Ever been impatient during fermentation?

[Davevjordon]

I always brew IPA’s. So my standard fermentation is 14 days. I may decide to cold-crash on day 12, and there have been times when I was impatient and didn’t feel like buying commercial beer, so I started the cold crash on day 10. I brew for Me, not trying to win a trophy. And I’ve never noticed anything negative with cold crashing at day 10. I have also read that most of the fermentation happens in about 5 days. I have no idea how correct that is. I’ve just passed day 7, already bought commercial beer for tonight, just wondering when I’ll decide to cold crash.
How ‘bout you? Ever been impatient during fermentation?

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Patience is an ingredient that isn’t listed in the recipe. Do you check the gravity to know it is done? Are you kegging or bottling?

 

[MaxStout]

If you're sure it's hit FG, then yeah, why wait any longer?

 

[day_trippr]

fwiw, my standard neipa schedule:

bio hop 2 days post-pitch, dry hop four days later, cold crash four days later, keg two days later.
12 days from pitch to keg.

For a WC IPA I'll knock two days off that...

Cheers!

 

[505-Brewer]

Not every ferment is the same. I recommend a forced DA test on a sample before kegging. Fast ipas taste green to me. Flavors round out in the keg with time......

 

[Soulshine2]

I always brew IPA’s. So my standard fermentation is 14 days. I may decide to cold-crash on day 12, and there have been times when I was impatient and didn’t feel like buying commercial beer, so I started the cold crash on day 10. I brew for Me, not trying to win a trophy. And I’ve never noticed anything negative with cold crashing at day 10. I have also read that most of the fermentation happens in about 5 days. I have no idea how correct that is. I’ve just passed day 7, already bought commercial beer for tonight, just wondering when I’ll decide to cold crash.
How ‘bout you? Ever been impatient during fermentation?

you got impatient and cold crashed early.
was it done fermenting?
Did you check the gravity before cold crashing?

 

[Conehead]

No.

 

[Davevjordon]

Patience is an ingredient that isn’t listed in the recipe. Do you check the gravity to know it is done? Are you kegging or bottling?

I have checked the gravity before cold crashing, and not, also. And I keg my beers. A day or two of cold crashing, then force carb, then into a glass.

 

[Davevjordon]

you got impatient and cold crashed early.
was it done fermenting?
Did you check the gravity before cold crashing?

I’ve been impatient and started a cold crash early, several times. Typically checking gravity first, but not always. Never been disappointed. And when I have checked gravity, yes, it was done. 1.010 - 1.008. I could decide that 1.012 is “done” too.

 

[thehaze]

Fermentation can be done in less than 5 days with the right grain bill and yeast, but I would give the yeast a few days to clean after itself, at a higher temperature. I bottle my beers at day 9-10-11-12, depending on the recipe. I am too highly impatient.

 

[Qhrumphf]

I’ve been impatient and started a cold crash early, several times. Typically checking gravity first, but not always. Never been disappointed. And when I have checked gravity, yes, it was done. 1.010 - 1.008. I could decide that 1.012 is “done” too.

You don't decide when it's done. The yeast decide when it's done.

If you crash a beer down before it's ready you're asking for problems. VDKs and aldehydes and precursors that don't get taken back up by the yeast leading to off flavors.

If you really wanna rush things you can do forced ferment tests. They'll let you know where it should finish, and faster then normal fermentation. Hit that gravity, give it 24 hours to take up acetaldehyde and diacetyl, and off to the races.

Otherwise you need stable gravity or the same beer enough times with a consistent enough process (most homebrewers are too lax on consistency for me to trust that) that you know exactly what it's gonna do.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

I have checked the gravity before cold crashing, and not, also. And I keg my beers. A day or two of cold crashing, then force carb, then into a glass.

Thanks, you’re kegging so no worries about over carbing and having bottle bombs. What I understand is the best practice is to check that your final gravity is stable 2-3 times, a day or two apart. (I had a saison slowly finish over a month dropping a point each week) I know with IPAs people want to enjoy them sooner rather than later, but a few extra days to be sure its finished will be okay. Personally green beer doesn’t taste best to me, that extra time makes a difference.

 

[jrgtr42]

If you're happy with your beer, then you're fine.
You may or may not get - or be able to taste any potential off-flavors, as Qhrumph mentioned above.
Personally, I used to go by the 2-week timetable, and would worry if it went too long.
Then for one reason or another, I had to wait out 3 weeks to bottle, and it turned out to be my best batch ever. Since then, I've generally worked on the 3 week ferment schedule. It'll check gravity a few days before targeted bottling (with life, and a 3 year old running around, I have to schedule this stuff way in advance) and again on that day to make sure things are stable - I've occasionally had to hold off another week to let things finish out, and once or twice had to bottle earlier that that for one reason or another.
But patience is a virtue, as they say. Yeast don't go by a clock or calendar, so depending on your situation, your beers may easily be done then.

 

[JimRausch]

The obvious answer to impatience is build up a bigger pipeline so when one keg runs out you have another ready to go. Means you have to buy a few more fermenters and kegs, but that's not a problem right?

 

[Qhrumphf]

To be clear, in most circumstances the OPs timetable is gonna be fine. With a "typical" fermentation with proper yeast management fermentation should be done and conditioned in 7ish days. Some English yeasts are faster. Lagers and some Belgian yeasts will take longer.

I prefer to not leave beer on yeast any longer than I have to- I'm typically harvesting and knocking off the cone around day 7. But I also don't do that if it's not ready.

My point was directly at "I can decide it's done at 1.012".

 

[Davevjordon]

Thanks, you’re kegging so no worries about over carbing and having bottle bombs. What I understand is the best practice is to check that your final gravity is stable 2-3 times, a day or two apart. (I had a saison slowly finish over a month dropping a point each week) I know with IPAs people want to enjoy them sooner rather than later, but a few extra days to be sure its finished will be okay. Personally green beer doesn’t taste best to me, that extra time makes a difference.

Yeah, I’ve read / heard from several sources, that you know it’s done fermenting when you get consistent gravity readings for days. If I feel like doing that, I will. If I feel impatient and decide to cold crash and keg, I will. If I’ve ever had “off flavors”, I didn’t know it! I really love the beer I make! If I didn’t absolutely Love it, I wouldn’t put all the time into brewing. I would’ve quit a long time ago. Never ended up with a 5 gallon batch of poison, never made a beer that I didn’t like. The only “disappointing” one was my very first recipe, because I put too much crystal in and ended up with more of a Brown Ale, than an IPA.
I was just wondering if anyone else besides me ever gets impatient.

 

[balrog]

We're home brewers. We're all impatie

SQUIRREL!

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Yeah, I’ve read / heard from several sources, that you know it’s done fermenting when you get consistent gravity readings for days. If I feel like doing that, I will. If I feel impatient and decide to cold crash and keg, I will. If I’ve ever had “off flavors”, I didn’t know it! I really love the beer I make! If I didn’t absolutely Love it, I wouldn’t put all the time into brewing. I would’ve quit a long time ago. Never ended up with a 5 gallon batch of poison, never made a beer that I didn’t like. The only “disappointing” one was my very first recipe, because I put too much crystal in and ended up with more of a Brown Ale, than an IPA.
I was just wondering if anyone else besides me ever gets impatient.

Okay dude, perhaps you can make a poll. I was very impatient with my first couple batches, but disciplined enough to wait. Whatever, it is your beer if you enjoy it, carry on.

 

[catdaddy66]

Personally I do not get impatient. Nothing good comes from rushing the process imo. Case in point, my brother got back into brewing about 5 years ago after a few years off. He bottled a stout after 7 days... Next week he had bottle bombs.