Fermentation help!

[Mattyg91]

Hi everyone, on Saturday I performed my first all grain brew. It’s a smash American pale ale, and I substituted the US – 05 yeast for Kveik. This is a 5 gallon brew.

The first 24 hours brought A LOT of action. More action than I’ve ever seen from another yeast. However, less than 36 hours later, my fermenter looks like the attached picture.

My questions are, should I be concerned that my Krausen layer has already dropped? Will I need to re-pitch at bottling? When should I bottle and for how long?

BTW, I’m pretty sure I over pitched because I was unfamiliar with exactly how awesome the Kveik is. I used an entire packet of the Voss for this 5 gallon batch.

Thanks in advance!

 

[hotbeer]

It sounds normal. However there is no picture.... yet.

The ambient air temp around the FV and OG might be useful info for us. And if you have the beer temp in the FV, that as well.

Fermentations don't stay gung-ho and impressive for the entire time in the FV. 12 to a tad over 24 hours is usually all you get for entertainment.

 

[palmtrees]

I don't see a picture, but that's not terribly out of character for kveik. It usually finishes a lot faster than other yeast, especially if you pitch a healthy amount.

24 hours is a tad fast even for kveik, but the only way to really know if fermentation is finished is to test the gravity. I don't recommend doing that already, though, because you expose the beer to oxygen every time you do it. I'd just let it sit for two weeks and then test before bottling to make sure the gravity is stable.

Another thing to consider is whether a temperature swing may have made the yeast quit early. Some kveik can be touchy about dropping temps. Did the temperature drop overnight or at some point in the last 36 hours? If you're concerned, you can always warm it up into the 80s using a seedling mat or something and gently swirl the fermenter once or twice to rouse the yeast. It won't hurt anything if the yeast is truly finished, and it may restart fermentation if the yeast stopped early due to temperature issues.

 

[hotbeer]

should I be concerned that my Krausen layer has already dropped?

No.

Will I need to re-pitch at bottling?

No. Not usually and not normally, why do you think you might?

When should I bottle

When the beer has cleared up is what I go by. That might be 10 days to six weeks. You can hurry that along with cold crashing, gelatin and other stuff, but I feel that tastes improves better with time in the FV even though your beer may have finished fermenting by day 3.

 

[hotbeer]

and for how long?

I have no idea how long it will take you to bottle your beer!

 

[user 301693]

Sounds like all is well; US-05 will do the job, just give it time and make sure it is fermenting within the temperature range for US-05... should be done in about 1.5 to 2 weeks, and check your FG at that time.

 

[Mattyg91]

I don't see a picture, but that's not terribly out of character for kveik. It usually finishes a lot faster than other yeast, especially if you pitch a healthy amount.

24 hours is a tad fast even for kveik, but the only way to really know if fermentation is finished is to test the gravity. I don't recommend doing that already, though, because you expose the beer to oxygen every time you do it. I'd just let it sit for two weeks and then test before bottling to make sure the gravity is stable.

Another thing to consider is whether a temperature swing may have made the yeast quit early. Some kveik can be touchy about dropping temps. Did the temperature drop overnight or at some point in the last 36 hours? If you're concerned, you can always warm it up into the 80s using a seedling mat or something and gently swirl the fermenter once or twice to rouse the yeast. It won't hurt anything if the yeast is truly finished, and it may restart fermentation if the yeast stopped early due to temperature issues.

 

[jrgtr42]

Sounds like all is well; US-05 will do the job, just give it time and make sure it is fermenting within the temperature range for US-05... should be done in about 1.5 to 2 weeks, and check your FG at that time.

Sounds like he used the Kweik instead of the US05. But I do agree with giving it at least 1.5 to 2 weeks.

 

[Mattyg91]

View attachment 809903

This is what it looks like today. Went in at midnight on Saturday the 7th.

 

[palmtrees]

That looks normal to me. I would bet the kveik just took off quick and ate through the sugar like a beast. I think you're just fine to wait the full two weeks and then check gravity. You can bottle once you have two stable gravity readings over three days. Just be careful not to check gravity more than necessary and try and be quick whenever you open the fermenter to minimize oxygen as much as possible.

You won't need to add more yeast for bottling. But if you take that first reading in two weeks, and it seems high, then there are a couple of things you can try to kick fermentation up again in your carboy. You won't want to add more yeast during bottling in that case because you'll end up with bottle bombs.

 

[bellhp]

Relax ,don't worry , have a homebrew and let that carboy sit for at least 10 days ... I bet if you watch your fermentation lock you will see that the yeast is still active just slowed down. I rarely take a final gravity reading until I have pretty much decided by looking at it that fermentation is finished... no activity in ferm lock and no visible microbubbles / yeast particles evident rising from the yeast cake at the bottom ... it helps to use a flashlight to backlight it . But it will be fine I'm sure , Congrats on the first all-grain batch.

 

[hotbeer]

Again....

The ambient air temp where you keep your FV will be useful information for us. OG as well and internal temp of the beer or a reading from a thermometer too if you that information.

I've used US-05 quite a bit last year and before. It did real well for the light ales and IPA's I brewed. I always kept the FV where the ambient air temps were 69 - 71° F.

 

[Panderson1]

Most my Kveik IPAs are done in 24-36 hours. Around 85F. Looks normal to me.

The only other yeast I use that is just is fast is London Ale. Blows my mind every time at 65F

 

[Mattyg91]

Again....

The ambient air temp where you keep your FV will be useful information for us. OG as well and internal temp of the beer or a reading from a thermometer too if you that information.

I've used US-05 quite a bit last year and before. It did real well for the light ales and IPA's I brewed. I always kept the FV where the ambient air temps were 69 - 71° F.

Sorry, it’s been pretty steady between 70-76, which is why I opted for Kveik.

 

[Mattyg91]

Relax ,don't worry , have a homebrew and let that carboy sit for at least 10 days ... I bet if you watch your fermentation lock you will see that the yeast is still active just slowed down. I rarely take a final gravity reading until I have pretty much decided by looking at it that fermentation is finished... no activity in ferm lock and no visible microbubbles / yeast particles evident rising from the yeast cake at the bottom ... it helps to use a flashlight to backlight it . But it will be fine I'm sure , Congrats on the first all-grain batch.

Thanks man! I’ll be looking for some more help soon. I’ll let everyone know how this batch turns out.

 

[Mattyg91]

Relax ,don't worry , have a homebrew and let that carboy sit for at least 10 days ... I bet if you watch your fermentation lock you will see that the yeast is still active just slowed down. I rarely take a final gravity reading until I have pretty much decided by looking at it that fermentation is finished... no activity in ferm lock and no visible microbubbles / yeast particles evident rising from the yeast cake at the bottom ... it helps to use a flashlight to backlight it . But it will be fine I'm sure , Congrats on the first all-grain batch.

Thanks man! I’ll be looking for some more help soon. I’ll let everyone know how this batch turns out

 

[hotbeer]

Sorry, it’s been pretty steady between 70-76, which is why I opted for Kveik.

The ideal range for US-05 is stated as:

Ideally at 18-26°C (64.4-78.8°F)

So you should be good. Though I'd try to hold the ambient temps more stable if your temps are going from 70 to 76°F in 24 hours. I generally keep mine where ambient air temps only vary by 3°F. The internal temp of the beer will increase quite a bit while the krausen is active, but once that is over and done with the internal and ambient temps will follow each other fairly close. So only a 12 to 24 hour period for most of the beers I've been making.

If your ambient temps are 74° or greater during the krausen, your internal beer temp might be well over the ideal range.

However don't be worried since it's over and done with for this batch. Just evaluate after you sample a glass of your brew whether you think the internal beer temp in the FV is something you might need to control or pay attention to.

Yeast does express different flavors whether fermented at the upper or lower end of their range. But I've not experimented with any of that for myself.

It's been confusing for me which yeast you used. Your last statement I quoted above seems to indicate you used Kveik. I would have still used US-05 at those temps. And just taken a few precautions about the time of the krausen.

 

[Mattyg91]

The ideal range for US-05 is stated as:



So you should be good. Though I'd try to hold the ambient temps more stable if your temps are going from 70 to 76°F in 24 hours. I generally keep mine where ambient air temps only vary by 3°F. The internal temp of the beer will increase quite a bit while the krausen is active, but once that is over and done with the internal and ambient temps will follow each other fairly close. So only a 12 to 24 hour period for most of the beers I've been making.

If your ambient temps are 74° or greater during the krausen, your internal beer temp might be well over the ideal range.

However don't be worried since it's over and done with for this batch. Just evaluate after you sample a glass of your brew whether you think the internal beer temp in the FV is something you might need to control or pay attention to.

Yeast does express different flavors whether fermented at the upper or lower end of their range. But I've not experimented with any of that for myself.

It's been confusing for me which yeast you used. Your last statement I quoted above seems to indicate you used Kveik. I would have still used US-05 at those temps. And just taken a few precautions about the time of the krausen.

Thank you, but I used Kveik Voss for this brew instead of us-05

 

[Mattyg91]

Thank you, but I used Kveik Voss for this brew instead of us-05

I’ll keep all of this in mind for the future though. Usually my temp sits between 73 and 76 but we got a few cold fronts and didn’t use the heater.

Most my Kveik IPAs are done in 24-36 hours. Around 85F. Looks normal to me.

The only other yeast I use that is just is fast is London Ale. Blows my mind every time at Thanks. That’s good to know. Maybe I’ll try londin ale soon. So far so good though. This all grain batch is lookin good.

 

[Mattyg91]

That looks normal to me. I would bet the kveik just took off quick and ate through the sugar like a beast. I think you're just fine to wait the full two weeks and then check gravity. You can bottle once you have two stable gravity readings over three days. Just be careful not to check gravity more than necessary and try and be quick whenever you open the fermenter to minimize oxygen as much as possible.

You won't need to add more yeast for bottling. But if you take that first reading in two weeks, and it seems high, then there are a couple of things you can try to kick fermentation up again in your carboy. You won't want to add more yeast during bottling in that case because you'll end up with bottle bombs.

Thanks for the reassurance. I think I’m good too. It looks great for only being in there for 5 days. I’ll keep everyone updated on how it turns out.

 

[Mattyg91]

Alright everyone, so it still looks like this. What’s the verdict from y’all on the potential for infection in this batch?

P.S. Sorry in advance for the unsteady hands.

 

[Mattyg91]

Alright everyone, so it still looks like this. What’s the verdict from y’all on the potential for infection in this batch?

P.S. Sorry in advance for the unsteady hands.

 

[hotbeer]

Alright everyone, so it still looks like this. What’s the verdict from y’all on the potential for infection in this batch?

P.S. Sorry in advance for the unsteady hands.

Show us another picture in 2 or 3 weeks. Go fishing or ride your bike until then.

 

[Mattyg91]

Show us another picture in 2 or 3 weeks. Go fishing or ride your bike until then.

Lol, will do. I’d just hate to wait another 2-3 weeks to have to scrap it if it is infected. 4/5 weeks in primary seems like a long time for a batch that should be fermented and bottle conditioned in 6. It’s been about 15 days already. Oh well, thanks for the advice.

 

[RM-MN]

Show us another picture in 2 or 3 weeks. Go fishing or ride your bike until then.

Hey! Don't be steering him wrong like that with suggesting fishing or bike riding.

Now is the time to start another batch, and a further batch next week.

 

[user 301693]

Alright everyone, so it still looks like this. What’s the verdict from y’all on the potential for infection in this batch?

P.S. Sorry in advance for the unsteady hands.

According to your other post, it's been fermenting for over 13 days, so now just make sure fermentation is done. About the only reliable measure of checking complete fermentation is final gravity, not what the batch looks like. Take an FG reading, and then wait a couple more days and take another FG reading; if the FG is about the same, then it is done fermenting. If the taste is off after it's been bottled and conditioned, then you'll know whether or not it got infected.

 

[hotbeer]

I’d just hate to wait another 2-3 weeks to have to scrap it if it is infected. 4/5 weeks in primary seems like a long time for a batch that should be fermented and bottle conditioned in 6

Kveik yeast had the hype that it's done fermenting in 3 to 4 days. For all the brews I did with US-05 they were done fermenting in 3 to 4 days too. But I usually wound up keeping them in the FV for 10 days to 3 weeks. For other yeasts it's been as long as 6 weeks.

However just being done with fermentation isn't a reason to bottle or keg, IMHO. Some of the flavors will change with more time in the FV. Usually for the better. And the beer will clean up too. Some take longer to do that than others and yeast type, recipe and other things affect how long that takes.

If getting a beer to the glass fast is important, then I go buy a six pack if I happen to be out of my own.