Fermentation done after 24 hours?

[Toy4Rick]

Hey gang,

First post after much reading, second batch of homebrew and have a concern.

I brewed a Hef on Sunday evening, moved it to a 5 gallon plastic carboy. Pitched liquid yeast (White Labs WLP300) at 9:30pm to approx 66 degree wort. Fermentation started about 6:30 last night (21 hours later), air lock was bubbling away so I was pleased. Just now I check on it and there is no visible signs of activity in the airlock. A gentle push on the top of the carboy and the airlock responded.

My concern is this, is my fermentation done already? Seems very odd to me as I was expecting ~2 weeks give er take.

Through the bucket, I can see what amounts to about 3 full inches of krausen so I know it was very active.

Should I be worried? Do I let it go for a while? BTW, I don't have a hydrometer

Thanks in advance for the help
Toy4Rick

 

[avidhomebrewer]

I doubt it. Don't go by airlock activity to gauge when fermentation is complete. Use your hydrometer to tell you for sure. I think you should go out and purchase a hydrometer.

Are you sure your bucket, airlock, stopper, etc. isn't leaking around the edges?

 

[Toy4Rick]

I'm pretty sure the seals are all good, a gentle push on the top and the airlock reacts.

Off to buy a hydrometer tomorrow for sure.

Keep the thoughts coming if I am missing something

Toy4Rick

 

[McMalty]

Hey gang,

First post after much reading, second batch of homebrew and have a concern.

I brewed a Hef on Sunday evening, moved it to a 5 gallon plastic carboy. Pitched liquid yeast (White Labs WLP300) at 9:30pm to approx 66 degree wort. Fermentation started about 6:30 last night (21 hours later), air lock was bubbling away so I was pleased. Just now I check on it and there is no visible signs of activity in the airlock. A gentle push on the top of the carboy and the airlock responded.

My concern is this, is my fermentation done already? Seems very odd to me as I was expecting ~2 weeks give er take.

Through the bucket, I can see what amounts to about 3 full inches of krausen so I know it was very active.

Should I be worried? Do I let it go for a while? BTW, I don't have a hydrometer

Thanks in advance for the help
Toy4Rick

1. If there's that much krausen on top, it's still fermenting. with 3 inches of krausen, if ur airlock is not bubbling, u need to check to make sure everything is sealed properly
2. complete fermentation usually takes 7-10 days, not 2 weeks.
3. since u don't have one, Buy a hydrometer..... and a Fermtech wine thief, they're both cheap and easy to use. u will never have to ask this question again.
4. ive had brews ferment most of the way w/in 24 hrs. relax, make sure its sealed, leave it alone, it doesn't want you around. find something else to do.

 

[Revvy]

Gravity reading gravity reading gravity reading...nothing else will tell you what's going on, especially not what your airlock is doing.

 

[jtakacs]

word... just went golfing with my homebrewing buddy and he told me he "had to get his beer out of secondary" because "condensation formed"... uuuuuhhh.... i asked "what was the gravity?"

"i didn't check, it just needed to get in the bottle"

oh jeez... long winded way of saying +1, sorry. lol...

 

[mpgwrx]

Mine is actually doing the same! I was concerned but I'm just going to wait until the 7th day, do a Hydrometer reading and go from there...I'll do a another reading on the 8th day and 9th day and track any changes. If it doesn't change, then I'll bottle it!

 

[Revvy]

Mine is actually doing the same! I was concerned but I'm just going to wait until the 7th day, do a Hydrometer reading and go from there...I'll do a another reading on the 8th day and 9th day and track any changes. If it doesn't change, then I'll bottle it!

Your beer will be MUCH better if you wait.

Fermenting the beer is just a part of what the yeast do. If you leave the beer alone, they will go back and clean up the byproducts of fermentation that often lead to off flavors. That's why many brewers skip secondary and leave our beers alone in primary for a month. It leaves plenty of time for the yeast to ferment, clean up after themselves and then fall out, leaving our beers crystal clear, with a tight yeast cake.

Read this.

Do be so quick to rush the process if you want your beer to taste good. If you just rush then you're not letting the yeast go back and clean up all the stuff that leads to off flavors.

 

[mpgwrx]

Your beer will be MUCH better if you wait.

Fermenting the beer is just a part of what the yeast do. If you leave the beer alone, they will go back and clean up the byproducts of fermentation that often lead to off flavors. That's why many brewers skip secondary and leave our beers alone in primary for a month. It leaves plenty of time for the yeast to ferment, clean up after themselves and then fall out, leaving our beers crystal clear, with a tight yeast cake.

Read this.

Do be so quick to rush the process if you want your beer to taste good. If you just rush then you're not letting the yeast go back and clean up all the stuff that leads to off flavors.

Thanks for the link. Point taken...I think I'll wait an extra week or 2 in that case. I just need it ready for my June 11th canoe trip and I'll be good

 

[Toy4Rick]

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

I purchased a hydrometer today, cracked the lid and found a ton of krausen on top. Took a reading, 127 after 45 hours so things are moving along nicely. The beer tasted too sweet still and very cloudy so... it needs a bunch more time

Now off to worry about something else, like when I can ride my Goldwing next or go shooting. Too many hobbies, not enough time

Rick

 

[BrewMoreBeers]

I say bottle it, and then give them to your enemies. (sarcasm).

 

[McMalty]

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

I purchased a hydrometer today, cracked the lid and found a ton of krausen on top. Took a reading, 127 after 45 hours so things are moving along nicely. The beer tasted too sweet still and very cloudy so... it needs a bunch more time

Now off to worry about something else, like when I can ride my Goldwing next or go shooting. Too many hobbies, not enough time

Rick

127? What the hell is that? that's not a gravity reading?

 

[janivar123]

uh oh 127 hmm it might still be gravety but where did it start???
Sound like og on a heavy berlywine... Sure it isnt 1.027?

 

[Toy4Rick]

Sorry gang, SP at 45 hours into the fermentation was 1.027, not sure what the OG was since I didn't have the hydrometer until a couple days later. The recipe indicates OG should be approx 1.046-1.048

I'll keep waiting
Rick

 

[mrk305]

I'll keep waiting
Rick

So, considering it takes three or four weeks to ferment, plus three weeks or so to bottle condition, what are you brewing next?

 

[Toy4Rick]

Great question on what's next. Thinking of starting a Meed now for my wife in my extra 2 gal MrB

 

[Toy4Rick]

Well, after 7 days, just took another reading and it is 1.016 so it seems to be going very well. Still lots in suspension and the SG reading is still a bit high, shooting for 1.008-1.010

It tasted real good at this point so I'm pleased as punch

Toy4Rick

 

[Snowhere]

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

I purchased a hydrometer today, cracked the lid and found a ton of krausen on top. Took a reading, 127 after 45 hours so things are moving along nicely. The beer tasted too sweet still and very cloudy so... it needs a bunch more time

Now off to worry about something else, like when I can ride my Goldwing next or go shooting. Too many hobbies, not enough time

Rick

See your problem is your riding a Goldwing! So obviously you can't take too much excitement! :cross: JK!

Just relax and let it go for a couple of weeks. I just checked my blonde ale and at 15 days, it went from 1.060 to 1.004 so it's ready. But guess what? I am not going to bottle yet as I like to condition longer in my fermenters. So against conditional advising, I transferred to a secondary today. Fermentation is done, so ageing is what is my game and I do not see the pluses to leaving it on the yeast cake after fermentation is done. So it can age a bit more and clear up even more before I bottle in a couple of weeks.

On the bike front, I am getting my GSX1100 back on the road after its been sitting for 12 years. My R1100GS was taken out by a truck last year, so back to my Suzuki for me!

 

[Toy4Rick]

Hey gang,

So after 2 full weeks, the SG is 1.014 (targeting 1.010) only down .002 this past week. Not much activity so it's getting close I presume. I'll wait a few more days and take another reading and go from there.

BTW, I really like how it tastes

Rick