Hello, I brewed beer about 30 years ago and decided to try it again, here's my question: I started a batch of honey porter everything was fine until i had alot of overflow then it blew the top off, this all happened about 12 hours after I pitched the yeast. I got all this cleaned up, put my plug back in and the yeast was really gettting after it. 4 hours later it slowed dramatically like 1 bubble every 11 seconds. Is this normal to slow down this much in 48 hours ? I thought it used to take about that long to really get going. This was a kit from midwest and I also added an extra pound of DME.
fermintation ?
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gcdowd
Well-Known Member
It's not common but it's not uncommon either. Sounds like you had a very active and healthy fermentation. I've had beers finish in 4 days. You can't really know how far along it is without a gravity reading though. I'd let it sit at least another 10 days or so and then take a gravity reading.
What you saw was initial fermentation finishing up. It'll then slowly,uneventfully ferment down to FG from there. Then I give it another 3-7 days to clean up fermentation by-products & settle out clear or slightly misty before bottling.
It sounds like it got pretty warm, and fermentation can be explosive when it gets warm.
Next time, try to keep the fermenter in a cooler place, and add the yeast to the wort when the temperature is under about 65 degrees if possible. That would give the best flavor, and less chance of explosive fermentations.
(I'm assuming it was warm, as if you had a blow off in 12 hours that is usually the cause. If it wasn't, and was under 65 degrees, feel free to ignore me!)
Next time, try to keep the fermenter in a cooler place, and add the yeast to the wort when the temperature is under about 65 degrees if possible. That would give the best flavor, and less chance of explosive fermentations.
(I'm assuming it was warm, as if you had a blow off in 12 hours that is usually the cause. If it wasn't, and was under 65 degrees, feel free to ignore me!)
TopherM
Well-Known Member
Are you controlling the fermentation temp, or are you just letting it ride at room temp? Like the last poster said, it sound like you may be fermenting too warm for the yeast, which speeds up all of their processes, but also causes them to produce esters and/or fusel alcohols that can be off flavors in the final beer.
What yeast are you using, and what temp are you fermenting at? You'll see on the back of the yeast packet what their optimum fermentation temp is. You want to get as close to this temp as possible, ideally on the lower end of their optimum range. This will slow down the fermentation and make it much cleaner.
Good luck!
What yeast are you using, and what temp are you fermenting at? You'll see on the back of the yeast packet what their optimum fermentation temp is. You want to get as close to this temp as possible, ideally on the lower end of their optimum range. This will slow down the fermentation and make it much cleaner.
Good luck!
TopherM
Well-Known Member
It was likely something like S-05, which has an optimum temp range of 59-72. Fermentation is also an exothermic process, meaning the yeast give off heat as they metabolize carbohydrates, which can raise the temp of the fermentation a good 3-8F.
So, you really want the ambient temp of your fermentation to be closer to 60F. At 67-70, you are really fermenting at closer to 73-78F. The yeast are metabolizing too quickly, resulting in off flavors in your beer.
One of the BEST single improvements you can make to the quality of your beer is temperature control. Most good homebrewers have a dedicated fermentation chamber with a digital temperature controller, but if you are just getting into the hobby and don't want to layout that kind of expenditure, you can also control temps for about $10-20 with a SWAMP COOLER. You can do a forum/google search to figure out exactly how you want to build your swamp cooler, but the basic jist of it is you put your fermenter in a big rubbermaid/laundry type container with a couple milk jugs of frozen water, and the evaporating ice will cool your fermentation in the low 60s.
Hope that helps!
So, you really want the ambient temp of your fermentation to be closer to 60F. At 67-70, you are really fermenting at closer to 73-78F. The yeast are metabolizing too quickly, resulting in off flavors in your beer.
One of the BEST single improvements you can make to the quality of your beer is temperature control. Most good homebrewers have a dedicated fermentation chamber with a digital temperature controller, but if you are just getting into the hobby and don't want to layout that kind of expenditure, you can also control temps for about $10-20 with a SWAMP COOLER. You can do a forum/google search to figure out exactly how you want to build your swamp cooler, but the basic jist of it is you put your fermenter in a big rubbermaid/laundry type container with a couple milk jugs of frozen water, and the evaporating ice will cool your fermentation in the low 60s.
Hope that helps!
Dangerz, welcome back to homebrewing!
Sounds as though you made and ale with ale yeast. Ale yeast don't need to be used in the same cold conditions as lager yeast, but they do like it cool none the less.. One thing about yeast is this.. They love heat! Not hot but warm, or very warm, 90-100 degrees. That just makes them do well at reproducing - This is wonderful for bread yeasties but, for beer yeast no so much. Those friends like cool
Somebody mentioned that once the yeast get going the temperature in the wort will increase. This is no lie. For most ale yeast try to get the wort cooled down to 60F. Even if it means you need to let it sit overnight, in a tightly sealed fermenter.
When the temp has cooled down pitch the yeast and try to keep the fermenting wort around 65-70 degrees for the first 4-5 days. After that initial fermentation will more than likely be finished and you can let the temp raise to room temp for the next 10-20 days.
Sounds as though you made and ale with ale yeast. Ale yeast don't need to be used in the same cold conditions as lager yeast, but they do like it cool none the less.. One thing about yeast is this.. They love heat! Not hot but warm, or very warm, 90-100 degrees. That just makes them do well at reproducing - This is wonderful for bread yeasties but, for beer yeast no so much. Those friends like cool
Somebody mentioned that once the yeast get going the temperature in the wort will increase. This is no lie. For most ale yeast try to get the wort cooled down to 60F. Even if it means you need to let it sit overnight, in a tightly sealed fermenter.
When the temp has cooled down pitch the yeast and try to keep the fermenting wort around 65-70 degrees for the first 4-5 days. After that initial fermentation will more than likely be finished and you can let the temp raise to room temp for the next 10-20 days.
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