Is fermenting finished?

[Barkingshins]

Hello,
I am new to this community and this is my first post. My name is Brian and I am in the process of brewing my first batch of beer. I purchased a beer-making kit from a local brewer supplier here in Minneapolis along with a kit for an English Brown Ale. Everything has gone smoothly thus far but I have one question regarding how to know when fermenting is done.

I did my boil and pitched the yeast on Saturday. Today is Thursday which means that my beer has been fermenting for only five days now. My OG was 1.045. On Tuesday morning I took a gravity reading and it was ~1.012. This morning, two days later, I did another reading and it was still at ~1.012. There was a lot of vigorous fermentation activity for about 36 hours but then it tapered off quickly and after about 48 hours, it seemed to have stopped entirely. Unless I am missing something, this would seem to suggest that my fermentation has completed. Can this be true despite the fact that it has been fermenting for significantly less time than the instructions that came with the Ale kit suggested (nine to eleven days)? Should I proceed with priming/bottling or is something amiss here?

Some details -
Amber Malt Extract
Galena Bittering Hops
Cascade Finishing Hops
Ale Yeast
Fermented at a steady 68°

If any other info is required to properly assess the situation, please let me know. Any insight your collective experience can provide would be much appreciated.

-Brian

 

[Walker]

fermentation can finish rapidly sometimes. I've had beers finish fermenting in as little as 3 days.

However, this doesn't mean that the beer is "done". Yeast produce byproducts during fermentation that they then will go back and clean up when they are done fermenting.

Leave your beer alone. Even if there is no more activity and the gravity is constant, you need to let the beer mellow out a little and let the yeast finish the other work they are doing.

 

[jcarson83]

Fermentation is mostly complete but I would suggest leaving it in primary for at least 2 to 3 weeks. The yeast will clean up a lot of off flavors during this time and I think you will be a lot happier with the finished product. Has the krausen dropped yet? That seems pretty fast for that to happen but not unheard of.

 

[geistbear]

I would say your fermentation is complete, that said I would let it still sit a few more days because while it is done, the yeast may still be digesting and cleaning up after itself. A fast fermentation can happen, the window your kit suggested is a rough guide.

 

[Bensiff]

Instructions are generalities of the brewing process. It sounds like your gravity is stable and beer is done in short time which is normal given the low SG. I would recommend letting it sit for another week on the yeast so the yeast can clear out fermentation by products making for a cleaner beer. Then, if you have the ability, cold crash (if you get it to 30 degrees it should only take a day or two) to clear out floating particles. Then go ahead and rack to the bottling bucket, prime, and bottle.

 

[Bensiff]

Oh yeah, welcome to the forum. Great first post for a first time brewer, sounds like you did your homework and you know your lingo and gave us the info we needed.

 

[maida7]

Sounds like it may be finished. Good job!

I'm gonna assume this is an English ale yeast.

Has the yeast settled to the bottom or is there a thick mat still floating on the surface? English strains are know to work very fast and flocculate quickly. If the yeast has settled to the bottom and you have reached terminal gravity then I call it done. 1.012 is a good terminal gravity.

I'd suggest doing a diacetyl rest. This is very easy. Raise the temp of the fermenter a few degrees. If it was at 68 try to get it to 70 or 72. Leave it at this temp for a day or 2 and then bottle your beer. The warmer temp will help your yeast clean up some of the off flavors produced during the fermentation. English yeast is notorious for producing diacetyl.

 

[Barkingshins]

Wow! Yay for quick responses! It's nice to see that I have found a community with so many enthusiastic and knowledgeable members.

So the verdict seems pretty unanimous. Fermentation may be complete but there is still more work to be done in there. I will let it sit for at least another week and then move on to the next steps.

jcarson83 - Yes the krausen has dropped. However the beer is still very hazy and there is some "debris" floating around in there that, hopefully, the yeast will take care of over the next week+. I also dared a taste of what I have so far and I must say, it tastes like beer to me.... flat and room-temperature of course, but tasty nonetheless.

Bensiff - Thank you for the warm welcome. Yes, I have done a fair amount of research even before buying my kit. I like to know what the potential pitfalls are and how to deal with them before they come along. I also like to make sure that I am making informed purchases rather than just buying whatever the guy taking my money tells me to buy.

I look forward to being a part of this community and thanks to all of you.

 

[Bensiff]

Barking - you're welcome. Taste away man, every step you should taste the product from eating different grains to the finished product as it gives you great insight. The haziness is yeast still suspended, it will fall out over time, or more rapidly if chilled.

If you are a researcher be careful or you will get hooked with this hobby...if you are also a tinkerer you will be lost forever in your garage, check out the DIY to see what this hobby can do to a man.