Fastest fermentation?

[IanIanBoBian]

I'm trying to finish off my Mr. Beer kits that I got as a gift. I made a batch of the west coast pale ale, and used a pound of light DME instead of the booster. I also added a half ounce of fuggle hop pellets at 60 minutes and another half ounce at 15. pitched a whole pack of safale us-05 yeast.

i finished up making it at maybe 6:30. Just went to check the temperature and see if anything was going on at 11:45, and there is already a thick layer of sediment on the bottom of the mr. beer fermentor. There's no way this thing is done already, is there?! I guess i could take a hydrometer reading and find out, but it's late and I'm lazy. :cross:

 

[newbeerpig]

It is not very likely that the fermentation is done, even when it looks like everything is finished with out taking your readings it is hard to tell. Don't worry, go to bed and let it ride for a little while. It wont hurt anything to let the fermentation clean itself up.

 

[chefmike]

It might just bethe protein sediment from coldbreak, which would meanyou did good work:

How to Brew - By John Palmer - Cooling the Wort

Or it could just be hops and the trub.

i guess it could be done. But I think that possibility involves a science fiction scenario OR pitching ALOT of yeast.
I would cultivate your stated laziness and wait until tomorrow. Or maybe the next day. Maybe have a beer in the meantime.

 

[IanIanBoBian]

eh, i took a hydrometer reading anyways. hasn't done a thing. there's a ton of crap on the bottom already though. shouldn't be the hops, i left most of those behind when i siphoned from my brewpot. Oh well.

I guess this just goes to show I should stick with plastic buckets. Even the semi-transparent Mr. Beer is making me look and worry.

EDIT: Hopefully it is from the cold-break. I did a full boil since it's only 2.5 gallons, and I tried my home made immersion chiller for the first time. Seemed to work well. Cooled the wort very fast. Came up a little short on water though and had to add some at the end.

 

[newbeerpig]

It is so much more fun though being able to see what is going on, bitting your nails over every little bump. Got to love the wait

 

[llazy_llama]

Just let it sit for 2 weeks. The "airlock," that's in the lid of your Mr Beer keg isn't really an airlock. It just plays the role of one over short periods of time. Let it sit for 2 weeks, no more, no less. If by then you have proper carboys or Better Bottles, don't hesitate to rack it to a secondary.

All in all, I'd say just let it sit for 2 weeks. There's enough headspace in there to allow a nice CO2 cushion to form, which will keep bacteria out, but the lid is ported to allow for expansion. Just let the yeast do their job (they've been practicing for 5000+ years) and RDWHAHB