Super Active Yeast, quickly stopped

[aomagman78]

So I brewed the recipe below, using 1 packet of dry nottingham ale yeast. Within just a few hours there was a lot of activity in the air lock. On day two the bubbles were coming through like a machine gun. This is my third batch and I had never seen that. It continued like that through the day and now on day three the head is already gone and bubbles are down to 1 every 5-10 seconds. Should I be concerned? Should I stir it up or add a second packet of yeast? Is the machine gun bubble deal normal? My other two batches never did more than 1 a second during peak activity. Anyway, thanks for any input.

5 gallon / (4 gallon)
4.5lbs Pale DME (4lbs) (2+lbs golden / 2+lbs pilsen)
1lb Light Munich Malt (.8lbs)
1lb Vienna Malt (.8lbs)
1/4lb CaraAroma (.2lbs)
1/2lb Cara-Pils Dextrine malt (.4bs)

1oz Centennial hops @ 60min (.8oz)
1oz Cascade hops @ 30min (.8oz)
.5oz Cascade hops @ 5min (.4oz)

American Ale Yeast (Nottingham)

 

[WilliamWS]

Sounds like you had a nice, vigorous fermentation. I'd wait a few more days then check the gravity to see where you're at. My guess is that your in great shape and fermentation is nearly complete (though you should still leave it for a couple more weeks after you confirm that your at or near your FG to clean up and clear).

 

[Revvy]

So you're saying fermentation "suddenly stopped" because the bubbles aren't bubbling, OR the real way, by taking a hydrometer series of hydrometer readings?
Read this...https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/bubbling-stopped-after-30hrs-222059/#post2609390

 

[aomagman78]

Thanks Revvy, had not read that before. I was just very surprised by the very sudden shift. Didn't know if that was common or unusual.

 

[WilliamWS]

Good to see you here, Revvy. Hope the recovery is going well.

 

[Kaz]

That's often the way it goes. I brewed a brown ale last weekend using WLP002. Pitched a 2L starter at 62F and in about 4 hours had fermentation going. I was using a blow off tube going into an old 1 gallon pitcher with some star san in it and had the cap on the pitcher. Within 12 hours the bubbles going into the pitcher from the blow off were so crazy they blew the lid off once. By day 3, it was just about quiet...I haven't taken the gravity, because frankly, I let most of my brews in the fermenter for at least 3 weeks before I'm concerned if its done. At 3 weeks, I might take a gravity reading and then another at 4 weeks before I bottle or keg. Just curious, what temp did you ferment at? The bubbling will be a little more crazy at higher temps and the fermentation will go a lot quicker.

 

[Revvy]

Thanks Revvy, had not read that before. I was just very surprised by the very sudden shift. Didn't know if that was common or unusual.

It's a daily multiple occurance on here....when people equate airlocks with being some sort of magic fermentation gauge, instead of what it's intended purpose is that of a vent, a valve to release excess co2 and to prevent our beer from painting our ceilings, they think a natural occurance like fermentation winding down, or temp change or the dog humping the fermenter means their beer has stopped fermentation, when it more than likely hasn't.