I know, I know...but....

[NYShooterGuy]

Fermenting a SMASH session ale. Using Danstar BRY-97 American West coast yeast (~2.5 oz. washed from a previous batch). Pitched 11:00 pm Monday after measuring 1.046 OG at 74°F. Messured this morning (60 hours later) 1.040 Gravity at 64°F calculating just under 1% ABV and letting me know fermentation is occurring. The Kruesen was high and creamy. No airlock activity during the entire process.

So, what next? Is everything fine as I think it is, or are things going too slow? If so, can I help anything alone? I have PLENLY more Danstar BRY-97 to pitch (again washed from a previous batch). What can I expect from here?

Thanks all for the help!

 

[Hopper5000]

One pack should be fine on that gravity of a beer. Is this your first beer? I am assuming it's in a bucket? Sometimes they don't seal airtight so I wouldn't worry about the airlock. Just relax and let it go for a week.

 

[giraffe]

How long was the yeast stored? That sounds suspicious. A 1.046 beer should ferment out in 4 to 5 days on average, but if you have a thick krausen id just let it ride. You can up the temp to 67-68 to help it along perhaps.

Are you sure your measurement was correct? Are you sure its at 64 degrees?

 

[hunter_le five]

The Kruesen was high and creamy. No airlock activity during the entire process.

If you've got krausen, then you've got fermentation. It's possible the krausen and/or CO2 bubbles from active fermentation were buoying the hydrometer a bit and giving you a falsely-high reading.

I wouldn't worry about the lack of airlock bubbles. That's fairly normal, all that means is there's a leak somewhere, but it's nothing to be concerned about.

I'd let it ride a bit and take another reading later on, wait at least until after the krausen has fallen.

 

[NYShooterGuy]

Washed yeast from 2 weeks ago. 10th beer I've ever made. Sure about the readings. Fermenting in a bucket.

 

[WoodlandBrew]

Are you are using a refractometer per chance?

 

[NYShooterGuy]

Hydrometer in a hydrometer tube. I figured that the yeast attenuated for the first 24-48 hours due to the krausen and the slow fementation. The closet I have the bucket in is very cold and the bucket is reading 64°F on the fermometer.

 

[hunter_le five]

Hydrometer touching the side of the tube?

 

[Rev2010]

In the four years I've been brewing I've never once taken a hydrometer sample to test gravity along the way and am glad I never did. I've always just waited until one week after the krausen has fallen, on average, until I would just go to bottle. And each time I had normal attenuation within a couple of points of estimation by Beersmith. I've never once had a stalled fermentation or way too low attenuation. Of course these things do occur as is evidenced on here from many posts, but there's still a krausen on your beer. Relax duder, let it ride out. A week after the krausen has fallen and the beer is clear on top then you can take your reading and go from there. Depending on many factors, human error, old yeast, improperly stored or pitched yeast, or simply plain old organic variances can make things go quicker or slower than normal. Relax and don't stress it for now. Give it its time then check and see


Rev.

 

[NYShooterGuy]

Hydrometer not gripping tube for false low reading, room is unusually cold for Long Island. Possible yeast is very groggy being in such a cold 64°F bath of water and a room at 62°F ambient temperature.

 

[WoodlandBrew]

The danstar data sheet says BRY-97 can finish in 4 days temperature warmer than 17°C which is about 63°F. It seems to me like you had a lot less healthy yeast than may have been estimated. 2.5 oz should be 100-200 billion which should be fine.

 

[NYShooterGuy]

The danstar data sheet says BRY-97 can finish in 4 days temperature warmer than 17°C which is about 63°F. It seems to me like you had a lot less healthy yeast than may have been estimated. 2.5 oz should be 100-200 billion which should be fine.

I read that as well. I must have underpitched