Not sure how our White Beer from Micro Brew is doing

[_dani_]

Hello there,

Newbies here at brewing. We started using home brew kits not 3 weeks ago. After a stressful first batch (5 days away from bottling now) we decided that is wasn't that bad and started another batch right away. This time, a Belgian Style White beer. Everything was kinda going great, except for this beer (as opposed to our Munich Dark we did first), it seemed to take over 24 hours for fermentation to start. Our Munich was done in 3 days surprisingly (we left it for 5 cause we just weren't sure...damn newbies). It's been 8 days now for the primary for the white, and there is still a lot of froth. We decided to forgo extra readings until today of the gravity just to minimize potentially contaminating the beer. The instructions clearly said when the froth is gone the primary will be done. Is it unusual to take this long? We went from 1.05 to 1.01 in 8 days at about 20-21 C. We will take a second reading again tomorrow to see if the SG is changing, but I am still concerned about the froth. Here is kinda what it looks like (found this picture on the internet), and we do have some 'sludge' too on the forth. Just not sure. Also, if it is ready, is it bad to have left it in there for so long?

Thank you for all your help!!

 

[jalc6927]

Looks like you had an active fermentation but not sure why the Krausen is still on top after 8 days?

What temp did you pitch yeast?

 

[Roland_deschain]

It’s still cleaning up.......be patient. I let things sit for 2 weeks before I start checking gravity but that’s just me.

 

[RM-MN]

The fermentation of every batch is different. Some go really fast, some take more time.

Some times my beers start fermenting quickly, some times it takes 30 hours to see any activity.

The instructions clearly said when the froth is gone the primary will be done.

The instructions are wrong. The fermentation is done when the gravity is stable. The beer can stay in the original fermenter until that happens, usually in 10 to 14 days but you don't have to hurry it. I have left a beer in the primary fermenter for 9 weeks and it turned out really good.

 

[bucketnative]

Depending on the yeast used, none of this abnormal. I have had witbiers take more than two weeks to finish up. I typically leave them in the fermenter for at least three weeks in order to let the yeast clean up any undesireable compounds. Also, some wit yeasts will throw sulfur, and that takes time to age. I just stay patient.

 

[Roland_deschain]

I’m guessing you are eager to move on, as we all can be at times. My suggestion would be to get another fermentation bucket and make another beer in the mean time. Let the “wee beasties” do their job and you won’t regret it.

 

[JohnSand]

Agreed. Yeast are alive, different varieties behave differently. I leave them 2-3 weeks to be sure. Even after they finish, other good things happen, like clearing. The more you brew the more comfortable you will be with the process. Study and practice will yield good beer.
Welcome and good luck.

 

[_dani_]

Looks like you had an active fermentation but not sure why the Krausen is still on top after 8 days?

What temp did you pitch yeast?

Pitched at 20 C i believe. Made sure the wort was also at room temperature.

 

[_dani_]

So a bunch of you leave the primary fermentation way past 5 days even after it is done?
We are new so of course we follow the instructions because we don't know any different. Like I said, our Munich was done in 3 days but we let it go to 5. Would some of you leave it even longer because it will taste better? Or just leave it in the primary and forgo the secondary and go straight to bottling?

Also thanks guys, the responses are awesome and I am glad to have found this forum!

 

[_dani_]

The fermentation of every batch is different. Some go really fast, some take more time.

Some times my beers start fermenting quickly, some times it takes 30 hours to see any activity.



The instructions are wrong. The fermentation is done when the gravity is stable. The beer can stay in the original fermenter until that happens, usually in 10 to 14 days but you don't have to hurry it. I have left a beer in the primary fermenter for 9 weeks and it turned out really good.

Yea see this is a bit confusing. Both "instruction" booklets for the two beers we have done say primary around 3-5 days (or until gravity is stable I guess). So you leave yours regardless in primary for longer?

This is great. Learning what other people do. Thanks

 

[jalc6927]

Should leave in primary until fermentation is done, checked by hydrometer to confirm, it may take 3 days or 10, doesn’t matter as long as it’s done

Then you can leave it in primary for another two weeks or so, or transfer to secondary. Transferring to secondary is optional unless you have a fruit beer

You’ll find conflicting advice on this, and many other techniques

In time you’ll discover what you prefer and what gives you the best consistently great beer

I’ve always done secondary until lately, just kept it in primary and the difference is negligible

I use fermenters that have spigots so there’s no need to transfer, just go right into kegs or bottles from fermenter

You may find another method that suits your style better, and that’s what you should do

Listen to podcasts such as:
experimental brewing
Brulosophy
Basic brewing
Come and brew it

 

[RM-MN]

Yea see this is a bit confusing. Both "instruction" booklets for the two beers we have done say primary around 3-5 days (or until gravity is stable I guess). So you leave yours regardless in primary for longer?

This is great. Learning what other people do. Thanks

For sure longer. At 5 days, even if the early part of the fermentation seems done, the yeast are still working. When they have eaten all th sugars they have a bunch of intermediate products that they made during that first part and given a bit of time they will break those down (we'd call that the cleanup phase). When they are completely done they will cease stirring the beer and begin to clump together (floccualte) and then settle out in the bottom of the fermenter. That can take a long time but the most of the yeast settles out in just a few days. Bottling before this happens will get you lots of yeast and trub settling in your bottles. Most of us don't like this in our glass so we leave some beer behind to avoid the junk. Bottling at a week or less will get you a big amount which is why most of us wait longer to bottle. Most of my beers have so little sediment that it is hard to see. Leaving your beer in the primary fermenter won't hurt it. I've left one for 9 weeks and it came out really good but most of the time I bottle at 3 or 4 weeks.

 

[RM-MN]

Here's a little reading to teach you more about the life cycle of the yeast. Some of the times mentioned seem a bit shorter that what I experience. http://www.brewgeeks.com/the-life-cycle-of-yeast.html

 

[_dani_]

For sure longer. At 5 days, even if the early part of the fermentation seems done, the yeast are still working. When they have eaten all th sugars they have a bunch of intermediate products that they made during that first part and given a bit of time they will break those down (we'd call that the cleanup phase). When they are completely done they will cease stirring the beer and begin to clump together (floccualte) and then settle out in the bottom of the fermenter. That can take a long time but the most of the yeast settles out in just a few days. Bottling before this happens will get you lots of yeast and trub settling in your bottles. Most of us don't like this in our glass so we leave some beer behind to avoid the junk. Bottling at a week or less will get you a big amount which is why most of us wait longer to bottle. Most of my beers have so little sediment that it is hard to see. Leaving your beer in the primary fermenter won't hurt it. I've left one for 9 weeks and it came out really good but most of the time I bottle at 3 or 4 weeks.

Hey thanks again for your reply. May I just ask you to clarify. It sounds like you skip secondary fermentation? I think we will continue to do secondary as this open up or primary since we only have one, but have two carboys.

Ultimately it sounds like there is no rush to bottling, which we never planned on doing, just moving it into a carboy. Just gonna let this batch do its thing it seems.

 

[RM-MN]

Let the beer sit in the primary fermenter as long as you can stand it. Ideally it will stay in the primary until it reaches final gravity, the point at which the hydrometer reading doesn't change over a period of 3 days. Racking too early may stall out the yeast leaving you with underattenuated beer.

No that you have seen how fun brewing can be it is time to buy a couple more buckets. Then use your carboys for making a batch of mead or wine.

 

[jalc6927]

And get buckets with spigots in them

 

[JohnSand]

And don't worry too much. It will all work out.

 

[SoCal-Doug]

Wit. Allagash white yeast on the left. WLP400 on the right. Pitched 15 days ago. Averaging 72F.

Sometimes things take time. Yup, I'm impatient too

 

[RM-MN]

And get buckets with spigots in them

I wouldn't recommend the spigots. Spigots can leak or break and it is not fun to clean up a gallon or more of spilled beer, what with the volume of the beer plus the tears as you realize that you won't get to drink the beer you worked so hard to make. Siphoning isn't that difficult to master and an autosiphon isn't very expensive either and makes siphoning so much easier.

A bottling bucket with a spigot is way different from a fermenter with spigot as you won't be leaving the beer in there for long and if you break the spigot before the beer goes in, you can just wait to bottle until you have replaced it.

 

[jalc6927]

We all have our preferences

I’ve never had a broken or leaker yet

This way streamlined the process for me

Brew on!