Has fermentation stopped!?!

[Thompson8816]

So I brewed this 1 gallon batch this past Saturday and the past 4 days ignored has been fermenting just fine. I got home from work today and this is what it looks like. Almost a complete 180 from the past few days.. Has fermentation stopped? I can see little chunks of hops still floating around so I'm not 100% convinced it's done fermenting. Post a picture to show

 

[Rockn_M]

I doubt it. Do you know the fermetation temp? Have you done a gravity reading with a hydrometer? Doing a gravity reading is the only way to know if it is done.

 

[Thompson8816]

This is what it looked like when it was first fermenting..

 

[Thompson8816]

No i don't have a hydrometer yet. Getting one this weekend though!

 

[Rockn_M]

When you get one check the gravity and then check it again a few days later. If the reading is stable then it is done.

 

[Thompson8816]

So do you think the batch looks good and normal though?

 

[jbaysurfer]

When you get one check the gravity and then check it again a few days later. If the reading is stable then it is done.

I wouldn't use two hydrometer jars full of a less then 1G batch for gravity checks. I would just wait til the beer drops clear. It's not there yet. Active fermentation is over, but theres more to go in that beer. That's a ton of trub/yeast in the bottom though, hopefully that settles WAY out for ya. Right now you're on pace for a very small amount of finished product. Other then that, yes it looks pretty normal.

PS, your advice in general is good and I agree with it, I just think using visual cues (depending on what kind of yeast/beer we're talking about of course, I'm assuming this is a pale ale of some sort) is more practical in this case.

 

[Thompson8816]

Yeah I made a few rookie mistakes for my very first batch.. Added WAY to much hops for a 1 gallon batch, and I forgot to strain when putting in the fermentor. Next batch will be better for sure though! Bought a mini fridge for temp control

 

[jbaysurfer]

^ The good news is that it WILL settle out, mostly, eventually. All the more reason for you to give it time. I recommend you cold crash it for several days before racking too....but don't do that until it drops (mostly) clear. Much clearer then it is now.

 

[Thompson8816]

Well that is music to my ears! I will definitely wait it out then. Ok so another rookie question.. What is cold crashing, and what's is racking?? Feel like such a rook

 

[cobrem]

To echo jbaysurfer, just wait out the 1gal batches. You end up losing 15% or more of your end yield with the hydrometer testing for a batch that small. I'd rather drink it fully carbonated and chilled... I usually wait 2-3 weeks, depending on the style (stronger/higher gravity towards 3 weeks).

 

[Thompson8816]

Yeah I want it to be extremely bitter and hoppy so I'll just wait it out? But what did he mean by cold crashing and racking?

 

[jbaysurfer]

Cold crashing = remove the airlock, put a solid stopper in it and move it to the fridge. 3 days minimum. That will help clear it out and get the remaining yeast to drop out and the sediment on the bottom to condense.

Racking=moving the beer from the fermenter to the keg or bottle.

 

[cobrem]

Cold crashing would be putting it in a fridge for a couple of days to drop out some of the particulate matter (never done it myself, but it can help clear things up). Be careful with the airlock though. The change in pressure due to temp drop may cause a slight vacuum which *could* suck in the airlock fluid (one of the reasons I don't do it).

Racking is just the process of siphoning the beer out of the fermenter to either the bottles or keg (or secondary for any other additions).

 

[cobrem]

Doh! Synchronized posts.

 

[Thompson8816]

Oh ok! Hey thanks for all the help you guys, I really appreciate it! :rockin:

 

[unionrdr]

To be accurate, you rack to the bottling bucket or secondary,etc. bottling isn't referred to as racking.

 

[jbaysurfer]

To be accurate, you rack to the bottling bucket or secondary,etc. bottling isn't referred to as racking.

My mistake. I rack to a keg, so I was thinking of the equivalent for bottlers, but indeed it is a bottling bucket.