you bottle and you will be just fine.