Two day fermentation?

[allanmac00]

Ok, I know that the hydrometer is the judge of all things. But I still have to ask – is it possible to undergo an entire primary ferment in 2 days?

Here are the details. I brewed a nut brown ale last Saturday. I then left town for the weekend and returned Monday night, and noticed that there was zero activity in the carboy. There was a very slight krausen ring or something like it, but otherwise nothing. The beer was slightly low gravity (1.040) and I pitched a dry pack of notingham yeast.

 

[kenpotf]

Do gravity readings 3 days in a row and if you get the same reading it's done. Otherwise, yes, the fermentation can happen quick. My amber was done in 2 days. It depends on the temperature that you're fermenting at. If you're fermenting at a higher temperature, you're going to ferment out quicker. I'm not sure how that would affect the flavor of your beer. I try to keep my fermentation chamber at the low-middle end of the yeast that I'm using. Currently, I'm using a Sterling yeast that ferments between 65 - 71, so I have it set to 68 with a 1 degree differential.

 

[smithn]

I have gone from wort to keg in 6 days with a beer, with use of a secondary(took another two weeks to loose the intial over hopped flavor and mellow became a very good beer in the end.) So the primary fermented in 2-3 days but took another 3 to clarify in the secondary.

Do you not have a hydrometer is that why you are asking?

I would find it hard to believe to ferment and clarify in 2 days, does it have that muddy look? Is there other signs of fermantation? Another thought is maybe it hasnt started yet, or is gettin off to a slow start.

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

You can still have fermentation going on even though there is no krausen/krausen has fallen. Is the beer clear or does it look cloudy? If it is cloudy that is an indication there is still fermentation.

However, above all else, you need to check the hydrometer to be sure.

 

[ilikethetrees]

Give it time. It may not appear to be active, but you'd damn sure have better beer in the end by letting it sit on the yeast for a while. Taste it while it's young and you'll find out quickly just what I'm referring to. Fermentation is a complex, multi-stage process, and there's more going on than meets the eye.