Krausen gone in a day and a half?

[jacksonbrown]

I brewed a pale ale on Sunday using Nottingham yeast, pitched around 72 deg, Sunday afternoon (3pm-ish). Monday morning there was some pretty good activity, Monday afternoon a small blow off. I cleaned up, sanitized a new airlock and went back to work. As of this morning (Tue) activity has ceased almost entirely, and all the krausen is gone. As best I can tell everything has settled. It's a clear enough brew that if there was much swirling activity, I'd notice it.

Is this something to be concerned about? I have not taken a gravity reading yet as I am on my to work. But it's a little weird to me that everything would just halt so quickly.

for reference:
OG 1.049 on a 5.5 gallon batch
8# Pale 2-row US
0.5# Munich
0.5# Victory
0.5# Cara-Pils
0.25 Crystal 60L

 

[Glibbidy]

Some fermentations go lightning quick. Check the SG to see if it's done.

 

[Revvy]

One thing to remember with beer...That since it is alive, it is wildly unpredictable...

Even if the krausen has fallen there still could be fermentation left to still be done...let it sit for the rest of the week and then take a hydro reading...Don't be so quick to proclaim it done, there are a lot of benefits to letting the beer sit for a couple weeks or more in primary.

 

[wrangler]

i had an IPA (og was 1.048) recently that went like gangbusters for 2-3 days, then nothing. krausen disappeared a couple days later. i was worried, but stuck with my plan. left it in primary for about 10 days. when i racked to secondary, gravity was 1.018. left in secondary for 14 days, and gravity at bottling was 1.013. what was interesting was that after the first couple of days, there was NO visible fermentation at all. until day 8 or so in secondary: THEN the airlocked bubbled for a couple days and yeast was swirling through the carboy.

as poster above said, it's alive and unpredictable. just stick with it: your beer is probably fine.

 

[Edcculus]

The obligatory RDWHAHB!

You really dont need to start taking gravity readings until day 5-7 or so. Even if fermentation is done, I like to leave it in the primary for at least 7 days. Rack it to the secondary when fermentation has finished (or just about).

 

[jacksonbrown]

Thanks guys. My intention was to live and let live, ie, let it go as always. I just haven't had a brew loose it's krausen that quick yet, I got concerned for my baby
I'll just stick with the plan of sitting, waiting, drinking what's on tap. Taking a sample on day 5, transfering on day 10, brewing again, and going through the motions once more.